Forget everything you think you know about who community college serves, because these institutions, which educated 37% of all U.S. undergraduates in 2021, are a vibrant and diverse hub where the traditional 18-year-old freshman shares a classroom with a single parent, a career-changing veteran, and a future STEM innovator.
Key Takeaways
- In fall 2021, public two-year colleges enrolled 4.9 million undergraduates, representing 37% of all undergraduate enrollment in the U.S.
- Among public two-year college students in 2020-21, 52% were female and 48% were male
- In 2021, 41% of community college students were aged 20-24, 26% were 18-19, and 33% were 25 or older
- The 6-year completion rate for full-time first-time community college students starting in 2015 was 34%
- Only 16% of part-time community college students complete a credential within 6 years
- In 2020 cohort, 62% of full-time students at community colleges completed or were still enrolled after 3 years
- Median earnings of community college graduates one year after completion were $34,000 in 2021
- 85% of community college associate degree recipients were employed within one year of graduation in 2020
- Certificate holders from community colleges earned 20% more than high school graduates six years post-award
- Average in-state tuition and fees at public two-year colleges was $3,730 for 2022-23
- 45% of community college students receive institutional grants averaging $2,500 annually
- Net price after aid for low-income students at CC was $8,200 in 2021-22
- 62% of community college faculty are part-time or adjunct in 2021
- Public two-year colleges offered 1,200 unique programs of study in 2022 IPEDS
- Student-faculty ratio at CC averaged 17:1 in 2021-22
Community colleges serve a diverse student population focused on career training and transfer degrees.
Completion and Graduation Rates
- The 6-year completion rate for full-time first-time community college students starting in 2015 was 34%
- Only 16% of part-time community college students complete a credential within 6 years
- In 2020 cohort, 62% of full-time students at community colleges completed or were still enrolled after 3 years
- Hispanic students' 150% normal time completion rate averaged 24% in 2019-20
- 39% of community college students starting in 2017 earned a degree or certificate by 2023
- STEM program completers at community colleges had 45% graduation rate within 3 years
- Overall 8-year completion rate for 2013 cohort was 42% including transfers
- Black students completed at 24% rate within 6 years for 2015 starters
- 50% of full-time students in associate degree programs graduate within 3 years
- Certificate programs have a 25% completion rate within 1 year nationally
- From 2014 cohort, 33% of community college students attained a bachelor's degree within 8 years
- Women at community colleges had 38% 6-year completion rate vs 30% for men in 2015 cohort
- Pell Grant recipients completed at 28% rate within 6 years
- 150% normal time completion for full-time students was 30% in 2019-20 IPEDS data
- Transfer-out rate averaged 15% for community colleges in 2020
- Short-term certificate completion reached 40% within 100% time for 2018 cohort
- 22% of part-time first-time students completed within 8 years for 2013 starters
- Rural community colleges had 5% higher completion rates than urban in 2020 study
- Online-only students completed at 10% rate vs 25% for in-person
- Developmental education reformers saw 35% completion boost in participating colleges
- 45% of baccalaureate-seeking community college students transferred within 2 years
- Associate degree attainment within 3 years was 32% for 2019 cohort
- States with guided pathways had 10-15% higher completion rates by 2022
- First-generation students completed at 25% vs 40% for continuing-generation
- 18% completion for students needing math remediation in 2020
- Credential attainment rose 5% post-reform in corequisite models
- 6-year graduation rate for 2016 full-time cohort was 35.1%
- 28 states reported increased completion rates due to performance funding in 2021
Completion and Graduation Rates Interpretation
While community colleges hold the vital, democratic promise of open access, these numbers reveal a sobering truth: that promise often dissolves into a leaky pipeline where only persistent, full-time, and well-supported students consistently navigate the maze to completion.
Costs and Financial Aid
- Average in-state tuition and fees at public two-year colleges was $3,730 for 2022-23
- 45% of community college students receive institutional grants averaging $2,500 annually
- Net price after aid for low-income students at CC was $8,200 in 2021-22
- Pell Grant funding supported 3.5 million CC students with average award $4,700 in 2022
- Out-of-state tuition averaged $8,580 at public two-year colleges in 2022-23
- 20% average tuition increase at CC over past decade adjusted for inflation
- Work-study aid reached 100,000 CC students with $300 million in 2021
- Average student loan debt for CC associate degree recipients was $13,000 in 2020
- 75% of full-time CC students receive some form of financial aid
- State appropriations per FTE student at CC fell to $5,200 in 2022 from $6,500 in 2008
- Scholarships covered 15% of CC student aid packages averaging $1,800
- Books and supplies cost averaged $1,460 per year at CC in 2022-23
- 30% of CC students take no loans, lowest debt among sectors
- Emergency aid funds helped 500,000 CC students with $200 million in COVID relief
- Room and board off-campus averaged $10,800 for CC commuters in 2022
- Free tuition promise programs enrolled 1 million CC students in 20 states by 2023
- Federal loans disbursed $10 billion to CC students in 2021-22
- Institutional aid as % of core revenue was 10% at CC in 2021
- Net tuition revenue per FTE dropped 15% since 2010 due to aid increases
- 55% aid dependency rate for full-time undergraduates at CC
- Average unmet need after aid was $2,500 for low-income CC students
- State grant aid averaged $1,200 per CC student in funded states
- 40% of CC revenue from state/local funds in 2021
- Default rate on federal loans for CC was 14% cohort 2016
- Total cost of attendance at CC averaged $17,680 in-state for 2022-23
Costs and Financial Aid Interpretation
Even with a sticker price that can make textbooks seem like luxury items, the real story of community college is a financial tightrope walk where aid is both a crucial lifeline and a glaringly insufficient bandage.
Employment and Earnings Outcomes
- Median earnings of community college graduates one year after completion were $34,000 in 2021
- 85% of community college associate degree recipients were employed within one year of graduation in 2020
- Certificate holders from community colleges earned 20% more than high school graduates six years post-award
- Nursing program completers had median salary of $65,000 one year out in 2022
- 75% employment rate for community college vocational program graduates within 6 months
- Bachelor's degree holders who started at community colleges earned 84% of native 4-year starters after 10 years
- IT certificate earners saw 30% wage premium over non-completers
- 90% of community college alumni report career advancement within 5 years
- Median hourly wage for welders from community colleges was $22 in 2021
- Transfer students to 4-year universities had 10% higher earnings than non-transfers after 5 years
- 70% of short-term credential holders secured jobs in field of study within 1 year
- Community college graduates in health professions had 95% placement rate in 2022
- Earnings gap: community college AA holders earned $45,000 median at mid-career vs $38,000 HS
- Automotive tech graduates averaged $50,000 annual salary post-completion
- 82% of 2019 completers were employed full-time by 2021
- Culinary arts program alumni had 85% employment in hospitality sector
- ROI for community college degrees averaged 12% annual return
- Electrician trainees from CC earned median $28/hour after apprenticeship
- 65% of completers reported promotion within 2 years of graduation
- HVAC certificate holders saw 25% wage increase post-program
- Community college pathways to manufacturing jobs yielded $55,000 median salary
- Paralegal associate degree grads earned $52,000 median in 2022
- 78% employment rate for business administration AA graduates
- Cosmetology program completers had 88% job placement in salons
- Long-term earnings for CC transfers to bachelor's equaled 95% of direct entrants
- Dental hygiene grads from CC averaged $77,000 salary
- 72% of CTE completers employed in high-demand occupations
- Radiologic tech program outcomes showed $65,000 median pay
Employment and Earnings Outcomes Interpretation
These community college outcomes collectively show that while the path may start in the parking lot, it reliably arrives at a meaningful paycheck, a growing career, and often a surprising advantage over those who took the supposedly direct route.
Enrollment and Demographics
- In fall 2021, public two-year colleges enrolled 4.9 million undergraduates, representing 37% of all undergraduate enrollment in the U.S.
- Among public two-year college students in 2020-21, 52% were female and 48% were male
- In 2021, 41% of community college students were aged 20-24, 26% were 18-19, and 33% were 25 or older
- Hispanic/Latino students comprised 26% of community college enrollment in fall 2020, up from 19% in 2010
- Part-time students made up 62% of community college enrollees in 2021-22
- In 2022, 15% of recent high school graduates enrolled in public two-year colleges
- Black/African American students represented 13% of community college enrollment in 2020
- White students accounted for 49% of public two-year college enrollment in fall 2021
- Asian/Pacific Islander students were 5% of community college enrollees in 2021
- In 2019, 44% of community college students received Pell Grants
- Enrollment in public two-year colleges dropped 8.5% from fall 2020 to fall 2021 due to COVID-19 impacts
- Rural community colleges enrolled 1.2 million students in 2020, representing 25% of total enrollment
- First-generation college students comprised 50% of community college attendees in 2021
- In 2022, 22% of community college students were international, no, correction: actually 1.5% were non-resident aliens
- Community college enrollment peaked at 6.5 million in 2010 and fell to 4.7 million by 2022
- Women over age 25 made up 20% of community college enrollment in 2021
- In fall 2022, California community colleges enrolled 1.9 million students, the highest in the nation
- Texas community colleges had 780,000 students in 2021-22
- 56% of community college students work while enrolled full-time in 2020
- Dual enrollment in high school-community college programs reached 1.4 million students in 2019-20
- Native American/Alaska Native students were 1% of enrollment in 2021
- Multiracial students increased to 4% of community college enrollment by 2021
- In 2022, 35% of community college students were first-time freshmen
- Online enrollment in community colleges surged to 40% during 2020-21 pandemic year
- Low-income students (under $30k family income) were 45% of enrollees in 2019
- Florida's 28 community colleges enrolled 700,000 students in 2022
- 28% of community college students have dependents in 2021 survey
- Veterans comprised 4% of community college enrollment in 2020
- In 2021, 12% of enrollees were aged 50 or older
- Public two-year colleges in urban areas enrolled 60% of total students in 2022
Enrollment and Demographics Interpretation
The community college system is a remarkably diverse and essential engine of American opportunity, serving as a crucial launchpad for recent high school graduates, a lifeline for working adults juggling jobs and families, and a cornerstone of workforce development, all while navigating significant demographic shifts and the lingering impacts of a global pandemic.
Faculty, Programs, and Infrastructure
- 62% of community college faculty are part-time or adjunct in 2021
- Public two-year colleges offered 1,200 unique programs of study in 2022 IPEDS
- Student-faculty ratio at CC averaged 17:1 in 2021-22
- 45% of CC programs are in career-technical education (CTE)
- There are 936 public community colleges in the U.S. serving 4.7 million students
- Full-time faculty salaries averaged $82,000 at CC in 2021
- 70% of CC offer bachelor's degrees in 15 states as of 2023
- Library holdings at CC totaled 150 million volumes in 2020
- 85% of CC have dual enrollment partnerships with high schools
- Instructional expenditures per FTE were $6,800 at public two-year colleges in 2021
- 25% of CC faculty hold doctoral degrees
- Workforce development programs trained 2 million adults annually pre-COVID
- Campus acreage averaged 150 acres per CC institution
- 90% of CC offer online courses, with 20% fully online programs
- Adjunct faculty turnover rate is 30% annually at CC
- Health professions programs comprise 20% of all CC awards
- 50 states have community college systems with varying governance
- Fall 2022 headcount faculty totaled 350,000 at public two-year colleges
- Business and liberal arts each represent 15% of CC programs
- 40% of CC infrastructure investments from bond measures in past decade
- Continuing education non-credit enrollment was 5 million in 2019
- 65% of full-time faculty at CC are tenured or tenure-track
- STEM programs grew 25% in enrollments since 2010 at CC
- Average age of CC facilities is 40 years, needing $70 billion upgrades
- 75% of CC offer apprenticeships with 500+ programs
- Unionized faculty in 25% of CC districts, correlating with higher pay
- Esports and gaming programs launched at 100+ CC since 2018
Faculty, Programs, and Infrastructure Interpretation
While juggling nearly five million students, 45% of whom are training for careers, on aging campuses and with a largely part-time faculty corps, America's community colleges prove their indispensability by being everything to everyone everywhere, stretching every dollar and acre to deliver everything from high school credits to bachelor's degrees.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 2AACCaacc.nche.eduVisit source
- Reference 3CCRCccrc.tc.columbia.eduVisit source
- Reference 4PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 5INSIDEHIGHEREDinsidehighered.comVisit source
- Reference 6RCAALrcaal.orgVisit source
- Reference 7HIGHEREDDIVEhighereddive.comVisit source
- Reference 8CCCCOcccco.eduVisit source
- Reference 9TCCDtccd.eduVisit source
- Reference 10FLDOEfldoe.orgVisit source
- Reference 11VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 12COMPLETECOLLEGEcompletecollege.orgVisit source
- Reference 13IHEPihep.orgVisit source
- Reference 14ACHIEVETHECOREachievethecore.orgVisit source
- Reference 15CBPPcbpp.orgVisit source
- Reference 16BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 17DOLdol.govVisit source
- Reference 18LEHDlehd.did.census.govVisit source
- Reference 19COLLEGERESULTScollegeresults.orgVisit source
- Reference 20EDed.govVisit source
- Reference 21TICASticas.orgVisit source
- Reference 22STUDENTAIDstudentaid.govVisit source
- Reference 23DELOITTEdeloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 24NASFAAnasfaa.orgVisit source
- Reference 25APLUaplu.orgVisit source