Summer quarter is traditionally the slow time of year for community colleges but officials at Everett, Edmonds and Shoreline community college report brisk, even record-breaking enrollment.
At Everett Community College, for the first time in recent memory and perhaps in the institution’s history, more than 4,000 students have enrolled in classes this summer.
Enrollment at Everett reached 4,098 full- and part-time students during the summer quarter. That is about 7 percent higher than a year ago.
“The 4,000 is a high-water mark,” said Christine Kerlin, the associate dean for enrollment services, reviewing figures going back several years.
At Edmonds Community College, 5,385 students are enrolled in summer classes, up slightly from the same period last year.
And at Shoreline Community College, a total of 4,108 students are enrolled this summer, jumping from 4,041 in the summer of 2002 and 3,594 students enrolled in the summer of 2001.
Although its not a record, summer enrollment is “strong and steady” as it has been the past five years, said Michelle Graves, a spokeswoman for Edmonds Community College.
“We do expect the final, final count to be a bit higher,” she said.
Analysts say the rising year-round enrollment at community colleges is caused in part by the baby boom echo, the children of the 75 million American baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964.
Other factors include a tight job market, laid-off workers seeking retraining, general growth in Snohomish County, tougher admission standards for freshmen at four-year universities and tuition increases at universities.
The economy is clearly a factor at EvCC, Kerlin said.
“The economy is bringing people back into school,” she said. “We are still seeing large numbers of dislocated workers.”
Laid-off workers are anxious to continue their lessons, even during the summer, to get back into the job market quickly, she said.
“They are people who start and just keep working until they finish,” she said.
Eric Stevick is a reporter for the Herald in Everett. Enterprise writer Shanti Hahler contributed to this story.
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