Preliminary National Student Clearinghouse numbers show undergraduate enrollment rose 2.4% this fall, marking a third straight year of gains and pushing overall postsecondary enrollment up about 2%. Community colleges led the expansion with roughly 4% growth, while short‑term undergraduate certificates jumped 6.6% year‑over‑year. The gains concentrated in workforce‑oriented fields: mechanic and repair technologies, health professions, and engineering technologies posted the strongest increases at the two‑year level. The clearinghouse flagged a marked decline in computer and information sciences enrollments — especially at the graduate level — a shift many attribute to labor‑market churn in tech and questions about AI’s impact on careers. For higher‑education leaders and workforce partners, the data emphasize the continuing pivot toward vocational credentials and applied programs that feed regional labor needs; caution: these are preliminary figures covering roughly half of institutions and are subject to revision.