The quiet revival of community colleges, in three charts

Community college enrolment in the United States fell by 17 percent between 2010 and 2022 — a decline driven by a combination of demographic shifts, the for-profit college boom, and a cultural narrative that positioned the four-year university degree as the only credential worth having. That narrative is changing. Enrolment has risen for three consecutive years, and the characteristics of the students returning tell a more interesting story than the aggregate numbers.