Veronique Thompson, PhD Director of Clinical Program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | The Wright Institute
Veronique Thompson, PhD Director of Clinical Program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | The Wright Institute
Of the 35 institutions in the county, three provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Berkeley School of Theology, San Francisco Bay University and California State University-East Bay.
At least 12,636 people applied to Alameda County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 72,215 students enrolled in the universities, including 67,722 in undergraduate and 4,493 in graduate programs. In total 12.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Hispanic (33%) and Asian (24.9%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, California State University-East Bay stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 13,673 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 18 institutions in Alameda County, including Pacific School of Religion, Graduate Theological Union and Life Chiropractic College West.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Chiropractic College West | -- | -- | -- |
| Las Positas College | -- | -- | 6,724 |
| Carrington College-San Leandro Campus | -- | -- | 403 |
| California Jazz Conservatory | -- | -- | 23 |
| Lincoln University | -- | -- | 377 |
| Berkeley City College | -- | -- | 6,122 |
| Church Divinity School of the Pacific | -- | -- | -- |
| Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology | -- | -- | -- |
| Berkeley School of Theology | 18 | 12 | 88 |
| Graduate Theological Union | -- | -- | -- |
| National Holistic Institute | -- | -- | 1,198 |
| Chabot College | -- | -- | 10,736 |
| Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College-Berkeley | -- | -- | -- |
| International College of Cosmetology | -- | -- | 200 |
| Laney College | -- | -- | 9,653 |
| Merritt College | -- | -- | 6,514 |
| Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University | -- | -- | -- |
| Northeastern University Oakland | -- | -- | -- |
| Ohlone College | -- | -- | 8,358 |
| Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences | -- | -- | -- |
| College of Alameda | -- | -- | 5,673 |
| California State University-East Bay | 12,461 | 11,963 | 13,673 |
| Moler Barber College | -- | -- | 398 |
| Pacific School of Religion | -- | -- | -- |
| Alliant International University-San Francisco Bay Area | -- | -- | -- |
| Institute of Buddhist Studies | -- | -- | -- |
| Starr King School for the Ministry | -- | -- | -- |
| Unitek College | -- | -- | -- |
| San Francisco Bay University | 157 | 108 | 164 |
| University of California-Berkeley | -- | -- | -- |
| Samuel Merritt University | -- | -- | 1,911 |
| Wright Institute (The) - | -- | -- | -- |
| Unitek College | -- | -- | -- |
| Unitek College | -- | -- | -- |
| The Wright Institute | -- | -- | -- |
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