Slightly fewer Chicago students enrolled in four-year colleges and universities last fall despite the pandemic’s pressures — but two-year institutions saw a troubling dip in both new arrivals and in students returning for their second year on campus.
A new report from the University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research shows that declines in community college enrollment and retention were steeper here than nationally and affected Black and Latino students more than their peers. The data also shows that Chicago Public Schools students’ enrollment in four-year institutions largely held steady and retention improved across racial groups even amid the pandemic’s upheaval. Some local institutions saw enrollment gains of 30% or more — increases the study attributes to decisive steps campuses took to support first-generation and low-income students amid the disruption...