NJ College Enrollment Lower than 2019

By Kyle Sullender, Executive Director of Focus NJ  On Oct 31, 2024

New data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows higher enrollment in New Jersey’s colleges and universities in Spring 2024 than the prior year, but overall enrollment remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels. 

Nationally, total enrollment in undergraduate and graduate degree programs was approximately 4.6% lower in Spring 2024 than in Spring 2019. Only 12 states had spring enrollment that met or exceeded their pre-pandemic levels.

In New Jersey, total enrollment was up 1.4% year-over-year, but remained 9.5% lower than in 2019, driven entirely by losses among undergraduate students, particularly at community colleges. 

Community Colleges. Community college enrollment cratered during the pandemic, falling roughly 25% from Spring 2019 to Spring 2022. Enrollment increased slightly in 2023, but stayed virtually flat in 2024. Overall, community college enrollment in New Jersey remains 22% lower than prior to the pandemic.

This phenomenon is hardly unique to New Jersey. In fact, the Garden State’s closest neighbors, New York and Pennsylvania, have experienced similar declines (-23.3% and -24.8%, respectively). Nationwide, community college enrollment is substantially lower than in 2019. 

These declines are likely driven by several factors, chiefly the strength of the labor market in the aftermath of the pandemic, offering job opportunities to students who were enrolled or would have become enrolled in a community college program. Although community college enrollment has rebounded slightly, there will be economic ramifications if prospective workers lack the credentials necessary to fill critical workforce gaps.

Public Four-Year Institutions. Enrollment at public four-year colleges and universities remains below pre-pandemic levels, though the decline is not nearly as steep as at community colleges. Enrollment in public four-year institutions was up 1% year over year, but remained 5.4% lower in Spring 2024 than 2019. 

Declines are not evenly spread. The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Montclair State University, and Kean University were all virtually equal to or above pre-pandemic undergraduate enrollment in the most recent fall semester, according to data from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. By contrast, undergraduate enrollment declines were highest at Rutgers University-Camden (-31.7%), New Jersey City University (-31.4%), and William Paterson University (-23.9%). 

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