Undergraduate Enrollment in Health Professions Continues Multi-Year Growth in Spring 2026

Enrollment in Health Professions’ programs continues to grow for the third consecutive year, reaching more than two million undergraduate students in spring 2026, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s Final Spring Enrollment Trends. 

Growth was observed across all undergraduate institution types in spring 2026, with 4-year institutions increasing 6.2% and surpassing a million students, 2-year institutions increasing 7.1% to 851,000 students, and Primarily Associate Degree Granting Baccalaureate (PAB) institutions increasing 6.0% to 161,000 students.

This continued growth in Health Professions enrollment marks a significant shift from the declines observed in previous years. The last year of decline in the field was in 2023, when enrollment fell 4.6% at four-year institutions, 7.0% at PAB institutions, and 0.4% at two-year institutions. These declines followed even steeper decreases in 2022, before enrollment began to rebound in 2024 and continued to grow through spring 2026.

 “After prior years of decline, three consecutive years of enrollment growth is a positive sign for Health Professions. It suggests the field has moved back to a period of sustained growth and increased interest from students,” said Matthew Holsapple, Senior Director of Research at the National Student Clearinghouse.

Within Health Professions programs, Registered Nursing and related nursing fields remained the largest area of study in spring 2026. More than 800,000 students were enrolled in Registered Nursing programs nationwide, including more than 500,000 students at four-year institutions alone. As the largest major group within Health Professions, Registered Nursing continued to account for a substantial share of enrollment and played a key role in the field’s growth across undergraduate institution types.

“Nursing stands out as a key area within Health Professions, both for its size and its continued growth,” said Holsapple. “That aligns with strong national demand and suggests students are continuing to gravitate toward programs with clear career pathways.”

For a deeper look at enrollment trends across undergraduate institution types and fields of study, explore the Final Spring Enrollment Trends report.

“After prior years of decline, three consecutive years of enrollment growth is a positive sign for Health Professions. It suggests the field has moved back to a period of sustained growth and increased interest from students.”

Matthew Holsapple
Senior Director of Research, National Student Clearinghouse Research Center