A new report on college enrollment for the fall 2026 semester suggests that attendance is essentially flat across the country, but the outlook masks some significant differences among institution types and academic programs that could influence how campuses plan and use facilities in the future. For campus leaders, what’s happening beneath the data is significant in that while some programs are growing, others are shrinking, and those shifts can quickly change where students need classrooms, labs, housing, and support space.

According to preliminary data released on Oct. 29th by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, total postsecondary enrollment increased 0.2% across colleges and universities in fall 2026. The report found that undergraduate enrollment increased 0.6%, while graduate enrollment declined 1.6%. Community colleges, on the other hand, posted the strongest sector-level growth, with undergraduate enrollment rising 1.2%. Enrollment at public four-year institutions grew just 0.3%, while private nonprofit four-year enrollment was unchanged.

These figures are preliminary and subject to revision, and the Clearinghouse expects to release final fall enrollment estimates in January.

Graduate and master’s enrollment declines

Notably, graduate enrollment moved in the opposite direction from undergraduate enrollment in the latest data collected. Overall graduate enrollment declined 1.6%, driven primarily by a 3.7% drop in master’s students, while doctoral enrollment decreased a much smaller 0.5%.

Those differences could be relevant to universities making assumptions about future classroom, laboratory, housing, office, and support-space demand. For instance, a relatively even student head count at a given college or university doesn’t necessarily mean every part of a campus is experiencing the same pressure.

AS&U has been tracking the connection between enrollment and facilities planning as institutions reconsider how much space they need and which buildings warrant continued investment. A recent higher education facilities report, for example, found that many institutions are cutting back on their expansion plans while capital-renewal backlogs continue to grow.

Health programs grow as computer science enrollment falls

Some of the biggest differences in college enrollment this year appear when the numbers are broken down by academic field. Unsurprisingly, enrollment in health majors increased across every institution level analyzed by the Clearinghouse, as this industry-wide trend has been visible in the continued investment in healthcare education facilities around the country as institutions respond to workforce demand. Healthcare majors enrollment grew by the following amounts:

• 6.2% at four-year undergraduate institutions;
• 4.3% at two-year institutions; and
• 2% at the graduate level.

One might assume computer and information science programs experienced a similar trend, but interestingly, the opposite is true: enrollment fell 12.4% at four-year institutions, 12.3% at two-year colleges, and 10.4% at graduate institutions.

These changes are worth paying attention to at a facilities planning level because health sciences programs often require clinical simulation areas, laboratories, specialized equipment, and other purpose-built instructional spaces, and a shift in program demand can therefore create space constraints even on a campus where overall enrollment is flat.

On the other hand, sustained declines in another academic field such as computer science might leave specialized classrooms or laboratories underused and create opportunities for renovation, consolidation, or reassignment.

Community colleges continue to outperform four-year institutions

The 1.2% increase at community colleges is notable because four-year enrollment showed little movement—a difference which could affect capital priorities differently across sectors. Growing community colleges may need to evaluate classroom schedules, laboratories, workforce-training spaces, parking, and other capacity needs, while four-year institutions experiencing flat or declining populations may be more focused on utilization and renewal than expansion.