Spring enrollment in the U.S. edged up 1% to 18.6 million students, with growth driven by undergraduates and particularly public institutions, according to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data released Thursday. Undergraduate enrollment rose to 15.5 million (+1.3%), while graduate enrollment fell slightly to 3.1 million (-0.1%). Community colleges added 3.1% and public four-year institutions increased 1.5%, while private four-year colleges were essentially flat (-0.1%). Clearinghouse researchers said graduate programs face pressure, especially master’s and international students. At the program level, undergraduate certificate programs posted the fastest growth (+10.2%), while computer science enrollment declined sharply—down 8.4% at four-year institutions and 11.2% at two-year schools. The sector-level divergence suggests institutions may need to rebalance recruitment, advising, and program capacity as employer demand shifts. The figures also reflect uneven momentum across learner types and institution categories, signaling that colleges’ enrollment strategies for fall may continue to rely on undergraduate and credential pathways rather than graduate headcounts.