MATC Enrollment Up for Third Straight Year
Attendance almost back to pre-pandemic numbers, president says.
Milwaukee Area Technical College’s campus in downtown Milwaukee on Feb. 25, 2025. Nick Rommel/WPR
Enrollment at Milwaukee Area Technical College has grown for the third year in a row, the school announced Tuesday.
Then, like many colleges and universities, its enrollment declined during the COVID-19 pandemic to about 8,167 full-time equivalent students in 2022-23.
This year’s numbers — on track for about 9,000 students — bring the school closer to pre-pandemic levels.
“Even though I’m very happy that we are where we are today, I still feel that we have work to do,” said MATC President Anthony Cruz.
The school has ramped up academic and personal counseling services for students in recent years, as well as opening an on-campus food pantry and a drop-in child care center.
Milwaukee Area Technical College’s campus on Feb. 25, 2025. Nick Rommel/WPR
Not all higher education institutions in Wisconsin have rebounded from the COVID-19 enrollment slump. Several University of Wisconsin two-year campuses have closed since the pandemic, including UW-Waukesha and UW-Richland.
Cruz said he believes today’s students are looking one- and two-year degrees that lead to jobs with a “family-sustaining wage.”
“That is one of the great values here at MATC,” he said, “that we provide that type of education.”
Full-time equivalent students — the unit the school uses to measure enrollment — are calculated by dividing the total amount of credits taken at MATC in a semester by the amount of credits a full-time student would take. It’s the unit used to calculate state funding for the school.
According to MATC’s website, 92 percent of its students are not enrolled in a full-time student schedule. Over 30,000 students take classes at the school each year.
Applications outpacing enrollment, president says
Cruz said the school has generally seen a strong increase in applications since the pandemic dip.
“We’re trying to increase the number of applicants that actually enroll in the college,” he said.
This school year, students earning associate degrees at MATC paid $2,876 per semester in tuition, not counting potential financial aid.
Milwaukee Area Technical College enrollment grows for third year was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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MATC Transfer routes:
Liberal Arts and Sciences Degrees (Associate of Arts, A.A./Associate of Science, A.S.) These degrees can lead to junior-standing status at many four-year colleges and universities across the state and nation.
MATC seems to be doing great work.
ANd for kids who aren’t sure they want to pursue purely academics there are great options in the trades that will provide them with living wages and plenty of work opportunities.