In fall 2025, the number of students in the U.S. reached 19.4 million. This is the highest figure in the last 10 years. And all this against the backdrop of notable problems in US education.
The growth occurred on the background of active enrollment of applicants to community colleges in the United States. These are two-year colleges that offer affordable programs and flexible learning conditions. In one year alone, their enrollment grew by 173,000 people, or 3%.
This one trend shows that enrollment in U.S. colleges is still relevant. But increasingly, parents and children are choosing a more time- and cost-efficient option.
And due to more flexible conditions, there are more young people from low-income families among the applicants.
Growth among freshmen and high school students
The number of 18-year-old freshmen increased by 2.4%. This means that young people are seeing value in education again in the U.S. 2025-2026.
More and more high school students are participating in dual enrollment programs. In these, they earn a high school diploma and college credits at the same time. Such programs have become more popular at 3%. And this speaks to the desire to begin the college admission process in the United States even before high school graduation.
This is especially important for families on a budget: these courses can reduce the time and cost of future tuition.
Why Americans are going back to school
The main reason for the return to learning is economic uncertainty. Against the background of instability in the labor market, more and more people are deciding to invest in knowledge. Many are looking for short vocational programs that provide specific competencies. From IT to health care. This is especially true for students from low-income families in the United States, for whom education is becoming the only way to make a living.
Education in the U.S. is becoming more open and flexible.
Despite the financial crisis in this area, there are more and more options for learning not for the sake of the process, but for the sake of the result.
