Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Reports City Colleges of Chicago Outperforms the State and National Averages for Fall Enrollment
CHICAGO – (November 1, 2022) – City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)’s fall 2022 enrollment is up 6.9 percent year over year, exceeding the Illinois community college average of +1.5% and the national average (flat), according to a report published Friday by the Illinois Community College Board.
Enrollment in a combination of credit and adult education programs has increased at six of its colleges: Harry S Truman (+11.5%), Kennedy-King (+17.4%), Malcolm X (+11.6%), Olive-Harvey (+14.8%), Richard J. Daley (+5.5%), and Wilbur Wright (+3.6%). The number of Adult Education students alone grew by 16.6 percent – an increase of 1,098 students – from fall 2021.
“Through a combination of targeted initiatives, City Colleges of Chicago is supporting Chicagoans as they make their way to and through college,” said City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado. “We’ve been strategic about expanding access to our colleges by developing new opportunities for students like our no-cost Future Ready initiative, as well as strengthening signature efforts, such as the Star Scholarship. Due to our high-quality programs and pathways, our students leave prepared for their next steps, whether they want to transfer to a top four-year university, start a high-paying, in-demand career at one of the region’s largest companies, or take a different pathway to success.”
The increase in enrollment comes after City Colleges has embarked on targeted efforts to enhance and expand college resources and offerings in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven City Colleges are meeting the needs of the Chicago economy with quality, in-demand programs in transportation, distribution, logistics, cannabis studies, manufacturing, IT, early childhood education, engineering, healthcare, and more. City Colleges launched Future Ready in 2021 to help eligible Chicagoans gain credentials and prepare for in-demand careers in many of those industries at no cost.
Additionally, opportunities such as the Star Scholarship have been strengthened to ensure that high-achieving students can attend college even if they cannot afford it. This year’s class of Star Scholars was the largest awarded and enrolled to date, with 1,597 students attending all seven colleges. The scholarship is one of many opportunities offered through the Chicago Roadmap, an unprecedented partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chicago launched in 2020 to create a seamless transition for CPS students to post-secondary options. CCC also offers Workforce Equity Initiatives and makes many scholarships, waivers, and grants available to students to help them attend college.
The positive enrollment numbers in Adult Education reflect the strong leadership and determined students in the program, which offers free English as a Second Language and high school diploma preparation classes. The Adult Education Department has been focused on strengthening community partnerships, linking adult learners to career pathways, and expanding its reach to help more students reach their goals.
Through enrollment management and strategic marketing efforts, City Colleges is making a concerted effort to educate the public on all the community college system has to offer, including in-demand, high-growth career pathways, transfer options for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, and supports for adult learners looking to return to the classroom.
“We have been incredibly intentional in our work to engage additional communities and showcase the value of an education from City Colleges of Chicago. This increase in enrollment is a testament to those efforts,” said Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Darryl Williams. “As more and more Chicagoans learn about the strategic value of CCC, they are deciding to take advantage of our high-quality, low-cost offerings.”
Like the national trend, City Colleges of Chicago was not immune to the effects of the pandemic and saw an 8.6% drop in fall 2021 enrollment. Although still in a state of recovery after the height of the 2020 pandemic, City Colleges of Chicago’s efforts to remove barriers, offer unique educational pathways, and create access are bringing back students to its colleges.
To view the full ICCB report, click here. For more report information visit ICCB, http://www2.iccb.org/data/studies-reports/student-reports.
Media Contact: Veronica Resa| City Colleges of Chicago | vresa1@ccc.edu
