Plumbing enrollment at two-year colleges up 21% as fall semester progresses

While the fall semester is well underway, it follows a strong spring for plumbing programs at public two-year colleges across the U.S., according to the latest available data.

What’s happening: During the spring semester of this year, 9,025 students were enrolled in plumbing programs at public two-year schools, a 21 percent jump from the same semester last year — and 50 percent higher than 2020, per the National Student Clearinghouse. 

• The increase comes amid growing enrollment at U.S. vocational-focused schools at large, which has climbed double-digits for two consecutive spring semesters, in 2024 and 2025, compared to the previous years. 

Why it matters: About 44,000 job openings for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are projected each year, on average, through 2034, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

• Like HVAC, “Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” the agency writes. 

Looking ahead: The National Student Clearinghouse will release the current semester’s enrollment figures, including both HVAC and plumbing programs, in January 2026.