Norwalk : College Enrollment Rises

Enrollment, which has been steadily declining for the past few years at most community colleges in the state, jumped 4.7% at Cerritos College, with 18,643 students registering for the fall semester compared to the same period in 1985 when 17,810 students registered.

The college spent about $73,000 in promotion, which included mailing of class schedules to households served by the school and newspaper advertising, to try and boost enrollment, said Mark Wallace, public information director.

During the summer, the college sent a series of mailers of schedules, including 125,000 to households, and 25,000 registration appointment cards to new or continuing students. Also, there were newspaper advertisements reminding readers of registration dates, Wallace said.

The decline began in fall, 1982, with spring enrollment dropping from 24,211 to 22,831. Enrollment continued to decline, with registration reaching a low of 17,272 for spring, 1985.

The Cerritos Community College District covers eight Southeast cities with a combined population of more than 400,000.