The school welcomed 9,766 students this spring semester. This number includes in-person and online students.

“The data shows an 11% increase in enrollment compared to the previous spring semester in 2023. We have 9,766 students enrolled this year as compared to the 8,830 we had registered in the spring of 2023,” said David Rudden, Managing Director of Institutional Research.

Institutional Research (IR) measures the gender, ethnicity, age group, enrollment status, major area, and the current intent at ECC of each student.

IR breaks down the enrollment numbers at the institution alongside the trends they have seen with each spring semester.

The institution’s research showcases stark differences in enrollment between the fall and spring semesters. Typically, the enrollment in fall semesters surpasses the spring enrollment quite vastly. 

But after they concluded research on the tenth day of the semester, ECC amassed 9,614 students in fall 2023. Compared to the recorded 9,766 students enrolled within the first ten days of the spring semester this year, this enrollment has risen approximately 1.58%.

“The enrollment data we conduct on the tenth day of the semester is subject to change,” Rudden said. “Shorter courses, like the 12-week and 8-week courses offered at ECC, increase the enrollment status at the school.”

Enrollment status rose 7.8% after the 12 and 8 week courses began in the fall semester of 2023. As of now, the enrollment is sitting at an 11% increase from the previous spring semester, but the surge could continue as the shorter courses start.

The IR team looks into the trends seen during semesters. The office records a consistent surge of online students since the 2020 school year.

“It is hard to gauge why enrollment fluctuates as each student’s decision is unique to them,” Rudden said. “The tuition rate and location of the institution are popular factors, and online courses have become more popular since the height of the pandemic.”

Second-year Psychology student Alyssa Mendoza described her experience as a returning student and how the decision of choosing online or in-person classes affect her as well as the difference of student life between the fall and spring semesters.

“The spring semester is always harder for me than the fall,” Mendoza said. “It feels like the last leg of a race. To force myself to be active with my learning, most of my classes are in-person. I think I get more out of the class that way.”

Trista Skelnik is a second year student at ECC, who has a distinct change in the classes she has chosen for each semester she has been enrolled at the school.

“My whole first year I was strictly in person, but now I am mostly online. I like being able to do the work on my own time and set myself a schedule. Since we start out the spring semester with much colder and gloomier weather, the spring semester takes a little longer to enjoy. Having online courses allows me to work on my own time and motivate myself.” Skelnik said.

After the shorter course enrollment is recorded, official enrollment data for the courses offered and students at ECC will be available in March of 2024.

Current enrollment information is available online at https://elgin.edu/admissions/enrollment/.