U.S. — Undergraduate enrollment increased in spring 2026 compared to the previous spring, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Graduate enrollment remained approximately level during the same period, while student enrollment in master's degrees and computer science programs declined.
The number of students pursuing a master's degree declined by 1.3 percent in spring 2026, representing 26,000 students. International graduate enrollment also decreased in spring 2026. Master's program enrollment had peaked in fall 2024 before this decline. Provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which caps graduate student loans and ends Grad PLUS loans, are scheduled to take effect on July 1. Graduate degree tuition and fees grew by more than 200 percent between 2000 and 2020. The majority of international graduate students in the U.S. pursue master's degrees.
Enrollment at high-transfer two-year institutions increased by 5.5 percent, and high-vocational two-year institutions saw a 2.8 percent increase compared to the previous spring. "This indicates that even as vocational degrees grow in popularity, students also continue to see community colleges as a reliable pathway to a bachelor's." Matthew Holsapple, Senior Research Director at the research center, said. High-transfer institutions enroll 46.5 percent of community college students. Mixed-transfer institutions enroll 34.3 percent of community college students. High-vocational institutions enroll just under 20 percent of community college students.
Undergraduate enrollment in health professions at four-year colleges increased by 6.2 percent in spring 2026. This includes more than one million undergraduates studying health care, with 514,000 students enrolled in nursing programs. Undergraduate enrollment in engineering at four-year colleges increased by 6.8 percent in spring 2026. However, undergraduate computer science enrollment at four-year colleges declined by 8.4 percent in spring 2026. Business is the most popular field of study for undergraduates at four-year institutions. Health care is the second most popular field of study for undergraduates at four-year institutions. Engineering is the third most popular field of study for undergraduates at four-year institutions. Nursing majors account for more than half of all undergraduate health-care students at four-year colleges.