More Alabama public high school graduates than ever are going to four-year colleges directly after graduation, according to the most recent figures provided by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The picture for two-year colleges is different: a smaller percentage of high school graduates are enrolling in two-year colleges after graduation, but far more of those high school graduates have already taken classes in the community college system during high school through dual enrollment.
ACHE, the state’s higher education coordinating agency, gathers data from Alabama colleges and universities, tracking enrollment, graduation rates, and a multitude of other statistics. To provide the college-going statistics, ACHE works with data from K-12 schools and data obtained through the National Student Clearinghouse. Clearinghouse data tallies the graduates enrolled in higher education, whether at four-year universities or two-year colleges, whether they go in-state or out-of-state, to private or public schools. The most recent data captures the graduating class of 2024.
In the class of 2024, the number and percentage of recent graduates going to four-year schools are now higher than in any year since ACHE began providing the data. Two-year enrollment among recent graduates increased in 2024 but remains well below the levels seen before the pandemic.
Public universities, both in-state and out-of-state, have experienced most of the enrollment growth among recent graduates. More students are attending private schools out of state as well, but enrollment at Alabama private colleges is down.
Community College Changes
Since 2019, far fewer high school graduates have been enrolling in two-year colleges immediately after graduation.
However, during the same period the number of high school students taking courses at community colleges has more than doubled. Dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take courses and earn both high school and college credit at the same time, is booming. According to ACHE, fewer than 15,000 students were participating in dual enrollment in 2020; by 2024 nearly 30,000 were.
In 2024, 34% of community college enrollment was dual enrollment. At some community colleges, over half the students are high school students taking courses through dual enrollment.
The addition of all those dual enrollment students has led to a record-high headcount enrollment at two-year colleges.
Dual enrollment has also increased at four-year colleges. Though more modestly. Still, at some universities — Auburn University Montgomery, the University of Montevallo, Jacksonville State, and the University of North Alabama — dual enrollment accounted for 10% or more of overall enrollment in 2024-2025.
Context of Change
First, consider the following facts when evaluating trends in college-going. Back in 2014, only 86% of high school seniors graduated. Now more than 90% do. The state produces about 5,000 additional graduates each year as a result of the higher graduation rate. However, the percentage of those graduates entering higher education declined, and the number of graduates not enrolling has increased. However, with the Class of 2024, the number of graduates entering higher education increased, and the number not enrolling decreased compared to 2022 (data for the Class of 2023 are not available). Also, the number of public high school graduates is down.
Another factor depressing the college-going rate: Beginning in 2019, Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped below the national unemployment rate. Aside from the sharp spike during the pandemic, unemployment in Alabama has remained under 4%, dropping as low as 2%. When the job market is strong, community college enrollment tends to be lower, as high school graduates are lured straight into the workforce.
A third factor. The pandemic caused a drop in community college enrollment across the country. Community colleges have been slower to recover than four-year colleges.
A final factor. Throughout the period, Alabama high schools have been asked to focus on increasing the number of their graduates who are demonstrably college-and career-ready. One of the primary ways they do this is through dual enrollment at a community college and/or career-technical training. The increasing interaction with the two-year college system during high school may position more graduates to enter four-year colleges or the workforce directly.
Other Basic Facts
Most college-bound Alabama public high school graduates enroll in a public college in the state of Alabama: 88% stay in the state of Alabama for higher education; 12 percent of graduates go to college out of state. Choosing between public and private colleges, 92% go to a public college vs. 8% to private colleges.
Across Alabama, school systems differ in where their graduates enroll after high school. According to the National Student Clearinghouse data, 93% of Mountain Brook High School graduates go to 4-year colleges, while 4% enrolled in two-year colleges, producing the highest college-going rate in the state.
Meanwhile, the Guntersville School System also ranks in the top 10 of systems when it comes to college-going, but it sends 40% of its graduates to two-year colleges, while 36% enroll at four-year colleges in the year after graduation. Using the tabs above the visualizations and the menus included in the visualization, you can explore the results for school systems and schools you are interested in.
