CSCU reports systemwide enrollment gains but six-year graduation rate remains near 50%

CFO Blanchard told the Board of Regents that Connecticut State Colleges and Universities saw a 6.2% increase in credit-bearing enrollments this spring, a gain driven in part by higher dual- and concurrent-enrollment of high school students.

Blanchard said the system counted about 63,906 credit-bearing students this spring: roughly 27,524 at the state universities, 34,399 at the community colleges and 1,983 at Charter Oak State College. He told regents graduate enrollments at the universities also rose, totaling about 4,531 students.

The report supplied additional access and completion measures. Blanchard reported 11,992 first-time students systemwide (3,989 at the universities; 7,977 at CT State Community Colleges; 26 at Charter Oak). First-generation undergraduates make up about 29% of system enrollment, Blanchard said, with a higher share — about 33% — at CT State community colleges.

Retention and degree-completion figures were notable for their uneven progress. Blanchard reported university-year retention at about 77% (Eastern leading at 84%); CT State universities' average retention was reported at 65%. Systemwide Pell participation was 42%; Pell recipients were 39% of university students and 44% of community college students.

Blanchard described transfer work as a continuing priority: systemwide transfer from CT State community colleges to the universities averaged about 14%, with campus variation from roughly 9% to 19% at some sites. He said system leaders are tracking transfer data and preparing an annual update on the board’s transfer policy.

Regents and system leaders pressed for follow-up. Board members and senior staff said the long-term six-year graduation rate — reported by Blanchard as about 50% for the universities — has remained flat over multiple years and warrants renewed, systemwide attention. Several regents and the chancellor called for targeted reviews of practices that affect first-to-second-year retention and degree completion, and for data-driven plans to move the measures upward.

Why this matters: Growth in enrollments can strengthen the colleges’ workforce pipeline and tuition base, but stagnant graduation and retention rates limit that benefit. Regental oversight and campus-level action will determine whether the recent enrollment gains translate into higher degree completion.

The board did not take a formal vote on policy changes at the meeting; regents directed staff to continue data collection and to return with further analysis at future meetings.