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Community colleges report enrollment rebound, rising career‑technical demand and a $120 million shortfall to maintain services
Summary
Oregon community college leaders told the House higher education committee that headcount and full‑time equivalent enrollment rose in 2023–24, that career and technical education and short certificates are driving growth, and that the system needs about $120 million more to maintain current services.
John Wyckoff, deputy director of the Oregon Community College Association, told the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on Jan. 23 that community colleges are seeing an enrollment rebound and growing demand for career and technical education programs but face funding pressures.
“We're in every county of the state,” Wyckoff said. “Currently, our headcount is about, is almost 200 and, a little over 200,000. It was up, headcount was up 4% in 2023–24. FTE has increased over this last year 7%.”
Wyckoff said community colleges’ enrollment gains since the pandemic are concentrated in short‑term career and technical education (CTE) certificates — programs he described as directly tied to local labor demand and family‑wage…
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