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
Celebrating 50 years of excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).