49.8% of college applicants to New London County’s 5 universities were admitted for fall 2022

New London County’s five universities admitted an estimated 49.8% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 16.6% enrolled.

Of the five institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Mitchell College, Connecticut College and University of Connecticut-Avery Point.

At least 11,047 people applied to New London County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 2,980 students enrolled in the universities, all of them in undergraduate programs. Only 2.3% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (63.1%) and Hispanic (13.9%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Connecticut College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 1,948 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 New London County, including Porter and Chester Institute – New London and United States Coast Guard Academy.

Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.