Andréa Backman, President | LinkedIn
Andréa Backman, President | LinkedIn
Of the eight institutions in the county, Virginia State University was the only one that provided detailed enrollment data at the time.
At least 8,230 people applied to Chesterfield County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 13,813 students enrolled in the universities, including 13,465 in undergraduate and 348 in graduate programs. In total 5.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Black or African American (44.5%) and white (36.4%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Brightpoint Community College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 8,792 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 three institutions in Chesterfield County, including Bryant & Stratton College-Richmond, Strayer University-Chesterfield Campus and ECPI University-Richmond 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECPI University-Richmond South | -- | -- | -- |
| Brightpoint Community College | -- | -- | 8,792 |
| Bryant & Stratton College-Richmond | -- | -- | -- |
| Centura College-Richmond Main | -- | -- | 149 |
| Empire Beauty School-Midlothian | -- | -- | 84 |
| Strayer University-Chesterfield Campus | -- | -- | -- |
| Virginia State University | 8,230 | 7,407 | 4,648 |
| Chester Career College | -- | -- | 140 |
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