Richard Corcoran President | New College of Florida
Richard Corcoran President | New College of Florida
Of the seven institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including New College of Florida and Ringling College of Art and Design.
At least 4,292 people applied to Sarasota County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 3,664 students enrolled in the universities, including 3,644 in undergraduate and 20 in graduate programs. Only 3.8% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (53.3%) and Hispanic (18%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Ringling College of Art and Design stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 1,705 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 Sarasota County, including Keiser University-Sarasota, Everglades University-Sarasota and East West College of Natural Medicine.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East West College of Natural Medicine | -- | -- | -- |
| Suncoast Technical College | -- | -- | 1,138 |
| Everglades University-Sarasota | -- | -- | -- |
| Keiser University-Sarasota | -- | -- | -- |
| Meridian College | -- | -- | 132 |
| New College of Florida | 1,830 | 1,373 | 689 |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 2,462 | 1,600 | 1,705 |
Alerts Sign-up