JCC Shatters Enrollment Record
College surpasses 7,000 curriculum students as enrollment continues rapid growth
SMITHFIELD, N.C. – Johnston Community College opened the fall semester with more than 7,000 curriculum students, the highest first-day enrollment in the college’s history.
The record continues a period of significant growth at JCC, where curriculum enrollment has increased approximately 65 percent since 2021.
As of the first morning of fall classes, enrollment in credit-bearing programs was up 8 percent from a year ago. Full-time equivalent enrollment, or FTE, increased 16 percent.
“This is an incredibly proud moment for our college and our entire community,” said JCC President Dr. Vern L. Lindquist. “While reaching 7,000 students is an exciting milestone, we know that each number represents someone with educational goals and a bright future ahead.”
Lindquist credited faculty and staff with helping accommodate the continued growth.
The fall semester also marks JCC’s first academic session operating primarily under an eight-week course format.
Enrollment at the college has grown sharply during the past five years. Increases since 2021 have generated an estimated $42 million in additional state funding, providing additional resources for programs and services.
The college said it has also invested in technology, infrastructure and organizational changes to accommodate the larger student population and improve the student experience.
JCC was established in 1969 and offers nearly 40 academic programs along with continuing education and workforce training. In addition to its main campus in Smithfield, the college operates facilities including the Cleveland Center and Workforce Development Center.
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It’s more likely that they can credit the ridiculous prices of attending a university or college. Go to a community college, transfer to a university and go there for 2 years and get a diploma with their name on it.
Four-year schools are overrated and ridiculously expensive. Four-year schools will give you a degree in all kinds of things, but many have no options for employment. In today’s economic and professional environments, community colleges are the way to go. In fact, JCC has a ton of options that can help someone land a great career without debt and many of their programs require less than a year to complete.
Most public universities in the triangle, if you live on campus and eat in the dining halls, will cost anywhere from $40K to $60K a year. Multiply that times 4-5 years! Starting your working life out in that kind of debt makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Many parents are selling their kids on four-year schools because they have bought into the lie that four-year schools are the ONLY way to be successful. Therefore, children believe they have to go to a well-known four-year school to feel like they “made it”. The only problem with that is you haven’t “made it” until you landed a career. In other words, college isn’t the goal, employment is.
I am not saying four-year schools are all bad, but they are not the end all, be all when it comes building a career. On a different note, students at these four-year schools are getting into things much worse than things we had access too. I have heard stories of sororities practicing witchcraft, putting hexes on people, and fraternities using cocaine/meth as part of the pledging process. If you don’t believe that, I assure you it is happening and peer pressure is still a thing.
I hope my comments help the next person out…don’t underestimate the power of the community college system!
Or, the fact the county is paying for the difference between FAFSA and tuition for joco HS grads. I applaud the commissioners promise program, but it obviously has an impact when thinking about student loans.
What about the trades….are they back at JCC or are they only interested in fte money that has no lab studies.