Press Release

Bunker Hill Community College Among Fastest Growing Community Colleges in US

Friday, March 28, 2014

Bunker Hill Community College is the 12th fastest growing of U.S. community colleges with enrollments of 10,000 or more, according to an analysis by Community College Week, an independent publication covering community, technical and junior colleges. The largest and most affordable community college in Massachusetts, BHCC currently enrolls more than 14,000 students.

BHCC grew by 4.4 percent between fall 2011 and fall 2012, bucking a trend toward declining enrollments at colleges around the country, according to the study. “Enrollment at two-year associate degree-granting colleges dropped by 4 percent [between 2011 and 2012]. Among all colleges and universities, enrollment dropped by two percent over the same time span,” the study noted. “After years of rapid growth, US higher education enrollment is in retreat,” the study concluded.

Colleges like BHCC successfully fighting the trend often attribute continued growth to new efforts to align their programs with the demands of employers and four-year colleges. “BHCC has more partnerships than ever with employers. Our Learn and Earn internship program, which takes students into some of the largest companies in Greater Boston two days a week for paid internships, is helping close the gap between the education we offer and the skills employers need,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger.  At the same time, BHCC continues to develop agreements with four-year institutions that make it easier for students to transfer, thus encouraging students to consider community college for their first two years of college.  

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About Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts, enrolling approximately 18,000 students annually. BHCC has two campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, and a number of other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sixty-five percent of the students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls nearly 600 international students who come from 94 countries and speak more than 75 languages.