The coronavirus pandemic hit the education sector exceptionally hard, and enrollments plunged to the lowest level since 2007 in 2020.
According to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday, enrollment in colleges dropped by 2.9 million from 2019 to 2020. Enrollment among those aged 35 and below has also dipped to the lowest level in over 20 years, with community colleges leading the decline.
Brookings has suggested that many young people are foregoing college education to work amid a historic race between employers to fill jobs as the country recovers from the pandemic-induced recession.
Brookings authors noted that the share of young adults enrolled in postsecondary education — i.e. a two- or four-year program — declined by 1 percentage point during the academic year since the recession in 2020.
That's in stark contrast to the recessions of 2001 and 2008, Brookings noted. Enrollment in postsecondary education after the 2008 recession increased by 1.9 percentage points in the academic year 2009 - 2010. Brookings added that as students find the costs of attending college greater than the benefits during the COVID - 19 pandemic, more young adults with a high school degree did not enroll in postsecondary education compared to prior recessions. The Census Bureau noted that graduate school enrollment in 2020 held steady at 3.8 million, which was not statistically different from 2019. At the same time, the trend with regard to pre-school students was mirrored in the college arena.
According to the census data, the percentage of kids ages 3 and 4 enrolled in school fell from 54% in 2019 to 40% in 2020. This is the first time since 1996 that fewer than half of the children in this age group were enrolled, the release stated.
Enrollment in kindergarten also fell by 25% and in nursery by 9%.
Child care issues were a factor: Enrollment of children between 3 - 4 years of age who have a working mother also fell by 35% from 2019 to 2020, compared to a 10% decrease of other 3 - 4 year olds enrolled.
The number of 3 4 year-old children of working mothers enrolled in nursery school declined by 35% from 2019 to 2020, compared with a 10% decrease of other enrolled 3 year-olds the overall decrease was 26% Aarthi is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. She can be reached at aarthiyahoofinance.com. Follow her on Twitter aarthiswami.