We’ve got the 2022 Spring enrollment data, and the news is good! But pay attention. Knowing which degree levels and which programs are enrolling students is important.
After two years of decline, bachelors’ spring enrollment is actually growing. Pre-2020, a rise of a mere 0.4% might have made us say “meh,” but in light of all higher ed has endured, this data is very encouraging. Enrollment is headed in the right direction.
Still not excited by the 0.4 percent? That was just a warm up. Master’s level enrollment should be impressive enough for anyone to take notice. We will just move that decimal place a bit for you. The growth is up four percent, and enrollment numbers in 2022 are even better than they were in Spring of 2019.
For those who still haven’t had their coffee or tea and want some bad news, you’ll find it in associate enrollment, maybe. Gray data shows that associate enrollment for Spring continued to fall. But wait, there is more…
In any cloud, there is that proverbial silver lining, or should I say green for revenue. You just need to know how to find it. Here are the programs that are driving growth in all three award levels. Note them if you want to beat the enrollment curve.
Starting with the bachelor’s level, Cyber Security is not a surprise, as it has been growing quickly over the past three years (19 percent annually). Cinematography and fine arts are newer entrants to the top 10. Take a look.
While bachelor’s programs are a mixed bag of interest areas, master’s are very tech-focused, with six of the 10 fastest growers in tech-related fields. Human Computer Interaction has also been going strong in international student demand.
Turning the associate level frown upside down are the programs that are growing fast. They display a good mix of transfer and direct-to-workforce programs and varied areas of interest.
The Spring 2022 college enrollment data is positive for both bachelor’s and master’s levels. Associate degree enrollment is down, but there is plenty of opportunity when focusing on newly-growing programs
