Cypress College: A Comprehensive Look at Student Enrollment Statistics and Educational Opportunities

Cypress College, a public two-year institution in Cypress, California, has a rich history and a strong commitment to serving its diverse student population. As one of the three institutions within the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD), Cypress College plays a vital role in providing educational opportunities to the communities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton. This article delves into the student enrollment statistics at Cypress College, its educational offerings, and the various factors that contribute to its success.

Enrollment Trends and Key Metrics

Cypress College has experienced significant fluctuations in student enrollment over the years, influenced by factors such as economic conditions and global events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent Enrollment Growth

Cypress College President Scott W. Thayer noted that the college's enrollment is in the range of an all-time high. The college opened the spring semester with 15,796 students enrolled, up 4.34% from the prior year. The estimated FTES metric showed an increase of 3.8% compared to spring 2025. Thanks to recent growth - roughly 25% from the pandemic low - the college has been able to add 30 faculty positions between the current and the coming academic years.

Fall Semester Enrollment

In the fall semester, Cypress College’s enrollment reached 16,743 students at the first census date of the semester - one of the strongest unduplicated headcount metrics ever recorded at Cypress College. These measures represent a 5.5% and a 4.5% increase, respectively, over the fall 2024 numbers.

On Sept. 15, Cypress saw a headcount of approximately 16,771 students enrolled for the fall semester. President Scott W. Thayer also acknowledged the impressive change in numbers in an address that he made on Sept. 10. Currently, 16,858 students are enrolled in the fall semester, a 5.73% increase over the prior-year head count. According to President Thayer, Cypress College’s enrollment is in the range of an all-time high. We are reviewing historical data, but this number is believed to be one that challenges the historical fall-semester high.

Read also: Enrollment at Notre Dame

Historical Data and Pandemic Impact

In 2015, the student headcount and enrollment both reached numbers of over 16 thousand and 44 thousand. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020, the numbers began dropping. The lowest numbers were in 2022, at about 13 thousand, and the enrollment had dropped to about 36 thousand. While the number has shifted slightly, the increase in enrollment compared to the previous decade is still being maintained. The final FTES reported to the state chancellor’s office on the 320 report was 12,180, well in excess of our enrollment goal of 11,600 and 23.4% higher than the college’s lowest FTES recorded during the pandemic (in academic year 2021-2022).

Summer Enrollment

This summer’s enrollment remains strong and is now largely locked in as critical census dates have passed. Overall enrollment (the number of seats taken) is at 10,602, an increase of 14.22% compared to last summer, while headcount (the number of actual individual students enrolled) is at 6,964 for an increase of 12.49%.

Fall Enrollment Projections

For fall, Cypress College is off to a strong start to reach its 5% 2025-2026 growth target. FTES is currently at 4,469.8 and headcount is at 11,864. Classes are already at a 70.7% fill rate. All three metrics are significantly ahead of last year’s numbers. Because this year’s enrollment period began during the spring semester, the percentages of change are dramatic compared to the prior fall semester. For example, headcount is up 99.6% and FTES is up 82.04%.

Key Enrollment Statistics

Cypress College has 112 noncredit students, bringing their Total FTES to 11,166. Its campus is located in a suburb with a total enrollment of 15,325. The school utilizes a semester-based academic year. The student-faculty ratio is 25-to-1. The highest degree offered at Cypress College is an associate degree. The school has an open admissions policy and offers credit for life experiences.

Demographics

In 2023, Cypress College (113236) had a total enrollment of 13,992 students. The full-time enrollment at Cypress College (113236) is 5,206 students and the part-time enrollment is 8,786. This means that 37.2% of students enrolled at Cypress College (113236) are enrolled full-time. The enrolled student population at Cypress College (113236), both undergraduate and graduate, is 53.3% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 11.1% White, 6.11% Two or More Races, 3.62% Black or African American, 0.364% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.157% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at Cypress College (113236) in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (31.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Male (21%) and Asian Male (12.8%).

Academic Programs and Opportunities

Cypress College offers a wide array of academic programs and educational opportunities to cater to the diverse interests and career aspirations of its students.

Areas of Study

Cypress College offers 56 university-transfer majors, 176 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 73 areas of study. Students can earn degrees and certificates in 82 different fields. Popular programs include: Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, Business Administration and Management, General, and Biological and Physical Sciences.

Instructional Divisions

Cypress College has 10 instructional divisions, all headed by a dean:

Business and Computer Information Systems
Career Technical Education
Counseling and Student Development
Health Science
Language Arts
Library/Learning Resources
Kinesiology
Science/Engineering/Mathematics
Social Science
Visual and Performing Arts

Transfer Programs

Cypress College is committed to helping students transfer to four-year universities. The college encourages students to complete 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of coursework that would be eligible for transfer to the California State University, including General Education.

Special Programs

The Cypress College T-TEN program celebrated its 2025 graduating class in an on-campus ceremony on Thursday, July 10, 2025. 5 passed ASE L1 Advanced Engine Performance and earned a Scan Tool cable with a value of $500. Three students, Aiden Ray, Kenny Phan, and Nguyen Khuong earned all 8 ASEs, L1, and L3 and their dealers are working with the Cypress College Foundation to provide them with a $2,000 Snap-On gift card. The T-TEN program has seated 30 students from their summer Introduction to Toyota Technology course to form the 14th T-TEN cohort, the class of 2027.

Student Success

As enrollments grew, student success also increased. A 4.0 student and future UCLA Bruin, Isaiah has always embodied excellence in and out of the pool,” said Wes McCurtis, Cypress College’s athletic director and associate dean of Kinesiology.

Student Life and Support Services

Cypress College provides a supportive campus environment with various services and activities to enhance the student experience.

Campus Location and Facilities

The Cypress College campus is located at the intersection of Valley View Street and Lincoln Avenue in the City of Cypress. Cypress College is built on 110 acres. The college opened for instruction on September 12, 1966 - an amazing 74 days after the land was acquired.

Student Support Services

Students were provided a list of tips, services, and frequently asked questions to help guide them through the first few weeks of the semester. Cypress College provides academic/career counseling service and employment services for students.

Black History Month Celebrations

This year marks a century of national commemorations of Black history. Faculty and staff are invited to join UndocuAdvocate Training, a professional development event designed to understand the lived experiences of undocumented and mixed-status students in higher education. This training centers the unique challenges of undocumented students and explores the critical role employees play in fostering inclusive and affirming environments. Certificate of completion and lunch will be provided.

Join Dr. Scott W. Thayer and the Visual and Performing Arts Division for a coffee break and to soak up the celebration of Black History Month during Coffee with the President. Gather with your colleagues across divisions to enjoy coffee and specialty drinks from Cypresso and signature treats from local Black-owned bakery, Sweet Red Peach.

Hispanic Heritage Month

This vibrant month honors the rich histories, cultures, and traditions of Latin American and Hispanic communities. Research and lived experiences suggest community members can encounter conflicting experiences, such as belonging and exclusion; abjection and empowerment. This workshop will touch on how oppression can lead to misconceptions, bifurcation of consciousness, complex experiences with integration (such as contact with a “ring of fire” as minoritized community members attempt to assimilate), and resistance.

Campus Safety

Congratulations to Campus Safety Director Craig Lee who was recently nominated and selected to the Governing Board of the California Colleges and Universities Police Chiefs Association (CCUPCA). Lee joined the Campus Safety Office as its director in January of 2022. CCUPCA was founded in 1982 to represent and promote the interests of safety and security among the public and private institutions of higher education throughout California.

Financial Aid and Costs

Cypress College education costs state residents $46 per unit, California’s lowest tuition. The in-state tuition and fees for 2020-2021 were $1,146, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $8,898. There is no application fee. At Cypress College, 64 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid and the average scholarship or grant award is $3,638. The 2023 Undergraduate Tuition is $1,104. The 2023 Average Net Price is $7,730 After Financial Aid.

Leadership and Governance

Cypress College is led by a dedicated team of administrators and governed by the North Orange County Community College District.

College Administration

In addition to Dr. Thayer, campus administration includes: Dr. Luis Gonzalez, Vice President, Instruction; Dr. Paul de Dios, Vice President, Student Services. Dr. Luis A. Gonzalez is the new Vice President of Instruction. Dr. Gonzalez is an experienced educator and administrator with more than two decades of leadership in California’s higher education systems, including the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges. Dr. Gonzalez most recently served as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Learning at Oxnard College. In this role, he provided executive leadership for strategic planning, enrollment management, student equity initiatives, noncredit and workforce programs, dual enrollment efforts, community and industry partnerships, and accreditation processes. In addition to his campus leadership, Dr. Gonzalez serves as a Strategic Enrollment Management Coach through the Strategic Enrollment Management Academy with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and as a member of the statewide Chief Instructional Officers Leadership Board.

NOCCCD Leadership

The North Orange County Community College District is headed by Chancellor Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland and elected members of the Board of Trustees. They are: Ryan Bent; Stephen T. Blount; Jeffrey P. Brown; Dr.

Economic Impact of NOCCCD

In FY 2023-24, NOCCCD added $2.7 billion in income to the Orange County economy, a value approximately equal to 0.9% of the county’s total gross regional product (GRP). Expressed in terms of jobs, NOCCCD’s impact supported 25,657 jobs. NOCCCD employed 2,671 full-time and part-time faculty and staff. Payroll amounted to $290.3 million, much of which was spent in the county on groceries, mortgage and rent payments, dining out, and other household expenses.

Around 23% of NOCCCD students originated from outside the county. Some of these students relocated to Orange County. In addition, some in-county students, referred to as retained students, would have left Orange County for other educational opportunities if not for NOCCCD. These relocated and retained students spent money on groceries, mortgage and rent payments, and other living expenses at county businesses.

Over the years, students have studied at NOCCCD and entered or re-entered the workforce with newly acquired knowledge and skills. Today, hundreds of thousands of these former students are employed in Orange County. NOCCCD’s FY 2023-24 students paid a present value of $62.2 million to cover the cost of tuition, fees, supplies, and interest on student loans. They also forwent a value of $124.0 million in time and money had they been working instead of attending college.

In return for their investment, students will receive a cumulative present value of $1.3 billion in increased earnings over their working lives. This translates to a return of $6.90 in higher future earnings for every dollar students invest in their education. Taxpayers provided NOCCCD with $375.7 million of funding in FY 2023-24. In return, they will benefit from added tax revenue, stemming from students’ higher lifetime earnings and increased business output, amounting to $575.5 million. A reduced demand for government-funded services in California will add another $67.1 million in benefits to taxpayers.

Total taxpayer benefits amount to $642.7 million, the present value sum of the added tax revenue and public sector savings. For every dollar of public money invested in NOCCCD, taxpayers will receive $1.70 in return over the course of students’ working lives.

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