From last October
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While more Texans are going to four-year general universities, some other institutions are currently facing lower enrollment since the pandemic’s outset. Enrollment in junior colleges and some health and medical schools has lagged in early 2021 compared to 2019.
According to a report from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), two-year schools are serving fewer students now than in 2019. In fact, enrollment at two-year colleges is now below four-year universities for the first time in at least 20 years. Mostly driven by the drop in two-year students, statewide enrollment in higher education is down 4.2 percent overall since 2019.
Institution Type
From fall 2019 to fall 2021, enrollment at four-year universities increased by a modest 1.7 percent. Public two-year college enrollment decreased by 11.6 percent.
Private institutions experienced the same trend. Enrollment at private universities rose by about 1 percent and decreased by 6.5 percent at private junior colleges. However, Jacksonville College is the only private junior college included in the report, and the six-point enrollment decline amounts to 33 fewer new students.
