Story by Trevor McCormick, Staff Writer
Photo by Trevor McCormick, Staff Writer
According to a spreadsheet pulled from Cypress College’s Institutional Research and Planning Office, the school has seen a record-breaking enrollment on campus this semester.
On Sept. 15, Cypress saw a headcount of approximately 16,771 students enrolled for the fall semester. The same spreadsheet also confirms that there are currently 45,785 course registrations listed in school records.
Numbers tend to dwindle as college semesters progress, due to the number of dropouts that can occur in a single semester, but Cypress has maintained a steady number since the beginning of the semester.
When asked why they chose Cypress College, students acknowledged the advantages of the high-quality programs offered on campus: “The program here for my major is really strong compared to any of the other schools,” said Janiel Morales, an HVAC major.
While Alize Flores, a Business Administration major, said, “I feel like community college is such an advantage when it comes to money.” Both students shared that this was their first semester in college, demonstrating that students are choosing community college over four-year universities more than in previous years.
President Scott W. Thayer also acknowledged the impressive change in numbers in an address that he made on Sept. 10. The address was shared on the news page of Cypress College’s official website.
President Thayer said, “Cypress College’s enrollment is in the range of an all-time high. Currently, 16,858 students are enrolled in the fall semester, a 5.73% increase over the prior-year head count. We are reviewing historical data, but this number is believed to be one that challenges the historical fall-semester high. We look forward to chasing this record as we approach the census and finalize enrollment numbers.”
In 2015, the student headcount and enrollment both reached numbers of over 16 thousand and 44 thousand. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020, the numbers began dropping. The lowest numbers were in 2022, at about 13 thousand, and the enrollment had dropped to about 36 thousand.
While the number has shifted slightly, the increase in enrollment compared to the previous decade is still being maintained. “I feel like the enrollment will go up just because more people are leaning more towards community colleges now rather than four-year colleges,” added Morales.
