More students are learning to be mechanics, chefs, and construction workers as college enrollment shrinks

Insider

Grace Mayer

April 20, 2023

• Public colleges have been hit with enrollment declines and growing sentiments that a degree isn’t worth it.

• But many trade programs are seeing increases in enrollment, per the National Student Clearinghouse.

• Construction, culinary, and mechanic trade programs all saw enrollment increase last year.

While colleges have been hit with enrollment declines and growing sentiments that a 4-year degree is no longer “worth it,” many trade programs across the country are experiencing the opposite — enrollment is increasing, research from the National Student Clearinghouse found.

Across construction, culinary, and mechanic trade programs, all experienced increases in enrollment between spring 2021 to 2022, the study found.

Construction trade programs saw the largest enrollment increase — a rise of 19.3% year over year, per the study, which brought enrollment in the trade back to pre-pandemic levels. Enrollment in culinary programs increased 12.7% and 11.5% in mechanic and repair trade programs over the same time period. Prior to the pandemic, these sectors were experiencing labor shortages in skilled trade workers, particularly in construction, according to data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data.

As for public four-year and public two-year colleges, enrollment dipped 3.4% and 7.8%, respectively, per the study. Enrollment in four-year, for-profit private colleges shrank 0.2% over the same period. Overall, total college enrollment was down 4.1% from spring 2021 to spring 2022.

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