Tracking Racial and Ethnic Enrollments in Higher Education During the Pandemic

Filed in Enrollments, Research & Studies on October 12, 2020

The National Student Clearinghouse Center has released a preliminary report on college enrollments this fall. The report found that in the midst of a global pandemic, overall enrollments are down just 2.5 percent from a year ago. As expected due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, international enrollments are down by 11 percent.

The biggest enrollment drops have been at community colleges, where enrollments are down 7.5 percent. Enrollments at public four-year colleges and universities showed only a tiny decline. Graduate enrollments appear to be up across the board, possibly due to the lack of employment opportunities in an economy that has taken a major hit.

The report also shows enrollment decreases by racial and ethnic group. Black and White student enrollments are down by more than 6 percent. But Asian and Hispanics student enrollments are down by just 3 percent.

Black graduate school enrollments are up by 8.4 percent, nearly double the increase for White students in graduate schools. Hispanics American enrollments in graduate school are up by 14.2 percent.