HERNDON, VA — College enrollment numbers are up and higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, total enrollment last fall was up 4.5% from the year before.

That’s nearly a half percent higher than in 2019.

Undergraduate certificate programs saw some of the biggest increases, with an over 28% increase in enrollment from 2019 levels.

The report comes a week after Clearinghouse blamed a “methodological error” for findings that showed 2024 enrollment was *down* five percent, citing some college freshman incorrectly labeled as being enrolled in high school and college classes.