Thomas P. Leary, President | Luzerne County Community College
Thomas P. Leary, President | Luzerne County Community College
Of the eight institutions in the county, five provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center Practical Nursing and Misericordia University.
At least 10,887 people applied to Luzerne County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 14,374 students enrolled in the universities, including 10,379 in undergraduate and 3,995 in graduate programs. Only 3.5% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (66.3%) and Hispanic (14%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Wilkes University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 5,207 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazleton Area Career Center | -- | -- | 7 |
| Misericordia University | 2,196 | 1,954 | 2,242 |
| Luzerne County Community College | -- | -- | 4,220 |
| Fortis Institute-Forty Fort | -- | -- | 167 |
| King's College | 3,216 | 3,087 | 1,993 |
| Wilkes University | 4,798 | 4,510 | 5,207 |
| Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center Practical Nursing | 92 | 59 | 65 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | 585 | 527 | 473 |
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