NWACC enrollment sees post-pandemic rebound

NorthWest Arkansas Community College's enrollment is just shy of prepandemic numbers.

By the numbers: The college had 8,409 academic-credit students enrolled for the current fall semester as of Tuesday, up from 7,839 last fall and almost reaching its fall 2019 enrollment of 8,649, according to a news release.

Flashback: NWACC saw a 12% decrease in enrollment from fall 2019 to fall 2020, and a 6.6% decline from fall 2020 to fall 2021.

The big picture: Community college enrollment nationwide is seeing an uptick, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.

• The cost of college, economic anxiety and the hot labor market may be leading students to reconsider how to get the most bang for their buck with postsecondary degrees.

Of note: NWACC has an additional 1,430 students enrolled in its certification or industry programs.