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US Community College Market Size 2025-2029

The US community college market size is forecast to increase by USD -7825.8 million, at a CAGR of -2.7% between 2024 and 2029.

The Community College market in the US is experiencing significant shifts driven by the growing emphasis on non-traditional learning and the evolving education marketing process. This trend is fueled by the increasing number of adults returning to education and the need for flexible learning options. However, community colleges face challenges in securing adequate funding, which may hinder their ability to meet the demands of an expanding student population. The education landscape is transforming, with community colleges playing a pivotal role in catering to the needs of non-traditional learners. The marketing process has become increasingly important as institutions compete for students in a crowded market.
Yet, reduced funding poses a significant challenge. Community colleges must navigate this financial obstacle by exploring innovative funding models and cost-effective solutions to maintain their competitiveness and continue providing accessible, affordable education. Adapting to these market dynamics and addressing funding constraints will be crucial for community colleges seeking to capitalize on opportunities and thrive in the evolving educational landscape.

What will be the size of the US Community College Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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The community college market in the US is characterized by a shift towards hybrid learning and competency-based education, as resource management and curriculum mapping gain prominence. Student recruitment strategies are increasingly data-driven, with mobile learning and learning analytics playing crucial roles. Institutional advancement efforts include compliance regulations, capital campaigns, and board of trustees engagement. Budget allocation and information technology investments are key areas of focus for administrators, with technology infrastructure and program review shaping the future of education. Faculty governance, endowment management, and professional development are essential components of institutional success.
Skills gap analysis and blended learning are critical in addressing workforce needs, while accreditation standards ensure academic rigor. Personalized learning and alumni relations strengthen student engagement, and faculty recruitment and shared governance foster a collaborative learning environment.

How is this market segmented?

The market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD million' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Revenue Stream

  Government funds
  Tuition and fees
  Grants and contracts
  Others


Courses

  Associate degree
  TVET certification
  Continuing education
  Bachelors degree


Student Type

  Traditional
  Non-Traditional
  Online
  Recent High School Graduates
  Adult Learners
  Career Changers


Delivery Mode

  On-Campus
  Online
  Hybrid


Subject Area

  STEM
  Healthcare
  Business
  Liberal Arts


Geography

  North America

    US

By Revenue Stream Insights

The government funds segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

Community colleges in the US receive the majority of their revenue from government funds, primarily from state, local, and central sources. These funds support various aspects of college operations, including instructor salaries, staff compensation, and infrastructure improvements. Thirty-two out of the fifty states in the US employ funding formulas to distribute resources to their respective colleges. Some states, such as Washington and Ohio, have adopted performance-based funding models to incentivize enrollment growth and expedite graduation rates. Educational technology plays a significant role in community colleges, with online learning platforms and classroom technology enhancing the learning experience. Dual enrollment programs enable high school students to earn college credits, while GED preparation courses help adults attain their diplomas.

Faculty development and program assessment ensure academic rigor and continuous improvement. International students contribute to campus diversity, with career services and student affairs providing support. Campus safety and accessibility compliance are essential considerations, as are technical skills training, workforce development, certificate programs, and continuing education. Transfer agreements facilitate seamless transitions to four-year institutions, while ESL programs cater to non-native English speakers. Associate degrees and bachelor's degrees

As of January 2023, there were *** public community colleges registered with the AACC in the United States. This is compared to ** independent community colleges registered in the United States in that same year.

Comprehensive dataset containing 4,387 verified Community college businesses in United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

This dataset provides information for Academic Years 2017-2021 which included: By College and VCCS System:

1) Annual Headcount and FTEs 2) Gender (categories are: Female & Male; Unknown may be inferred) 3) Ethnicity (categories are: American Indian & Alaskan Native, Asian, Black & African-American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Two or More Races, Unknown/Not Specified, and White) 4) Age (categories are: 17 and Under, 18-19, 20-21, 22-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-49, 50-64, & 65 and Over) 5) 18-Month Outcomes for Dual-Enrolled High School Grads by Year (categories are: Total Grads, Continued in any Higher Ed program, Employed with no Higher Ed, and Unknown) 6) 18-Month Outcomes for VCCS Graduates by Year (categories are: Total Grads, Continued at VCCS, Transferred to a 4yr college, Employed with no Higher Ed, and Unknown)

For Fiscal Years 2018-2021, by Service Area and VCCS System:

1) Fast Forward Credentialers Employed by Fiscal Year (categories are: Total Distinct Students, Employed within 6 Months, Employed within 12 Months, and Employed within 18 Months)

Notes:

1) Headcounts are Unduplicated student counts. 2) One FTE represents 30 credit hours of classes taken by a student over an academic year and is calculated on an annual basis by taking the total credit hours taught divided by 30. 3) 2017 Fiscal Year Fast Forward data was not included as it was considered incomplete- the Fast Forward program began in 2017 and did not encompass all areas for the entire year.
4) In Workforce (Fast Forward data) the service region for the Richmond Metro Area is called CCWA (Community College Workforce Alliance) and combines data for Brightpoint and J Sargeant Reynolds. 4a) Therefore, there are no Reynolds data entries for Fast Forward variables. All CCWA data is listed under Brightpoint for this portion of the data set.
5) 18-Month Outcomes for Fast Forward Credentialers are cumulative (6 months to 12 months to 18 months)

In the 2020/21 school year, about 400,447 associate degrees awarded at community colleges in the United States were in liberal arts and sciences, which comprised about one third of all degrees. 171 associate degrees awarded in that same year were in the field of library science.

Two-year community colleges enroll nearly half of all first-time undergraduates in the United States, but to ambiguous effect: low persistence rates and the potential for diverting students from 4-year institutions cast ambiguity over 2-year colleges' contributions to upward mobility. This paper develops a new instrumental variables approach to identifying causal effects along multiple treatment margins, and applies it to linked education and earnings registries to disentangle the net impacts of 2-year college access into two competing causal margins: significant value-added for 2-year entrants who otherwise would not have attended college, but negative impacts on students diverted from immediate 4-year entry.

Comprehensive dataset containing 121 verified Junior college businesses in United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

There were approximately 18.58 million college students in the U.S. in 2022, with around 13.49 million enrolled in public colleges and a further 5.09 million students enrolled in private colleges. The figures are projected to remain relatively constant over the next few years.

What is the most expensive college in the U.S.? The overall number of higher education institutions in the U.S. totals around 4,000, and California is the state with the most. One important factor that students – and their parents – must consider before choosing a college is cost. With annual expenses totaling almost 78,000 U.S. dollars, Harvey Mudd College in California was the most expensive college for the 2021-2022 academic year. There are three major costs of college: tuition, room, and board. The difference in on-campus and off-campus accommodation costs is often negligible, but they can change greatly depending on the college town.

The differences between public and private colleges Public colleges, also called state colleges, are mostly funded by state governments. Private colleges, on the other hand, are not funded by the government but by private donors and endowments. Typically, private institutions are  much more expensive. Public colleges tend to offer different tuition fees for students based on whether they live in-state or out-of-state, while private colleges have the same tuition cost for every student.

Graph and download economic data for Employment for Educational Services: Junior Colleges (NAICS 6112) in the United States (IPUQN6112W201000000) from 1988 to 2024 about junior, tertiary schooling, NAICS, education, IP, services, employment, and USA.

Comprehensive dataset containing 2 verified Junior college businesses in Missouri, United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

Comprehensive dataset containing 1 verified Junior college businesses in Nevada, United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

Comprehensive dataset containing 2 verified Junior college businesses in Arizona, United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

In order to assist higher education institutions and their students during the pandemic, the federal government established the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) fund, which directed over $75 billion to institutions of higher education - including nearly $25 billion to community colleges - over a three-year period. Researchers at the Community College Research Center (CCRC), the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), and Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research at the University of California, Davis (Wheelhouse) partnered through the Accelerating Recovery in Community Colleges (ARCC) Network to understand how community colleges used HEER funds to support their students and institutions during the pandemic. This data collection contains responses from a survey of 170 community colleges across six states: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. This institutional survey of pandemic relief spending and recovery strategies attempted to answer the following research questions: How did colleges use HEER student and institutional aid? How did colleges target specific populations for HEER-funded student supports? What do colleges' expenditure patterns reveal about how student and institutional needs changed over time? How successful did colleges perceive HEER funds to be in meeting student and institutional needs during the pandemic? What do colleges' concerns about the end of HEER funds reveal about how to prioritize future funding efforts? In what ways did colleges' experiences with HEER funds vary based on institutional characteristics? The resulting dataset provides insight into the specific pandemic recovery activities colleges implemented, colleges' perceptions of how successful funds were in addressing student and institutional needs during the pandemic, and what institutional needs were not met by aid.

During the 2017 Legislative Session HB 2946 was passed. This composite report includes links to data and information from community colleges. For more information go to: http://www.oregon.gov/transparency/Pages/Higher_Education.aspx .

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) created the Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals in Health Care Program to increase the workforce of skilled health IT specialists that can help transition health care providers to electronic health records (EHRs). The Community College Consortia Program includes 82 member community colleges representing all 50 states. The member community colleges received funding to rapidly create health IT academic programs, or expand existing health IT training programs that can be completed in six months or less. This data provides key performance indicators by U.S. state. The data is provided beginning in September, 2010 and through September, 2013: the duration of the program. This data is an artifact of ONC's performance measurement for the Recovery and HITECH acts.

The PPCETUCC program is designed program to support technology upgrades for community colleges for the purpose of supporting cybersecurity programs.The efforts of the nation’s community colleges to expand cybersecurity education in lower-income student populations are commendable and important, but often those schools lack the resources to maintain state of the art programs.

The mission of the North Carolina Community College System is to open the door to high-quality, accessible educational opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success, develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce, and improve the lives and well-being of individuals by providing:Education, training and retraining for the workforce including basic skills and literacy education, occupational and pre-baccalaureate programs.Support for economic development through services to and in partnership with business and industry and in collaboration with the University of North Carolina System and private colleges and universities.Services to communities and individuals which improve the quality of life.For more information, please visit https://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/

Educational StructuresThis feature layer, utilizing National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), displays schools, technical and trade schools, and colleges and universities in the U.S. Per the USGS, "Structures data are designed to be used in general mapping and in the analysis of structure related activities using geographic information system technology. The National Map structures data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of disaster planning and emergency response, and homeland security organizations."Kenmore West High SchoolData currency: This cached Esri federal service is checked weekly for updates from its enterprise federal source (Education) and will support mapping, analysis, data exports and OGC API – Feature access.NGDAID: 135 (USGS National Structures Dataset - USGS National Map Downloadable Data Collection)OGC API Features Link: (Educational Structures - OGC Features) copy this link to embed it in OGC Compliant viewersFor more information, please visit: The National MapFor feedback please contact: Esri_US_Federal_Data@esri.comNGDA Theme CommunityThis data set is part of the NGDA Real Property Theme Community. Per the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC), Real Property is defined as "the spatial representation (location) of real property entities, typically consisting of one or more of the following: unimproved land, a building, a structure, site improvements and the underlying land. Complex real property entities (that is "facilities") are used for a broad spectrum of functions or missions. This theme focuses on spatial representation of real property assets only and does not seek to describe special purpose functions of real property such as those found in the Cultural Resources, Transportation, or Utilities themes."For other NGDA Content: Esri Federal Datasets

Forecast: Junior Colleges, Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools Gross Output in the US 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) created the Community College Consortia to Educate Health IT Professionals in Health Care Program and University-based Training Program to increase the workforce of skilled health IT specialists that can help transition health care providers to electronic health records (EHRs). The Community College Consortia Program includes 82 member community colleges representing all 50 states, and the University-based Training Program includes 9 member universities in 9 states. The member community colleges and universities received funding to rapidly create health IT academic programs, or expand existing health IT training programs that can be completed in six months or less. This data provides the number of students trained through both programs, segmented by rural and urban areas for each U.S. state. The data is through September, 2013: the duration of the program. This data is an artifact of ONC's performance measurement for the Recovery and HITECH Acts