After nearly a decade of declining undergraduate enrollment—initially driven by expected demographic shifts in the state and later worsened by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic—the Massachusetts public higher education system is now experiencing its second consecutive fall term of growth. This increase is primarily fueled by community college enrollment increases following the continued implementation and expansion of free community college in the Commonwealth.

While summary data on enrollment and awards conferred have long been available on DHE’s website, these new resources represent a new level of access to disaggregated data as well as visualization of trends

PMRS provides a comprehensive examination of the performance of each of Massachusetts’ community colleges and state universities on a set of key indicators focused on Access & Affordability, Student Success & Completion, Workforce Alignment and Fiscal Stewardship

After nearly a decade of declining undergraduate enrollment—initially driven by expected demographic shifts in the state and later worsened by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic—the Massachusetts public higher education system is now experiencing its second consecutive fall term of growth. This increase is primarily fueled by community college enrollment increases following the continued implementation and expansion of free community college in the Commonwealth.

After nine years of undergraduate enrollment declines, first brought on by anticipated population and demographic changes in the state and then exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the Massachusetts public higher education system is seeing its first enrollment increase this fall, with most of the growth attributed to the community colleges and, across segments, to first-time students.

The first snapshot of Fall 2021 enrollment numbers at the system, segment and institution levels is now available. Where are there signs of recovery from the pandemic impact, and where do causes for concern remain?

In follow-up to DHE’s October 2020 report on overall trends in fall undergraduate enrollment at Massachusetts public colleges and universities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, more detailed fall data is now available, allowing for deeper exploration of the pandemic enrollment changes by race/ethnicity and other student characteristics.

After a period of modest, predicted enrollment declines in recent years, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in sudden and significant declines in fall 2020. How have these trends varied by segment and individual institution? What specific pandemic-related factors may have contributed to these declines?

The BHE’s October 2019 meeting featured a data-informed discussion of where the DHE's Financial Aid Redesign initiative and the Equity Agenda may align to support the achievement of equitable outcomes for students of color, as well as the additional “pillars of student success” that must be supported to achieve the goals of the Equity Agenda.

New analysis from DHE’s research team focuses on gaps in college attainment and earnings by ZIP code among Massachusetts adults—and implications of those gaps on the emerging equity agenda.

With a new charge from the BHE to build a strategic plan focused on closing equity gaps in Massachusetts public higher education, we begin with a closer look at current outcomes for one underserved yet rapidly growing population: Latino males.

Data shows that overall success and completion rates have been on the rise at Massachusetts community colleges and state universities. At the same time, persistent gaps in student access and achievement between different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups have remained entrenched.

Around the country and in Massachusetts, undergraduate enrollment has followed a predicted decline in recent years. What factors have contributed to this decline in the Commonwealth? How has the impact of these factors varied by segment and individual institution?

What do we know about the adult learners who are enrolled in our institutions, and what factors are affecting potential adult learners’ decisions about whether to pursue undergraduate education?

The Massachusetts public higher education system as a whole is experiencing its fourth straight year of declining undergraduate enrollment, but history shows that enrollment booms and busts are common.

As the traditional-age student population shrinks in Massachusetts and recovery from the Great Recession continues, how are public higher education enrollments being affected? The latest estimates of fall 2016 enrollment are available now.