Enrollment at colleges and universities rose by a modest 1 percent this spring, but the number of students eschewing traditional four-year universities for technical certificate programs rose much more sharply, a June 4 report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found.
More than 18.6 million students enrolled in postsecondary academic programs in Spring 2026, according to “Clearinghouse’s Enrollment Insights: Final Spring Enrollment Report.” Total undergraduate enrollment increased by 1.3 percent to 15.5 million students, but enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs at community colleges spiked by 12.1 percent, adding 82,873 students to reach a total of 767,662.
