This year marks the debut of the Business Journal’s list of OC community colleges, which features enrollment in the 12 months ending on Sept. 30.
The unranked list includes nine community colleges reported under their respective districts: Coast, North Orange County, Rancho Santiago and South Orange County.
It’s measured by full-time and part-time enrollment and also includes other data, such as the number of associate degrees awarded, full-time and part-time faculty, and the years schools were established.
Out of the nine schools, five reported full-time enrollment increased year-over-year, and four were down. Four schools reported increases in part-time students, while the rest experienced declines.
Total full-time enrollment remained flat at about 75,000 students at local colleges. Part-time enrollment was also flat at over 155,000.
OC colleges awarded 22,451 associate degrees.
In regard to faculty size, part-time instructors totaled 6,025, full-time faculty 1,729.
While community colleges typically face declining enrollment in a strong economy with low unemployment, researchers suggest it may get worse due to budget cuts. U.S. community college enrollment has fallen 16.6% since 2011, according to a study this year by Herndon, Va.-based National Student Clearinghouse.
It said a major factor was state and federal funding cuts to community college. Also in California, tuition rates, established by California lawmakers, rose from $26 per unit in 2008 to $46 per unit. Last year’s passing of Proposition 30, which provides an additional $210 million to the community college system, may help stem the bleeding.
Behind the Numbers
Coast Community College District, which governs Orange Coast College, Coastline College and Golden West Community College, is the only district reporting an enrollment increase for full- and part-time students, up 2.8% and 2.5%, respectively, year-over-year. Total enrollment grew 2.6% to 131,983, making it the largest district in Orange County.
Orange Coast in Costa Mesa was flat with 8,625 full-time students, but part-time enrollment grew 9.6% to 14,555. The college launched its Pirate’s Promise program in August, offering freshmen and California residents a year of free tuition.
Vice President of Student Services Madjid Niroumand said the school’s excited to offer the benefit.
“It is wonderful to be able to serve our community and our students by providing access to free education, helping them offset their educational costs, and supporting them in completing their academic program in a timely manner,” he said in a statement.
The program follows the California College Promise initiative signed into law last year by Gov. Jerry Brown that allows community colleges to provide free or discounted tuition to students.
• The biggest decline in full-time students was reported by Fullerton College, part of the North Orange County district. It reported an 8.3% fall to 7,892 students. Part-time enrollment declined 6.8% to 14,880. In an effort to bring the college to life visually, it unveiled a redesigned website at the start of the academic year with prospective students in mind.
Director of Campus Communications Lisa McPheron said the site “creates an eye-catching, content-rich experience for prospective students that will hopefully spark their interest to attend school here.” She added in a statement that it also packages “all the programs and resources that the college offers” to students.
• South Orange County, which consists of Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, had incremental growth of 1.2% with 13,491 full-time students. However, part-time enrollment fell 3.1% year-over-year to 18,627. Total enrollment dipped 1.3% to 32,118.
