CNN can’t see the elephant in the room – they have lots of explanation but miss the big one:
There are a few possible reasons why enrollment at community colleges in particular has declined so sharply. One is attributed to the strength of the US labor market in recent years, which argues that some students are not enrolled in school because they’re taking advantage of the abundance of available jobs paying higher wages.
Another possible reason is due to the growing demand for jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree, so students might be transferring out of community colleges or just opting for four-year schools from the beginning.
As for the long-term decline in enrollment, there isn’t a clear answer, but it could also be due to the job market’s strength, even before the pandemic. Unemployment was historically low in 2019, and there were plenty of available jobs that year, according to government data.
Community college enrollment is down. Here’s what will happen to workers and the US economy if it doesn’t come back | CNN Business
As of 2024, the leading edge of the shrinking youth cohort is entering the age where they go to college – and there are a lot fewer young people than in the past.
