College enrollment — not just in Connecticut, but for the country as a whole as well — is on the decline.
A study by the National Student Clearinghouse showed that in 2019, approximately 187,000 students were enrolled at colleges and universities in the state. By 2023, that number had dropped to just over 159,000.
Enrollment remained relatively stable in comparison to the previous school year, but numbers are nowhere near pre-pandemic.
Some school officials have suggested that students are developing a preference to attend technical or trade schools following college rather than a traditional four-year institution, with data showing trade school enrollment is increasing.
Dr. John Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, said in a panel of U.S. college leaders on Thursday that he leans into the traditional characteristics of some four-year schools, rather than opting for more pre-professional teaching. Sacred Heart hasn’t seen any decline in enrollment, he said, and some of that outcome is owed to the school’s emphasis on the liberal arts.
“It's because of the culture that focuses on the total development of the person, not just the skill that they're here to learn,” Petillo said.
Petillo coupled the preference for a strong liberal arts presence with increased support for future employment to better prepare students following their graduation. In particular, he said extra resources need to be allocated for students who are the first in their family to attend college.
“With the lower income or first generation kids, there’s more work needed,” he said. “Because they don't have the context, or the experience back home, of how to handle those things. It’s a challenge, but it needs to be done.”
Petillo also noted his concern over the cost of tuition, including at Sacred Heart, which he said has continued to rise in recent years.
The university joins other Connecticut colleges that will also see a rise in tuition costs after the state’s Board of Regents approved a 5% increase in tuition and fees for state university and college students last year.
Sacred Heart University is the licensee of WSHU Public Radio.
