Five years ago, Shoreline Community College (SCC) was different according to several students and staff. There were more people on campus, more in-person classes and with that more food options. Options that did not consist of vending machine junk food like the Avanti Market. However, a lot has changed in the past five years.

SCC witnessed a drop in enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic, something that hasn’t recovered with the return of students to campus. In 2019, the college recorded an enrollment of 4,506 students compared to in 2023 SCC logged an enrollment of 3,438 students. That’s a 24% decrease over just five years.

College administrators have made increasing enrollment a top priority. One way that SCC hopes to increase enrollment is by working on its transfer and running start programs. Currently, the running start programs make up around 6% of current enrollment.

International students are a substantial 18% of total enrollment here at SCC. “We are one of the largest international colleges in the country. Even though we’re a community college, most of the rivals on the list would be universities,” says LucasRucks.

SCC hopes to increase enrollment in the degree transfer program, especially to large universities like the University of Washington. Although there is a heavy focus on transfer students, SCC would like to prioritize certifications that can help students get jobs in the community.

“We should be talking to [students] about what their community needs are and how we can partner and try to help educate that community,” said Associate Vice President Ann Garnsey-Harter.

But what impact does enrollment have on the average student from day to day? One of the uses for the enrollment data is to determine how much funding SCC gets from the state. The more funding the school gets the more programs and classes can be offered to SCC students. The less funding it gets, the less the college can do.