A total of 742 students started college at Carroll Community College last fall as first-time college students. The number of new students in the fall has declined 25 percent from the peak of 989 who entered in fall 2009. This decline in new freshmen reflects both underlying demographics and recent economic trends. The age composition of the county is changing, as shown by the decreasing number of graduates from the county high schools in recent years. The impact of these population trends on the college’s enrollment was offset by higher than expected enrollments in 2009-2012 prompted by the 2007-09 recession and slow economic recovery. Historically, downturns in the economy boost community college enrollments as workers return to school for skill upgrading and credentialing. As the economy has improved, enrollment has fallen back to levels consistent with county demographics and traditional college enrollment rates. Last fall’s enrollment was within 0.4 percent of projections.

This spring’s credit headcount of 3,420 is down 6.1 percent from last spring, reflecting fewer continuing students as the influx of students from 2009-2012 have finished or moved on. However, retention rates have never been higher. For the first time, over four-fifths of the first-time students entering Carroll in the fall continued their studies the following spring. This 81.5 percent retention rate of the 742 fall 2013 new freshmen is the highest fall-to-spring retention rate on record.

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