City Colleges of Chicago has reported a 9.2% increase in headcount enrollment for Fall 2024, surpassing both state and national averages. This growth includes both credit and adult education programs and exceeds the Illinois community colleges' average increase of 7.4%. The rise in undergraduate credit enrollment at City Colleges is notably higher than the national public community college average of 4.7%. Significant gains were observed among Black male students, with an 11% increase, and Latine male students, with a 10% increase.
Chancellor Juan Salgado attributed this success to efforts in creating a supportive environment focused on academic excellence and career preparation. "This gain in enrollment is reflection of the hard work City Colleges of Chicago is doing to create a supportive and welcoming environment, one that offers academic excellence and prepares our students for careers in high growth and high demands careers," he stated.
Among the seven City Colleges, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, and Olive-Harvey College experienced the highest growth rates, each exceeding 10%. The overall rise follows initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to education through affordability measures such as free college programs like Future Ready and Star Scholarship.
The Chicago Roadmap partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges has been pivotal in increasing enrollment through transitional courses and dual enrollment opportunities. Additionally, comprehensive student support services are provided, including wellness centers, tele-mental health resources, housing assistance, technology support, tutoring services, internships, apprenticeships, research opportunities, and partnerships with universities and employers.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Darryl A. Williams highlighted the strategic improvements made by City Colleges: “We’ve been successful in attracting students because City Colleges remains innovative and offers clear career pathways, certifications and many transfer options for students who want to progress on to earn a bachelor’s degree,” he said.
Enrollment figures across all campuses include Harold Washington College (+4.5%), Harry S Truman (+9.6%), Kennedy-King (+18.3%), Malcolm X (+16.5%), Olive-Harvey (+14.5%), Richard J. Daley (+8.3%), and Wilbur Wright (+0.7%). In total, 42,831 credit and adult education students are enrolled for Fall 2024.