Fall enrollment in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System has soared 8.4 percent, setting at 10-year record, reflecting growth across all student demographics.
According to a news release, KCTCS is expected to welcome over 85,000 students in the fall, setting a 10-year record for enrollment, and showing a gain of 5,145 more students when compared to the same time last year. Credential seeking headcount grew by 7.2 percent, while the credit-bearing workforce, non-degree headcount grew by 16.4 percent.
New student enrollment climbed 11% over last year. Credential-seeking enrollment jumped 11.9 percent among the new students, while credit-bearing workforce and non-degree students shot up 19.8 percent.
The system is experiencing growth across all age groups. High school students taking dual credit classes, with support from the dual credit scholarship, grew 11.6 percent over last fall and accounted for 23.5 percent of this fall’s enrollment total. By the end of the semester, this student population is expected to reach 35 percent of the system’s total enrollment.
Nontraditional enrollment, which includes adults ages 25 and over, grew 10.4 percent, making up 32 percent of total enrollment.
Enrollment in programs that align with Kentucky’s targeted industry sectors is also on the rise, including advanced manufacturing, business and IT services, construction, healthcare and transportation and logistics.
By the end of the 2024-25 academic year, officials expect to enroll approximately 112,000 students in either an associate program designed to transfer to a four-year university or in one of the 104 technical programs.