Local News in Brief : Costa Mesa : OCC Enrollment Rises for Third Year in Row

Orange Coast College announced that it registered a 2.1% increase in class enrollment this past school year, marking the third year in a row of renewed growth for the community college.

Like most community colleges in the state, Orange Coast’s enrollment began declining in the early 1980s. Orange Coast officials said this week, however, that the enrollment trend since 1985 has been upward, and that 1987-88 was an especially good year for average daily attendance, on which state funding is based.

“We were expecting an increase (in enrollment) . . . this year, but felt it would be slightly less than 1%,” said Susan Brown, Orange Coast’s associate dean of admissions and records. “We were very pleased when the final figures came in.”

College President Donald Bronsard added: “Our growth rate for the year is truly phenomenal when you consider that, because of budget restrictions, we were forced to trim 600 classes from our schedule. Individual faculty members accepted additional students into their classes. They did a fantastic job.”

Orange Coast’s growth has occurred at a time when the number of 18- to 24-year-olds living in the college district has decreased slightly. Orange Coast officials said the enrollment growth is partially due to attracting older students. The average age of Orange Coast students is now 28, college officials said.