Fall plumbing enrollment slips at two-year colleges

The research arm of nonprofit National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) on Thursday released its 2025 Final Fall Enrollment Trends report, including U.S. student body data across various post-secondary institutions. 

What’s happening: 8,887 students were enrolled in plumbing-specific programs at public, two-year colleges during the fall of 2025, according to the report, a 0.3 percent year-over-year decrease of 26 students. 

Yes, but: The figure has grown 59 percent since the fall of 2020, when 5,566 students were enrolled in plumbing programs.

The big picture: Employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow four percent through 2034, “about as fast as the average for all occupations,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 44,000 job openings are projected each year, on average, over the period.