Michigan Community Colleges See Decline in Summer Enrollment

Michigan community colleges are seeing a decline in summer enrollment, an indication of what’s to come in the fall, reports the Detroit Free Press.

Summer sessions begin as early as the first week in May with many following at the end of May.  

As an example of what the state’s 28 community colleges are facing, the Detroit Free Press looked at Washtenaw Community College. WCC will begin their summer term on May 8 with all classes online only. On March 12, WCC saw a 11% decrease in registration for summer classes compared to the same time last year. On April 3, after the college announced it would be online only, registrations were down 36.5% from last year’s number. By April 15, enrollment was down by 26% overall.

The hardest hit programs by the enrollment drop are geared toward a skilled trade like culinary or welding, which are difficult to teach online. Some of those classes have been canceled.

WCC is projected to lose nearly $2 million from this fiscal year from summer tuition revenue. The school is also anticipating loses from state aid.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.