Officials with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System announced this week that they expect to welcome more than 85,000 students this fall, an 8.4% increase over last year.
Enrollment, they believe, will set a 10-year record — with substantial growth across all student classifications, races and ethnicities, age groups and in targeted industry sectors.
As of August 23, enrollment had reached more than 66,000 students, representing that increase of 8.4% and a gain of more than 5,000 students compared to the same time last year. Enrollment will continue to climb during the semester, since the system has multiple start dates dependent on programming.
Across the system, credential-seeking headcount grew by 7.2%, while the credit-bearing workforce, non-degree headcount increased 16.4%.
New student enrollment climbed 11% over last year. Credential-seeking enrollment jumped 11.9% among the new students, while credit-bearing workforce and non-degree students shot up 19.8%.
High school students taking dual credit classes, with support from the dual credit scholarship, grew 11.6% over last fall and accounted for 23.5% of this fall’s enrollment total. By the end of the semester, this student population is expected to reach 35% of the system’s total enrollment.
Nontraditional enrollment, which includes adults ages 25 and over, grew 10.4%, making up 32% of total enrollment.
Enrollment for students identifying as Black, African American is up 12.5%, while Hispanic, Latin, and two or more races are showing gains between 13% and 22%. Underrepresented minority enrollment is up 15.8% compared to last year.
Program enrollment gains include:
Advanced manufacturing, 8.7%
Business & IT services, 3.4%
Construction, 10.6%
Healthcare, 17%
Transportation and logistics, 2.8%
KCTCS Online is also bolstering enrollment increases by providing solutions for students that have challenges with work schedules, transportation and childcare. This fall, 71.5% of students are enrolled in at least one online course.
