Freshman enrollment at U.S. colleges shows first drop since 2020

U.S. colleges reported a 5% drop in freshman enrollment for fall 2024, marking the first decline since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when it fell 10%, according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

Public and private nonprofit four-year schools alike saw their freshman numbers slump, even as the overall enrollment in undergraduate programs grew 3%, driven by increases in returning and dual-enrolled high school students.

Freshman counts are a closely watched gauge for higher education, since a smaller class size can hurt a school’s revenue for years. Slowing revenue growth and rising costs have been squeezing school budgets across the country, forcing a number of smaller, less selective schools to close in the wake of the pandemic.

The data also provide an early window into the impact of the Supreme Court’s affirmative-action ruling and a troubled overhaul of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

“It is startling to see such a substantial drop in freshmen,” said Doug Shapiro, Executive Director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. “But the gains among students either continuing from last year or returning from prior stopouts are keeping overall undergraduate numbers growing, especially at community colleges.”

The most severe declines in freshman enrollment were concentrated at four-year colleges that serve low-income students, the report found. Four-year schools that enroll a high share of Pell Grant recipients saw declines of more than 10%, while comparable community colleges reported modest gains in their freshman class.

All races and ethnicities reported smaller freshman enrollment, with the sharpest declines among white students.

Students pursuing short-term credentials grew by 7%.