82+ Community College Statistics of 2025 (Updated)

Community colleges are crucial in preparing young people for entry-level positions in various US industries.

Even today, community colleges remain an integral part of the US education system.

If you are interested in enrolling in a program, the first step is gathering relevant information. This information could be helpful even if you are currently enrolled in a community college program and considering transferring to a university.

I have compiled the essential statistics about community colleges in this article that you should know about it.

Without wasting time. Let’s dive right in.

Community College Statistics (Top Picks)

Community colleges serve as vital educational institutions, offering accessible pathways to higher education and career training for diverse populations.

1. 1,462 community colleges are located in the United States.

2. There are 935  public community colleges in the United States. 

3. Two-thirds of undergraduate students attended a community college after high school.

4. 31% of community college students do not prefer to work, whereas 36% have part-time jobs and 33% have full-time jobs.

5. Typically, attending community college full-time costs tuition and fees of approximately $3,600 per year. 

6. 45% of community college students are white by ethnicity. 

7. About 51% of community college students are 21 years old or younger.

8. 13% of students had more than $20,000 in student loans, while 30% had less than $20,000. 

9. The completion rates for online community college courses were around 5.5% points lower than completion rates for in-person. 

10. 80% of college students who begin their education at a community college aspire to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

11. Only 31% of community college students are successfully transferred to a four-year college, and only 46% earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. 

12. Almost 48% of students, within six years of enrollment at public 2-year community colleges, took two or more remedial classes.

13. Community colleges generate $16.6 billion in revenue from tuition fees. 

14. A student with an associate degree from a community college can expect to earn $5,400 more than a college dropout. 

15. The average national acceptance rate for public community colleges is 85%, while for public colleges, it is 75%.  

How Many Community Colleges Are There In The United States? 

16. According to Think Impact, the U.S. Department of Education reports that there are 1,462 community colleges. 

Of these, 415 are private institutions, while 1,047 are public ones.

17. According to Statista, there are 935  public community colleges in the United States. 

At the same time, there are 72 independent community colleges and 35 tribal community colleges in the country. 

Here is a table displaying the types of community colleges in the United States. 

Community Colleges	The Number Of Community Colleges
Public Community College	935
Independent Community College	72
Tribal Community College	35

18. California has the maximum number of community colleges in the United States.

There are 185 colleges in the state. Texas has the second-highest number of community colleges and is followed by Ohio.  

Here is a table of the top 5 states with the most number of community colleges. 

States	The Number Of Community Colleges
California	185 colleges
Texas	126 colleges
Ohio	86 colleges
Florida	82 colleges
Pennsylvania	81 colleges

Source: Statista, US News, Think Impact.

Community Colleges Enrollment Statistics

19.  Approximately 8.2 million undergraduate college students were enrolled in the public two-year colleges in 2018-2019. 

20. Roughly two-thirds of undergraduate students attended a community college after high school.

21. 62% of students who enrolled in a public two-year community college in the fall of 2018 were still studying by the end of 2019.

22. Only 54% of students returned to the same community college one year later.

23. Between 2015 and 2016, nearly half (49%) of all students who earned their bachelor’s degree had previously attended a community college. 

24. 31% of community college students are unemployed while studying, whereas 36% have part-time jobs and 33% have full-time jobs.

The following table displays the percentage of students working during their college years.

College Type	No Jobs	Part-Time	Full-Time
Community Colleges	31%	36%	33%
Public four year	35%	46%	20%
Private Non-Profit 4 year	36%	46%	18%
For Profit	39%	25%	36%
Total	34%	39%	27%

25. 2,314.4K white undergraduate students were enrolled in 2-year postsecondary institutions in the United States.

While the number of Hispanic students enrolled was 1,299.9K, and of Black students was 669.9K. 

Here is a complete insight into the number of students enrolled in 2-year postsecondary institutions from different ethnicities in the United States.

Ethnicity	The Number Of Students
White	2,314.4 thousand
Hispanic	1,299.9 thousand
Black	669.9 thousand
Asian	314 thousand
Two or more races	197.2 thousand
Non-resident alien	61.3 thousand
American Indian/Alaskan Native	42.1 thousand
Pacific Islander	14.9 thousand

Source: Think Impact, Statista. 

Community College Students’ Demography Statistics

26.  Between 2011 and 2012, approximately 55% of dependent students from households earning less than $30,000 began their education at community colleges.

While only 23% of students from families earning $106,000 or more opted for community colleges.

27. 55% of community college students are female, and 45% are male. 

This percentage has remained the same from 2008 to 2016, and no signs of changes exist. 

28. 45% of community college students are white by ethnicity. 

At the same time, the percentage of Hispanic students is 25%, and black students are 13%. 

Here is a total breakdown of the ethnicity of community college students. 

Ethnicity	Share Of Students
White	45%
Hispanic	25%
Black	13%
Asian	7%

29. Attendance at community colleges has increased the most among Hispanics, growing by 10% since 2008. 

30. 51% of community college students are 21 years old or younger.

Comparatively, only 10% of the community college students were 40 or older, and 40% belonged to the age group of 22 to 39 years.

A table shows the total breakdown of the Age of community college students. 

Age	Share Of Students
21 years old or less than that	51%
Between 22 to 39 years	40%
40 years old or more than that	10%

31. Community college students have an average age of 27.

Source: Think Impact, Statista. 

Community College Cost Statistics

32. Attending community college full-time costs approximately $3,600. 

33. Based on data from 2016 to 2017, it can be observed that community college tuition has an average cost of $9,674.  

34. Public four-year colleges have a tuition cost of approximately $23,703, while four-year colleges have a considerably average annual tuition cost of $48,865. 

35.    Between 2020 and 2021, full-time students had to pay an average of $3,770 in tuition and fees at community colleges nationwide. 

36. Public four-year colleges typically cost around $10,560 per year. 

37. According to the National Post-secondary Student Aid Study from 2015 to 2016, approximately 44% of full-time community college students received funds to cover expenses or had their entire tuition paid. 

38. Approximately 14% of students pay more than $3,400 for grants, while another 14% pay less than $1,100 after receiving grants and aid. 

Only a tiny percentage (2%) of these students receive aid through federal work-study. 

39. 47% have a family income under $20,000 in independent community colleges. 

While in the dependent community colleges, 23% of students belong to the same family income group.

40. Between 2015 to 2016, around 36% of community college students withdrew loans to complete their education.

Of these, 12% borrowed over $13,500, while 24% borrowed less than $13,500.

41. 59% of students who received their associate’s degree from the community college did not take student loans in 2015-2016.

42. 13% of students had more than $20,000 in student loans, while 30% had less than $20,000. 

43. Approximately 26% of community college students who borrowed student loans defaulted within 12 years of college enrollment.

Source: Think Impact. 

Community College Online Education Statistics

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the number of students taking online classes. If you are considering this option, you will find this section helpful.

Here, you will find all the essential statistics about online education in community colleges.

44. During the fall of 2018, approximately 1.9 million students in two-year colleges took at least one online course. 

Of those students, 21% were enrolled in online and in-person classes, while 14% were enrolled exclusively in online courses. 

45. A study conducted by the Washington State Community and Technical College found that completion rates for online courses were around 5.5% points lower than completion rates for in-person. 

Source: Think Impact.

Community College: Transfer Statistics

After enrolling in community college, numerous students transfer to other institutions, including four-year colleges.

Below are some key statistics regarding the transfer of students from community colleges to other institutions.

46. 80% of college students who begin their education at a community college aspire to attain a bachelor’s degree or higher. 

47. 31% of students who started at a community college in the fall of 2013 have successfully transferred to a four-year institution within six years. 

Of those who did transfer, a small percentage (6%) attended a for-profit institution.  While 19% transferred to private nonprofit institutions and 75% were transferred to public institutions. 

48. 43% of credits earned by college students are lost in transferring to a different college. 

On average, students lose about 13 credits each. Furthermore, some credits that are accepted only count as elective credits. 

49. Notably, 40% of all undergraduate students transfer at least once within six years of enrolling. 

50. Among community college students, only 31% are successfully transferred to a four-year college, and 46% earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. 

51. 14% of all students who entered community college in 2013 could earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. 

52. 44% of the community college completed their bachelor’s degree within six years after transferring to four-year public institutions,. 

33% of students transferred to a non-profit four-year college to earn their bachelor’s degree. 

53. Only 9% of students transferred to private for-profit four-year colleges earned their bachelor’s degree within six years.

54. 64% of transfer college students enrolled in full-time study earned their bachelor’s degree. 

55. Only 42% of students who transferred between full-time and part-time study completed their bachelor’s degree.

Approximately 5% of exclusively part-time students earned their bachelor’s degree.  

56. 53% of higher-income transfer students earned a bachelor’s degree, compared to 39% of low-income transfer students.  

57. Between 2018 and 2019, 22% of college students who obtained their bachelor’s degree had previously earned their associate’s degree. 

58. 41% of transfer students from a community college to a four-year program earned a certificate or associate’s degree before earning their bachelor’s degree.

Source: Think Impact.

Developmental Education Of Community Colleges Statistics 

Here are some vital statistics about the developmental education of community colleges that will help you understand this topic in detail. 

59. Between the years 2013 and 2014, a majority of community college students took at least one remedial course. Their percentage was approximately 60%.

60. At public two-year community colleges, almost 48% of students took two or more remedial classes within six years of enrollment. 

61. 78% of students that belong to black ethnicity have taken remedial courses.

A table shows the complete breakdown of students who have taken remedial courses. 

Ethnicity	Share Of Students
Black	78%
White	64%
Hispanic	75%

62. According to a study conducted by the National Educational Study, 28% of students who took a remedial course earned a college degree within 8.5 years. 

Source: Statista, Think Impact.

Revenue And Expenses Of Community Colleges Statistics

63. Community colleges generated $16.6 billion in revenue from tuition fees. 

64. Community colleges created $22.36 billion in revenue from the State government in 2019-20. 

65. Community colleges generated $8.62 billion in revenue from the federal government in 2019-20. 

66. In public community colleges, the average expenditure of full-time students is $14,090. 

Source: Think Impact, Statista. 

Associate Degree Statistics

67. A student with an associate degree from a community college can expect to earn $5,400 more annually than a college dropout. 

68. The average percentage of students in the community college decreased by 10% despite the increase in the number of students.

69. In 2016, more than 25% of community college students had children who depended on them. 

70. Roughly one-third of students were the first in their families to attend college. 

A table shows the percentage of dependent and independent college students by income level in the 2015-2016 academic year.

Students	Below $20K	$20K to $49,999	Above $50K
Dependent	23%	28%	49%
Independent	47%	31%	22%
Overall	37%	30%	33%

71. Community colleges award 865,504 associate degrees in the academic year of 2019-20. 

72.  Community colleges awarded 599,397 certificates in the same academic year.

73.  In the 2009-10 academic year, 848.86 thousand associate’s degree recipients were in the United States. 

 Comparatively, In the academic year 2030-31, 1,403 thousand associate’s degree recipients will be in the United States. 

Here is a breakdown of the number of associate’s degree recipients in the United States from 2009/10 to 2030/31. 

Academic Year	The Number Of Associate Degrees
2016-17	1,005.69 thousand
2017-18	1,011.7 thousand
2018-19	1,036.64 thousand
2019-20	1,018.23 thousand
2020-21	1,077 thousand
2021-22	1,117 thousand
2022-23*	1,156 thousand
2023-24*	1,183 thousand
2024-25*	1,210 thousand
2025-26*	1,241 thousand
2026-27*	1,274 thousand
2027-28*	1,308 thousand
2028-29*	1,339 thousand
2029-30*	1,370thousand
2030-31*	1,403 thousand

*Projected

74. 509,466 associate degrees were earned by White students in the United States in 2019-20. 

Here is a table showing complete insight into it. 

Ethnicity	Degree Received
White	509,466 degrees
Hispanic	254,561 degrees
Black	119,826 degrees
Asian/Pacific Islander	64,582 degrees
Two or More Races	37,768 degrees
Non-resident aliens	23,579 degrees
American Indian/Alaska Native	8,451 degrees

75. 400,447 students graduated from liberal arts and science, general studies, and humanities from a community college. 

Here are tables showing the number of community college graduates in the United States by field of study. (Top 5 and Bottom 5 fields)

Top 5 Fields	The Number Of Graduates
Liberal arts and science, general studies, and humanities	400,447 graduates
Health professions and related programs	181,046 graduates
Business, management, marketing, and support services	106,681 graduates
Engineering technologies and engineering-related fields	48,748 graduates
Homeland security, law enforcement, and support services	35,009 graduates

Bottom 5 Fields	The Number Of Graduates
Military Technologies and applied sciences	1,106 graduates
Theology and religious studies	982 graduates
Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies	936 graduates
Architecture and related services	615 graduates
Library science	171  graduates

76. It is expected that in the academic year of 2022-23, 711 thousand Females and 446 thousand Males will have associate degrees. 

Besides, in the academic year of 2009-10, 526.11 thousand Females and 322.75 Males graduated and got associate degrees. 

Here is a complete breakdown of associate degrees earned by students over the years. 

Academic Year	The Number Of Males who Receive An Associate Degree	The Number of Females who receive an associate Degree
2009-10	322.75 thousand	526.11 thousand
2016-17	394.15 thousand	611.54 thousand
2017-18	398.69 thousand	613 thousand
2018-19	407.22 thousand	629.42 thousand
2019-20	393.08 thousand	625.15 thousand
2020-21	419 thousand	658 thousand
2021-22	433 thousand	685 thousand
2022-23*	446 thousand	711 thousand
2023-24*	454 thousand	728 thousand
2024-25*	463 thousand	747 thousand
2025-26*	473 thousand	768 thousand
2026-27*	485 thousand	790 thousand
2027-28*	496 thousand	812 thousand
2028-29*	507 thousand	832 thousand
2029-30*	518 thousand	852 thousand
2030-31*	529 thousand	873 thousand

Source: Statista, Think Impact. 

General Community College Statistics 

77. The average national community college acceptance rate is 79%. 

The average national acceptance rate for public community colleges is 85%, while for public colleges, it is 75%. 

78. Illinois and Michigan have the most average acceptance rate of community colleges, with 90% and 89%, respectively. 

Ohio and Massachusetts have the lowest acceptance rate, with 68% each. 

79. 58.80% of the faculty in the community college of California are White. 

Here is a complete insight into the faculty of community colleges in California. 

Ethnicity Of Faculty	Share Of Faculty
White	58.80%
Latino	17%
Asian	9.90%
Black	6.20%

80. Students who attend community college instead of a four-year institution can save up to $30,000 in potential student debt. 

81. Community colleges have smaller classes, with 25 to 30 students per class. 

On the other hand, four-year institutions have classes with more than 300 students. 

82. 61% of community college students applied for Federal aid, while 38% for percentage receiving Pell. 

Here is a complete insight into students who applied for aid during enrollment. 

College Type	Federal	Any	Percentage Receiving Pell
Community Colleges	61%	70%	38%
Public four year	71%	82%	38%
Private Non-Profit 4 year	76%	89%	36%
For Profit	87%	95%	64%
Total	70%	80%	41%

Source: Statista, Think Impact, What To Become. 

Related Read:

• How Many Schools In The US
• Education Attainment Statistics
• Average Student Loan Debt

Conclusion: Community College Statistics (2025)

Nowadays, pursuing higher education can provide significant opportunities for the future. Whether you attend a community college or a university, it is essential to pursue your passions. 

Despite their reputation as less challenging and inferior to universities, community colleges can still provide valuable education.

Although they offer many conveniences, online courses provide top-quality education and can help advance your career with great job opportunities.

I hope you have found this article informative. Please let me know in the comments section below if there is anything I missed or any additional information you would like to add.

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