College Enrollment on the Rise

More and more students are attending college, a new report by Pew Research Center revealed. In fact, almost 40 percent of 18-24 year olds were enrolled in college classes last year, which was a record-setting percentage. Experts believe this increase was driven by more students attending community colleges than ever before.
“We have anecdotally got this sense that there’s been this college enrollment boom,” said Richard Fry, a research associate at Pew Research Center. “But now we’ve got confirmation, and we know that at least among young adults, the increase seems to be a two-year college phenomenon.”
Part of the reason for this surge in college attendance is that more students are graduating high school than ever before. By October 2008, 84.9 percent of 18-24 year-olds had completed high school.
The increase is not limited to only two-year, community colleges. Enrollment at four-year colleges and universities is also on the rise; roughly eight million students are attending these schools. However, the increase is still the most noticeable at two-year schools.
Why?
This could be due to the economic recession. Community colleges cost less than larger universities and allow students to get a head start on their academic careers.
The most important thing about this new report is that it shows that students are starting to bridge the education gap in the hopes of finding better jobs. Hopefully we will continue to see an increase in the percentage of students who attend college every year.
Via New York Times.