Many community colleges in Kansas are struggling with enrollment… or perhaps we should say, “lack of enrollmen.” Cowley College is among them. Back in 2014, Cowley enrolled 2,911 full-time equivalent students. Since then however, enrollment has declined steeply. In 2019, the total was 2,006 students. Across the state, numbers are similar. Full time equivalent enrollment for the 19 community colleges in Kansas, fell from 51,166 in 2017 to 45,374 in 2019, marking an 11.3-percent decline. The unemployment rate is actually blamed, because as more people find work, they have less need for community college courses. Not only here in Kansas, but across the nation, the jobless rate has declined, and despite that being a good thing overall, it has spelled bad news for some community colleges. As the enrollment rate hits bottom, so too does the jobless rate, which stood at just 3.6% in February.
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