Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/cardona.html#:~:text=Miguel%20A.,in%20the%20mainland%20United%20States.
Dr. Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Education | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/cardona.html#:~:text=Miguel%20A.,in%20the%20mainland%20United%20States.
Of the seven institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Aurora University and Judson University.
At least 4,075 people applied to Kane County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 23,420 students enrolled in the universities, including 21,375 in undergraduate and 2,045 in graduate programs. Only 4.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Hispanic (41.7%) and white (38.8%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Elgin Community College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 8,910 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for two institutions in Kane County, including Rasmussen University-Aurora and Columbia College - Elgin.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen University-Aurora | -- | -- | -- |
| Elgin Community College | -- | -- | 8,910 |
| Aurora University | 2,922 | 2,396 | 5,918 |
| Columbia College - Elgin | -- | -- | -- |
| Judson University | 1,153 | 669 | 973 |
| Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin | -- | -- | 128 |
| Waubonsee Community College | -- | -- | 7,491 |
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