Undergraduate enrollment at Massachusetts public colleges and universities continues to grow, with gains now extending to state universities, but continued investment is needed to sustain and accelerate progress in student success.
At the October 20, 2026, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) meeting, Associate Commissioner Mario Delci and Assistant Commissioner Sarah Mealey presented preliminary fall 2026 enrollment estimates and an updated landscape view of student success trends across the Commonwealth’s public higher education system, including outcomes by race and ethnicity. The findings highlight continued progress in expanding access to public higher education, as well as the importance of helping students persist, make timely academic progress, and complete degrees and credentials of value.
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Published October 20, 2026. Updated October 23, 2026, with new estimates from Berkshire Community College.
* Enrollment data represent headcounts of undergraduate students enrolled for credit in Massachusetts public higher education each fall, including dual enrolled and early college students. Fall 2026 data are preliminary estimates collected before the final fall data submission and exclude students who enroll later in the fall in late-start, mini-session, or similar courses. Finalized enrollment data, including additional student characteristics and retention measures, will become available in early 2027.
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