According to data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, university dual enrollment in the state has increased by 2.4% since last year while community college dual enrollment rose by 12.7% during the same time frame.
Currently, the fastest-growing academic institutions in the state are a mix of technical and community colleges and also traditional universities. Much of the growth has been fueled by high school students in dual enrollment programs who in 2024 represent 4.9% of university enrollment and 31.9% of community college enrollment. Many of those same students are now staying in the state for higher education driving the enrollment numbers up further.
“Some of the growth may be just expanding the dual enrollment, which is really just three credit hours,” Jim Purcell, executive director of ACHE, said. “It’s not like a full-time equivalent person, which is actually how you fund campuses: full-time people.”
Purcell also said that COVID in 2020 caused steep drops in enrollment but the numbers have steadily increased across Alabama in the last four years.
The schools along with their enrollment increase since last year can be found below:
- Ingram State Technical College: 33.3% increase
- Enterprise State Community College: 22.1% increase
- Trenholm State Community College: 18.3% increase
- Drake State Community and Technical College: 14.4% increase
- Coastal Alabama Community College: 14.1% increase
- University of West Alabama: 12.2% increase
- Alabama A&M University: 11.8% increase
Other schools like the University of Alabama also showed tremendous growth. This year the college had a total enrollment of approximately 41,000 students, breaking a previous record.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow on X @ShipleyAusten
