This fall, Las Positas Community College feels busier than usual. Classrooms are filled to capacity and parking lots are jammed through the day, from morning till night. Enrollment numbers at LPC have soared to an all-time high post-pandemic as more local students opt for the affordability and flexibility of community college.
But beneath the surface, this surge — driven by a large graduating class, the unaffordability of four-year institutions and students returning to pursue an education after the pandemic — marks an important turning point, as increased enrollment could shape the college’s funding and long-term success.
This spike in enrollment, part of a broader trend fueled by post-pandemic recovery, comes at a pivotal moment for the school. More students means increased tuition revenue — revenue that could help boost the campus’ support and resources. However, the pressure is now on the college to ensure these students thrive — successful retention, transfer and graduation rates are key to maintaining long-term financial stability for the college, as securing future state and federal funding is tied to student success outcomes. As the college navigates this rapid growth, balancing the needs of an expanding student population with the push for academic success is more crucial than ever.
Suzanne Kohler, the Senior Administrative Assistant for Admissions & Records and Enrollment Services, expressed her thoughts on the increased number of students attending LPC this semester.
“I’m really glad (enrollment) numbers are up. I’m hoping students are seeing that they can still get a kind of traditional college experience and high-quality education local to their hometown,” Kohler said. “I think students utilizing community colleges, saving money and still getting a quality education is important.”
Demographic increases from fall 2023 to fall 2024
The Black/African-American student population is up 9.3%
The Asian-American student population is up 20%
The Latinx student population is up 5.7% increase.
The multiracial student population is up 13.4% increase.
The White student population is up 7.41% increase.
The Pacific Islander student population is down 11.43%
The Native American student population is down 63.16%
According to The National Center for Education Statistics, compared with the graduation data from 2018-19, a projected 4,652 more students graduated from California high schools following the 2023-24 school year. Although the numbers only represent a 1.06% difference, that many more students have the opportunity to choose community college when pursuing a higher education.
Given the expensiveness of pursuing a bachelor’s degree, it’s an increasingly practical choice for students to attend a community college before transferring. In 2021, a National College Attainment Network study found that only 31% of public four-year universities and colleges were affordable. Two-year colleges, however, boasted 63% in cumulative affordability. Further, a survey from ScholarshipOwl taken during June of 2024 revealed that 90% of the 9,097 college-bound students polled claimed they didn’t have the funds to afford tuition for the 2024-25 school year.
As of September 2024, the current student head count at LPC is at 8,375 students. This is a 10.12% increase in overall students enrolled compared to 7,605 last year. For 1,978 of these students, this year marks their first time enrolled in any college, and 5,347 of these students plan to transfer – a 14.2% and 9.68% increase since last fall, respectively.
As for extra statistics, the number of female students has gone from 3,734 to 4,054. This is an 8.56% increase from last year. The number of freshmen (those with less than 30 units) have gone from 4,044 to 4,586, a 13.4% increase from last year.
Las Positas is currently at its highest fill rate over the last five years. (Graphic by Mel Llamas/ The Express)
In Spring 2022, LPC’s student head count was a staggering 6,565. Enrollment numbers haven’t been that low since the 1997-98 school year.
In a Q&A with LPC’s president, Dr. Dyrell Foster, he mentioned that there is a standard for the number of students needed to enroll in a particular class in order for that course to continue, or that course would be canceled.
LPC’s fill rate, a statistic which refers to the number of seats filled in all courses – and directly relates to the continuation of classes – currently sits at 95.25%, which is the highest it’s been in the last decade according to Foster.
“Just to put it in perspective, we were at about a 90.52% fill rate last fall at this time,” Foster said. “We have restored our normal capacity in terms of our courses, so these are all pre-COVID capacity numbers that we’re experiencing, which is awesome.”
Comparing Fall 2024 to Fall 2023, the number of Full-Time Equivalent Students (FTES) as of the first week of the semester has increased by 9.6%. However, after the CENSUS date on Sept. 3, that percentage increased to 9.7% according to LPC’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Chip Woerner.
The Student-Centered Funding Formula, adopted in the 2018-19 state budget, is a new way to allocate funding to community college districts according to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.
“That takes into account about 70% of our (fund) allocation from the state, comes to our district and it’s based on FTES,” Foster said. “The other portion of that funding comes from student success metrics related to (metrics) such as the number of degrees we award, the number of certificates we award and the number of students who transfer.”
Ultimately, more students enrolled at LPC means more funding from the state. More state funding means more resources. As the school continues to draw in new and returning students, it hopes to retain them and the resources they’re provided.
Top photo: As of September 2024, the current student head count at LPC is at 8,375 students. (Photo by Luke Vavuris/ The Express)
James Sevilla is a staff writer for The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @JamesTSev.
