SPRING 2026 ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPENING ENROLLMENT REPORT - Systemwide Headcount Enrollment Rise 2.9 Percent Marks a Fourth Year of Consecutive Growth

Oct 15, 2026

Illinois Community College System Spring 2026 opening headcount enrollments increased 2.9% versus Spring 2025, and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollments rose 2.1%. The report uses preliminary counts from the web-based Spring 2026 Enrollment Survey taken around the end of regular spring registration, generally the 10th day of class. Spring 2026 headcount reached 294,197 and FTE reached 152,864. Transfer programs grew while adult education declined, and distance education enrollments increased.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Systemwide enrollment growth overview

Enrollment changes by college and instructional area

Headcount and FTE comparison (2022–2026)

Course and distance education enrollments

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March 2026 | SPRING 2026 ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPENING ENROLLMENT REPORT SYSTEMWIDE HEADCOUNT ENROLLMENT RISES 2.9 PERCENT MARKING A FOURTH YEAR OF CONSECUTIVE GROWTH Overall, compared to the spring term one year ago, Illinois Community College System Spring 2026 opening headcount enrollments (+2 .9 percent) and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollments (+2 .1 percent) had substantial growth. The opening enrollments reflect the end of the regular spring registration period, which is usually the 10th day of class. The preliminary counts derive from the web-based Spring 2026 Enrollment Survey. The Spring 2025 to Spring 2026 enrollment increase of 2.9 percent extends a four-year trend of year-over-year growth. Illinois community college enrollment in Spring 2026 has moved beyond pre‑pandemic levels (Spring 2019; N = 283,146), an important milestone that reflects the system’s continued resilience and sustained demand. National comparison is an important part of interpreting statewide enrollment trends; however, Spring 2026 data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) has not yet been released. These data are generally available in May. Significant findings from the Spring 2026 Illinois Community College Opening Enrollment Report include: • Spring 2026 headcount enrollments ( +2.9 percent) and FTE enrollments ( +2.1 percent) both increased from the previous year. • Thirty-one community colleges experienced an increase in headcount enrollment from Spring 2025 to Spring 2026, while 14 community colleges had a decrease. • Four of six instructional areas exhibited increases in headcount enrollment from the previous year. Instructional areas rooted in applied, workforce-oriented instruction, including Career and Technical Education (+5.5 percent) and Vocational Skill Training (+73.0 percent), increased compared to the previous year. • Transfer programs, which is the largest instructional area in the Illinois Community College System, increased 3.2 percent from the previous year, while General Associates programs increased by 8.7 percent during the same timeframe. • Adult Education—which includes Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language—saw an 11.5 percent decrease in headcount from Spring 2025 to Spring 2026. • For Dual Credit, which allows academically prepared high school students to simultaneously earn credits that count toward a high school diploma and a college degree, headcount enrollments increased 8.9 percent in Spring 2026 compared to Spring 2025 and increased 57.1 percent from Spring 2022. • The number of distance education course enrollments (seat count in courses) increased in Spring 2026 compared to the previous year (+3.3 percent) . Distance education remains a prevalent and flexible form of course delivery with 196,799 online course enrollments in the current spring. • In Spring 2026, 76,183 students enrolled full-time, representing 25.9 percent of all enrollments. Table 1 provides systemwide comparative spring census enrollment counts for the last five years. The Spring 2026 semester headcount was 294, 197 compared to 285,840 last year (a headcount increase of 8,357 or 2.9 percent) . The latest FTE count was 152,864 compared with 149,750 a year ago (an FTE increase of 3,115 or 2.1 percent) . FTE figures reflect the total number of credit hours being taken by students divided by 15—the number of semester hours traditionally considered a full-time class load. Table 1 SUMMARY OF OPENING SPRING ENROLLMENTS IN ILLINOIS PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGES FROM 2022 TO 2026 | Headcount Percent Change FTE
Percent Change | Spring 2022
233,041 -2.8%
124,013
-5.5% | Spring 2023
249,836 7.2%
132,425 6.8% | Spring 2024
262,638 5.1%
139,764 5.5% | Spring 2025
285,840*
8.8%
149,750
7.1% | Spring 2026
294,197 2.9%
152,864 2.1% | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | * Colleges Provided Re

FAQs

How much did Illinois community college headcount and FTE change in Spring 2026 compared with Spring 2025?

Headcount increased 2.9% and FTE increased 2.1% year over year.

Which instructional areas increased or decreased in Spring 2026?

Career and Technical Education and Vocational Skill Training increased, Transfer rose, and Adult Education declined by 11.5%. Dual Credit headcount increased as well.

What happened to distance education enrollments in Spring 2026?

Distance education course enrollments increased 3.3% year over year, reaching 196,799 online course enrollments in Spring 2026.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan