The enrollment at City Colleges of Chicago is up 6.9 percent year over year, outpacing the Illinois community college average of 1.5% and the national average, according to a report released by the Illinois Community College Board.

“Through a combination of targeted initiatives, City Colleges of Chicago is supporting Chicagoans as they make their way to and through college,” City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado said. “We’ve been strategic about expanding access to our colleges by developing new opportunities for students like our no-cost Future Ready initiative, as well as strengthening signature efforts, such as the Star Scholarship. Due to our high-quality programs and pathways, our students leave prepared for their next steps, whether they want to transfer to a top four-year university, start a high-paying, in-demand career at one of the region’s largest companies, or take a different pathway to success.”

Harry S. Truman, Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, Olive-Harvey, Richard J. Daley and Wilbur Wright colleges have all seen increases in enrollment, according to the report.

The seven City Colleges have made an attempt in the last few years to improve their resources by offering a wide range of high-quality, in-demand programs to serve the needs of the Chicago economy, including transportation, distribution, logistics, cannabis studies, manufacturing, technology, early childhood education, engineering and health care, according to the report. Scholarship opportunities, such as the Star Scholarship, have also been enhanced to ensure that all high-achieving students can attend college, regardless of their financial situation, the report said.