Illinois community college enrollment increased by a little more than 5% for the Spring semester this year; it’s the third-largest increase in student enrollment in the past 15 years.
Officials say it outpaces the national average growth for community colleges, which saw a growth of more than 2.5% between Spring of 2022 and the following spring.
Officials attribute the increase to more aggressive recruitment and retention of students as well as expanding access to new ways of learning.