City Colleges of Chicago fall enrollment increases more than double the state average, signaling continued recovery from the pandemic, including strong gains for Black and Latinx male students

Illinois Community College Board reports City Colleges of Chicago enrollment is up again with a year over year headcount increase of 12.7% for Fall 2023

City Colleges of Chicago’s (CCC) Fall 2023 headcount enrollment is up 12.7% for students in combined credit and adult education, more than double the state-wide average (+5.7%) for Illinois community colleges, with strong gains for Black male (+15.8%) and Latinx male (+8.6%) credit students.  City Colleges undergraduate credit enrollment increase (+8.4%) was nearly double the national public community college average (+4.4%).

“Our increase in enrollment is a reflection of our efforts to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our students and offer them clear pathways to transfer and careers in growing fields,” said City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado. “Chicagoans recognize that City Colleges’ quality, affordable education prepares students for an interconnected, highly-skilled and diverse world.”

This fall’s increase follows an increase of 13% in total enrollment (credit, adult education, and continuing education) in FY23.

Enrollment in a combination of credit and adult education programs at Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, and Olive-Harvey College outpaced FY20 (pre-pandemic) enrollment.  City Colleges anticipates nearly closing the gap to pre-pandemic enrollment by the end of the year.

The increase in overall enrollment comes after City Colleges’ efforts to remove barriers, offer unique educational pathways, and create access continue to draw students to its colleges.

Initiatives include:

• Affordability and student financial supports, such as:
  • No increase in tuition since 2016.
  • Doubled the investment in free college over the last six years to $21M in FY23, including:
    • Future Ready, which enables eligible Chicagoans to earn credentials and prepare for in-demand careers in fields as diverse as cybersecurity, healthcare, and manufacturing, at no cost.
    • The Star Scholarship, which helps to ensure that thousands of high-achieving Chicago high school graduates can attend college.
  • The Chicago Roadmap, an unprecedented partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago that has become a national model for equity efforts, including:
    • 18 Post-secondary navigators supporting CPS students at 84 high schools in the high school to college transition
    • Significant enrollment growth in transitional math and English and early college (free dual enrollment/dual credit)
    • Model pathways in in-demand fields​
  • Comprehensive student supports, including tele-mental health, liaisons for targeted student populations (i.e. undocumented students, housing insecure students, veterans, more), food, housing, and technology supports, first-year experience directors, advising, tutors, and more.
  • Work-based learning opportunities that allow students to get hands-on experience in an internship, apprenticeship, and research opportunities.

City Colleges has also made strategic improvements in enrollment management processes and systems and investments in marketing efforts.

“Through strategic efforts at every level, City Colleges is working to educate the public on all we have to offer, including in-demand, high-growth career pathways, transfer options for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, and a wide array of supports meeting students where they are,” said Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Dr. Darryl A. Williams, City Colleges of Chicago.

The headcount enrollment increases at all seven of the City Colleges of Chicago are as follows: Harold Washington College (+5.4%), Harry S Truman (+17.1%), Kennedy-King (+24.3%), Malcolm X (+9.5%), Olive-Harvey (+30.7%), Richard J. Daley (+22%), and Wilbur Wright (+3.8%) for a total of 39,221 credit and adult education students enrolled in Fall 2023.

To view the full ICCB report, click here or visit: https://www.iccb.org/data/?page_id=47.

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