Across the state, admission to community colleges and four-year universities is down about 12%, thanks the uncertainty of the pandemic. Thatâs creating a concern on the state level over a familiar local problem, which is having an adequate pipeline that feeds a competitive workforce. Locally, Colorado Mesa University developed aggressive testing protocols to ensure a return to in-person learning, which probably helped stave off a bigger enrollment dip. Fall 2020 enrollment was only down about 1.4% But out-of-area students played a role keeping CMU close to its traditional enrollment numbers. We donât know how many local kids, especially those who would have been the first in their families to go to college, opted out of even applying for school because of COVID-related concerns â things like diminished household income or the prospect of reverting to online classes.