JJC Reports Fourth Straight Fall Enrollment Increase, 14,658 Students

Joliet Junior College | September 16, 2026

Article Summary: President Dr. Clyne Namuo told the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, that fall headcount reached 14,658 students, up about 3% and marking the college’s fourth consecutive fall enrollment increase, with the sharpest growth among older students and in technical programs.

Fall 2026 Enrollment Key Points:

Headcount is 14,658, up about 3%, the fourth straight fall increase.

Students new to JJC are up 11.3%; returning students are up 9.4%.

Enrollment in technical programs is up 14.6%; students age 56 and older are up 38.1%.

Fall-to-fall retention stands at 41.1%, up from 40.0% a year earlier.

JOLIET — Joliet Junior College enrolled 14,658 students this fall, President Dr. Clyne Namuo told the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, a headcount up roughly 3% from a year ago and the fourth consecutive fall in which the college has posted an increase.

“We must be doing something right,” Namuo said.

Namuo said he would depart from his usual practice of moving quickly through enrollment data, in part to explain the terminology to newer trustees. He described the “10th day” or census snapshot that community colleges nationally take roughly 10 days after the start of a semester.

“There are financial implications, and I’ve seen this in every state I’ve worked in, where the state assigns or calculates our allocation based on that particular snapshot,” he said.

He also flagged what he called a limitation of the measure. “It’s not the full picture. It is just a snapshot. We are still enrolling students,” Namuo said, noting that the college’s second eight-week courses and 10-week courses start later and “oftentimes aren’t captured in this particular calculation.”

Where the Growth Is

Namuo said all of the figures he presented were submitted to the state in the college’s official 10th-day census report.

Students new to JJC are up 11.3%. Returning students are up 9.4%. The college’s Hispanic student population is up 8.5% and its Black student population is up 9.4%. Enrollment in technical programs is up 14.6%.

“All that we’re hearing about JJC having strategic strengths in workforce development and the applied areas — well, here are some of the numbers,” Namuo said.

Growth was strongest among older students. Namuo reported increases of 5.2% among students ages 21 to 24, 6.4% among those 25 to 30, 11.1% among those 31 to 39, 15.1% in a group he identified as ages 40 to 45, and 38.1% among students 56 and older.

“A story to tell for sure that we’re a place for all learners and not necessarily those who have just graduated,” he said.

Namuo also reported that fall-to-fall retention is at 41.1%, up from 40.0% the previous year, and that the number of students not pursuing a certificate or degree is up 31%. “More of our students are coming to us for short-term, direct-to-workforce credentials,” he said.

He tied part of the growth in new students to the college’s 12x12x12 scholarship, awarded to students who earn 12 dual-credit hours at area high schools. The college awarded 152 of those scholarships last fall, he said; this year the number is 208, which he described as about a 37% increase.

“What that means is we’ve got more students matriculating with more dual credit choosing to come to JJC, incentivized by our scholarship,” Namuo said.

Dual credit enrollment itself is down slightly, he said, while continuing education and adult basic education numbers are “coming back.”

Budget Context and What Comes Next

Namuo reminded trustees that the college budgets for a 1% increase in tuition credit hours and has exceeded that “by just a little bit.” Over a full year, he said, the college counts about 200,000 credit hours, “so any percentage increase to that specific number that I know our finance team cares very deeply about is something to be celebrated.”

He also told trustees that roughly three-quarters of JJC students attend part time. “Which means we’ve got to create and sustain those supports necessary for students who have lives outside of JJC,” he said.

Namuo devoted his monthly employee spotlight to the college’s student advising team, reporting that 1,481 students attended advising sessions in person or online ahead of fall 2025 and approximately 1,400 enrolled — a conversion rate he put at 93%. Approximately 900 students who attended an in-person group advising session went on to enroll in spring 2026, a persistence rate he gave as 89.55%. The college’s first in-person group advising session of the year, held April 29, served 185 students.

“These advisors ensure our students’ pathways are efficient, that they’re here for as little time as necessary,” Namuo said.

Namuo framed the figures as context for a board workshop scheduled in the coming weeks covering master facilities planning, referendum efforts and strategic planning. He said the college’s next strategic plan would shift emphasis away from the top of the enrollment funnel.

“We’re going to start to shift our focus to increasing the number of students that graduate and complete at JJC, and shift our focus to ensuring that their time here is efficient and as short as possible,” he said.

No action was taken on the president’s report, which was presented as item 1.6.9.