Nolan C. Rucker President | Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology
Nolan C. Rucker President | Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology
Of the 12 institutions in the county, four provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Concorde Career College-Aurora, Platt College-Aurora and Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology.
At least 520 people applied to Arapahoe County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 33,249 students enrolled in the universities, including 30,117 in undergraduate and 3,132 in graduate programs. In total 8.5% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (49.3%) and Hispanic (22.9%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Arapahoe Community College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 12,636 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for two institutions in Arapahoe County, including Denver Seminary and Colorado Technical University-Denver South.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University Global | 128 | 124 | 9,565 |
| Pickens Technical College | -- | -- | 960 |
| Concorde Career College-Aurora | 151 | 149 | 731 |
| Avalon Institute-Aurora | -- | -- | 188 |
| Pima Medical Institute-Aurora | -- | -- | 316 |
| Platt College-Aurora | 17 | 11 | 232 |
| Community College of Aurora | -- | -- | 8,343 |
| Denver Seminary | -- | -- | -- |
| Arapahoe Community College | -- | -- | 12,636 |
| Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology | 224 | 112 | 205 |
| Empire Beauty School-Aurora | -- | -- | 73 |
| Colorado Technical University-Denver South | -- | -- | -- |
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