Cal State, Community College Rolls Expand

Enrollment at California State University campuses inched up 1.9% to 350,254 this fall, continuing a trend that demographers say will persist as the children of baby boomers head for college.

The increase represents the fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth in the Cal State system, the largest higher education system in the country.

Continued increases are projected over the next decade. Some demographers have dubbed the trend “Tidal Wave II”--a much smaller version of the deluge of baby boomers that hit California colleges in the 1960s and 1970s. The state Department of Finance has projected that as many as half a million additional students will have enrolled in the state’s higher education institutions by 2007.

Although there is debate over just how steep the increases will be, “this is confirmation that Tidal Wave II is alive and well,” said Cal State Chancellor Charles B. Reed. “[In] the next eight or 10 years, our system has to be prepared to take 80,000 to 100,000 more students. People who want good jobs are going to be going to school.”

Increases in student head counts were also reported at California community colleges, where fall enrollment was up 1.8% to 1.5 million, said Chuck McIntyre, director of research for that system.

Fall figures for the University of California have not yet been released, but preliminary numbers are in line with earlier projections of enrollment increases this year, said Brad Hayward, UC spokesman.

According to statistics released by Cal State officials this week, 15 of the 22 campuses saw enrollment growth this fall. Six--Dominguez Hills, Monterey Bay, San Bernardino, San Marcos, Stanislaus and the Marine Academy--broke enrollment records.

The largest number of new students--1,350--signed up for classes at Dominguez Hills, bringing enrollment there to 12,054. Reed credited vigorous recruitment efforts by college administrators for drawing new students.

Another fast-growing campus, the Maritime Academy, owes its expansion to the booming shipping industry, Reed said. The college, which prepares students for jobs as pilots and other industry specialists, posted a 16% increase in enrollment from last year.

Cal State officials have requested an additional $52 million from the state general fund in the coming year. They say the money is needed to cover the costs of enrollment increases that are projected to hit 3% over the next academic year, said Richard West, Cal State senior vice chancellor.

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Cal State Enrollment Changes

The number of students in the California State University system increased this year for the fourth year in a row. Below is a breakdown by campus and the percentage change from the last academic year.

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Campus 1997-98 1998-99 % change Bakersfield 5,717 5,594 -2% Chico 14,247 14,983 5% Dominguez Hills 10,704 12,054 13% Fresno 18,113 18,101 -0.1% Fullerton 24,906 25,675 3% Hayward 12,855 12,888 0.3% Humboldt 7,492 7,475 -0.2% Long Beach 27,809 28,637 3% Los Angeles 19,160 19,732 3% Maritime Academy 388 449 16% Monterey Bay 1,586 1,958 23% Northridge 27,653 27,203 -2% Pomona 17,246 17,577 2% Sacramento 23,478 23,676 1% San Bernardino 13,280 13,600 2% San Diego 30,593 31,453 3% San Francisco 26,982 27,446 2% San Jose 26,897 26,628 -1% San Luis Obispo 16,735 16,296 -3% San Marcos 4,678 5,025 7% Sonoma 7,047 7,003 -1% Stanislaus 6,213 6,351 2% International programs N/A 450 --

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Source: California State University