CYPRESS : College Enrollment Up; Recession Cited

More than 15,000 students signed up for classes at Cypress College this spring, making for one of the largest enrollments in the past decade.

Officials attribute the increase to the economic recession.

“I think the economy is a large part of it,” said Dean of Admissions and Records Alexander McLeod, noting that some students would rather enroll in college than look for work in today’s competitive job market.

Total enrollment is up 770 students from last year, with the majority of students coming from Cypress, Anaheim and Buena Park.

Even with the increase, Cypress College is still small enough that students don’t have to compete for classes, said Corey Albert of the marketing and public relations department.

“It is a little tight, but we haven’t had any real complaints about people not being able to get classes,” Albert said, adding that budget constraints may prohibit the college from adding more courses.

Minority student enrollment is also on the rise. The number of Asian students increased 12%, while the number of Latino students went up 13%. The increases are attributed to the college’s extra outreach efforts aimed at boosting minority enrollment.

Officials predict that the trend will continue, especially since the University of California system this year increased undergraduate fees by 40%.