The American Association of Community Colleges notes that the distribution of students in community colleges and universities has changed drastically since the 1960s, and that public opinion of the two-year programs and other services community colleges offer have changed as well.
In 1953, only 15% of Americans 18-24 years old were enrolled in post-secondary school. The number increased to 30% in 1969 and to 41% in 2009. Enrollment for 25-29-year-olds and 30-34-year olds more than doubled from 1967 to 2009, and total undergraduate fall enrollment for all age groups nearly tripled in that time period, from 6 million students to 17.6 million students.
At community colleges in particular, the student body has changed as well. The student body is becoming younger, as proven by a few statistics: in 1993, only 1.6% of the student population was under 18 years old; in 2009, the age group made up 7% of enrollment. In colleges nationwide, 67% of undergraduates are younger than 25. Community colleges, however, are still not catering as much to “traditional” students as universities are. Though working 20 hours a week is a major risk factor for students not completing college, 84% of community college students work, and 60% work more than 20 hours per week.
Those living in poverty still make efforts to attend college, and many attend community college, the brief states. In 2007-2008, 4 million people older than 18 living in poverty enrolled in an undergraduate program, and community colleges enrolled 41% of them. Twenty percent of all community college students that year were living in poverty.
Perceptions of community colleges and students are favorable: 71% of the public believes that it is sometimes better to start at a community college than at a 4-year college. Additionally, students who start at a community college are just as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree after transferring to a 4-year college as students who start at a 4-year college.
In the brief, the author states that the data included in the document could be used to identify students who may be at risk of not graduating and provide resources for them accordingly. The key, he says, is for community colleges to keep providing access to education, and to be incentivized to enroll and serve as many students as possible through open access.
The findings were released in a policy brief on Feb. 7.
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