President, Rob Dr. Scott | Life University
President, Rob Dr. Scott | Life University
Of the eight institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Life University and Kennesaw State University.
At least 21,554 people applied to Cobb County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 56,106 students enrolled in the universities, including 50,005 in undergraduate and 6,101 in graduate programs. In total 7.2% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (44.8%) and Black or African American (26.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Kennesaw State University stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 43,190 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 Strayer University-Cobb Campus in Cobb County.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee Technical College | -- | -- | 9,017 |
| Gwinnett College-Marietta Campus | -- | -- | 154 |
| Fortis College-Smyrna | -- | -- | 450 |
| Life University | 448 | 439 | 2,753 |
| Empire Beauty School-Kennesaw | -- | -- | 111 |
| Lincoln College of Technology-Marietta | -- | -- | 431 |
| Kennesaw State University | 21,106 | 14,352 | 43,190 |
| Strayer University-Cobb Campus | -- | -- | -- |
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