Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Dr. Miguel Cardona (left), Secretary of Education and Cindy Marten, Deputy Secretary | https://www2.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/index.html
Of the nine institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Christopher Newport University and Riverside College of Health Careers.
At least 7,430 people applied to Newport News city colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 5,231 students enrolled in the universities, including 5,121 in undergraduate and 110 in graduate programs. Only 2.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (68.9%) and Black or African American (13.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Christopher Newport University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 4,559 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 three institutions in Newport News city, including Strayer University-Newport News Campus, ECPI University-Culinary Institute of Virginia and ECPI University-Newport News.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Newport University | 7,428 | 6,314 | 4,559 |
| ECPI University-Culinary Institute of Virginia | -- | -- | -- |
| ECPI University-Newport News | -- | -- | -- |
| Luckes Beauty Academy LLC | -- | -- | 21 |
| Riverside College of Health Careers | 2 | 2 | 338 |
| Centura College-Newport News | -- | -- | 209 |
| Strayer University-Newport News Campus | -- | -- | -- |
| Tomorrow's Image Barber And Beauty Academy of Virginia | -- | -- | 19 |
| Empire Beauty School-Newport News | -- | -- | 85 |
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