Enrollment at Virginia colleges dipped only 1% this semester, avoiding disaster

The number of students enrolled in colleges throughout Virginia has declined 1.3% this year, which amounts to a large sigh of relief for university and state leaders, who feared a drop of as much as 20% because of the coronavirus pandemic. Low-income students account for a large cross section of enrollment losses.

There are 6,658 fewer students at Virginia’s public and private institutions of higher education this fall, according to colleges’ estimated figures that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia released Tuesday. The largest drop was at community colleges, where enrollment sank an unexpected 10%. Enrollment at public four-year schools was essentially flat, and private schools saw an increase thanks to large gains made by Liberty University.

Colleges’ ability to attract almost as many students despite the pandemic that upended their educational and community models illustrates their durability in the face of many challenges.

“It’s still the best and most predictable pathway to a middle-class-or-above lifestyle,” said Tod Massa, policy analytics director for SCHEV.

Read more: https://roanoke.com/news/local/education/enrollment-at-virginia-colleges-dipped-only-1-this-semester-avoiding-disaster/article_cc3d40cd-045e-5698-b871-462c36c77497.html