• DMACC reports its enrollment for the Fall 2023 semester is up nearly three percent, with 20,431 students enrolled across the College.
  • Additionally, numbers for high school students taking DMACC college credit classes this fall are still coming in.
  • Overall, enrollment continues to grow after a dip created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

DMACC announced this week that 20,431 students are enrolled in fall 2023 semester classes across the College’s 13 locations, marking a nearly three percent increase over DMACC’s fall 2022 enrollment numbers.

The current fall semester numbers are also a significant increase from the 18,201 students who were enrolled at DMACC in Fall 2020 during the depths COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our fall 2023 enrollment numbers are strong and numbers from high school students enrolling in DMACC credit classes are still coming in, so we expect our final fall numbers will be even higher,” said DMACC President Rob Denson. “We're excited about this strong increase and optimistic about the overall school year.”

President Denson attributed the enrollment growth to more high school students taking DMACC credit classes and growth in vocational programs such as health sciences, information technology, building trades, and media and the arts.

More than 60 percent of current DMACC students plan to transfer to a four-year university or college after graduating from DMACC, which is an increase as well. The UNI@DMACC partnership, for example, has enrolled 142 students this fall. That's up 56 percent over last fall.

“Iowa companies are hiring, but many require specific skills and training. That's where we excel. DMACC graduates are ready to contribute their first day on the job,” Denson said.

DMACC offers more than 220 programs, degrees and certificates housed within 10 academic pathways. The pathways with the most students and credits include Design, Media and the Arts, Health Sciences/Nursing, Public and Community Service, and Business.

The high schools with the largest number of students enrolled in DMACC college-credit classes through DMACC Career Advantage this fall include Southeast Polk (613 students), Des Moines Roosevelt (447), Norwalk (431) and Ankeny Centennial (405).

Similar to the Iowa Regent Institutions, DMACC enrollment hasn't reached numbers experienced before the pandemic; however, DMACC's enrollment increase runs counter to the many colleges and universities across the nation that have experienced ongoing enrollment declines before and since the pandemic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, enrollment among America's two-year colleges peaked at 4.3 million students in 2011 and has been falling ever since. DMACC has defied this trend over that same period.

To learn more about the College, visit dmacc.edu.

For more information, contact: Rob Denson, DMACC President, (515) 964-6638, rjdenson@dmacc.edu