After a Tumultuous Few Years for City College, Increase in Enrollment Instills Newfound Hope in Board Members

By John R. Adkins
jradproduction@gmail.com

 

Student Enrollment for City College of San Francisco is on the rise for the first time in years.
The college’s financial stability and enrollment numbers have been on uneven ground throughout the past decade and is still recovering from the loss of attendance during the pandemic.

While the college board goes into elections and regains footing with a newly appointed interim chancellor, things appear to have finally stabilized for the school. Enrollment for Fall 2023 was up by 8% from the previous year.

“Assuming no more enrollment growth, City College might not be eligible to receive increased funding until the 2031-32 fiscal year. However, if City College grows 8% in annual enrollment in the coming years, it could be eligible for increased funding as soon as the 2028-29 fiscal year,” Board president Alan Wong said.

In the Fall of 2024, City College saw an increase of 1,066 in new students enrolling in for-credit classes. Numbers that represent a 30% increase in new enrollment compared to Fall 2023 as stated by the college’s office of research and planning.

In August of 2023, Mayor London Breed announced that the city would allocate over $2 million to forgive outstanding fees for thousands of City College students.

“Financial barriers – no matter how minute – could prevent someone from applying or finishing college,” Breed said.

This move by the city opened access to the thousands of students who otherwise would not have been able to enroll or continue their education last fall.

“To further grow enrollment, City College has increased its marketing efforts using new digital platforms and traditional methods to communicate its affordability and array of courses for potential transfer students, mid-career professionals and lifelong learners,” Alan Wong said.
“The increase in 1,000 full-time students this academic year is an optimistic sign that our current efforts to grow enrollment are making an impact. We expect enrollment to continue climbing gradually,” Alan Wong said.