KCTCS fall enrollment soars 8.4%, sets 10-year record

VERSAILLES, Ky. (WAVE) – The Kentucky Community & Technical College System is expecting to welcome more than 85,000 students this fall. That’s an 8.4% increase over last year.

According to a KCTCS release, this fall’s enrollment is setting a 10-year record with substantial growth across all student classifications, races and ethnicities, age groups and in targeted industry sectors.

“We’re excited to see more Kentuckians from all backgrounds choosing our colleges to invest in their futures, the future of their families, and ultimately in future generations of Kentucky’s workforce,” KCTCS President Ryan Quarles said.

Ace of Aug. 23, enrollment had reached 66,114 students, which represents an increase of 8.4% and a gain of 5,145 more students compared to the same time last year. The release states enrollment will continue to climb during the semester since the system has multiple start dates depending on the program.

“Our 16 colleges are preparing students of all ages and backgrounds to continue their education at our state’s four-year institutions or to enter the Kentucky workforce in a skills-based, high-demand career,” Quarles added.

Credential-seeking headcount increased by 7.2% and credit-bearing workforce, nondegree headcount increased 16.4%.

New student enrollment also climbed 11% over last year. Credential-seeking enrollment jumped 11.9% among the new students and credit-bearing workforce and nondegree students shot up 19.8%.

High school students taking dual credit classes, with support from the dual credit scholarship, increased 11.6% over last fall and accounted for 23.5% of this fall’s enrollment total, according to the release. By the end of the semester, KCTCS is expecting this student population to reach 35% of the system’s total enrollment.

Nontraditional enrollment, which includes adults ages 25 and over, increased 10.4%. This makes up 32% of total enrollment.

The release states enrollment for Black, African American students is up 12.5%, while Hispanic, Latinx, and two or more races are showing gains of 22.2% and 13.5%, respectively. KCTCS said underrepresented minority enrollment is up 15.8% compared to last year, while solid increases in non-URM enrollment trail at 5.9%.

Enrollment in programs that align with Kentucky’s targeted industry sectors is also reportedly on the rise and the Work Ready Kentucky Scholarship continues to be a financial support for students in these programs:

Advanced manufacturing – 8.7%
Business & IT services – 3.4%
Construction – 10.6%
Healthcare – 17%
Transportation and logistics – 2.8%

The release also states KCTCS Online is bolstering enrollment increases by providing solutions for students that face challenges with work schedules, transportation or childcare. For this fall semester, 71.5% of students are enrolled in at least one online course.

KCTCS launched a FAFSA Task Force after the complications and delay of the rollout of the simplified FAFSA. The task force has faculty and staff working to mitigate potential enrollment losses. The system received 95% of the total number of FAFSA applications year-to-date relative to 2023-2024 as a result, according to the release.

By the end of the 2024-25 academic year, KCTCS officials are expecting to enroll approximately 112,000 students in either an associate program designed to transfer to a four-year university or in one of the 104 technical programs.

There are 16 KCTCS colleges within the system and they account for more than 45% of the state’s public higher education undergraduate enrollment. Two of these colleges are Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC) with its largest campus in downtown Louisville and Elizabethtown Community & Technical College (ECTC).

Click here for more information on the Kentucky Community & Technical College System.