Big Drops in Enrollment Hit Colleges in the First Fall of the Pandemic. Who Was Able to Bounce Back?

Of the roughly 2,600 colleges and universities analyzed by the Chronicle, more than 45 percent witnessed a drop by 10 percent or more in the enrollment of first-time, degree seeking students.

Public institutions generally had the most trouble recovering the following year, especially at the community college level. On the other hand, doctoral-granting and special-focus two-year intuitions were the most likely to recoup their losses in 2021.