College enrollment numbers down, Northeast Ohio officials report - Chad Felton, News-Herald

While local college enrollment numbers remain steady, external trends continue to have an impact on matriculation at Lakeland Community College and Cuyahoga County Community College, officials from both schools confirm. Factors like the economy and unemployment are cyclical realities that, in turn, affect registration numbers nearly every semester and academic year, notes Laura Barnard, the executive vice president and provost at Lakeland. “Unemployment rates in Ohio have fallen from 10.3 percent in 2010 when the Great Recession ended to 4.9 percent today,” Barnard said. “Typically, when the economy is strong, adult learners age 22 and older tend to leave higher education and go back to the work force. This fall, the number of Lakeland students age 22 and over is down 12.6 percent.” https://www.news-herald.com/news/lake-county/college-enrollment-numbers-down-northeast-ohio-officials-report/article_3876b3b4-ecdf-11e8-a3a7-b7546b11618b.html