The Iowa Department of Education says the fall enrollment went up about one-percent at the 15 community colleges across the state. Department spokesperson Kathi Slaughter says that’s an increase of nearly 700 students. She says in past years they’ve seen a little bit higher increase — so she’s not sure if this indicates a leveling off enrollment — and says she’ll have to see the numbers from next year to tell.
Slaughter says the cost of the community colleges one reason students may start their college career there before moving on. She says they are finding that many students are going to community colleges right out of high school and getting some classes under their belt. Slaughter says this is partly due to the universities in the state working with the community colleges to ensure that those college course credits will transfer.
Slaughter says nearly 94-percent of the students at community colleges are from Iowa. She says that’s important because she says most of those students when they graduate from community college programs stay in the state. Slaughter says community colleges work hard to find students jobs in the state once they graduate. Slaughter says enrollment in the fall at community colleges was 82-thousand-499.