Connecticut’s colleges are expanding certificate and other non-degree programs to reverse enrollment declines while meeting employer demands for skilled workers.
The growth is being fueled, in part, by workers looking to “upskill” and stay competitive in a shifting job market.
The pandemic accelerated the trend, with remote work and digital tools reshaping workplaces. Certificates, in particular, give workers a way to update existing skills or break into emerging fields — like artificial intelligence, data analytics and cybersecurity — without committing to a full degree.
“The future of talent in this country is really dependent on whether we can upskill employees fast enough,” said Jesse Bernal, who became Western Connecticut State University’s new president in July. “Nearly half of people in their jobs today are going to have skills disrupted in the next few years, so the urgent need for reskilling and lifelong learning is real.”
Bernal plans to offer more certificate and micro-certification programs at WestConn, targeting existing students who want to specialize in multiple subject matters, along with attracting new and part-time students, some of whom already have full-time jobs.
Bernal brings extensive experience in workforce-aligned education from his previous role as vice president for strategy at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. A first-generation college graduate from south Texas, Bernal earned his Ph.D. in education from UC Santa Barbara and has completed executive education at Harvard University and UC Berkeley.
Nationally, undergraduate certificate program enrollment continues to grow, jumping 4.8% in spring 2025, to a level 20% higher than in 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
From 2019 to last fall, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found a 28.5% increase in enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs, vastly outpacing growth in traditional undergraduate enrollment.
Financial pressures
The growth in demand for alternative credentials comes as Connecticut’s public higher education system grapples with financial pressures tied to longer-term declining enrollment and other factors.
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system — which includes the four state universities (Central, Eastern, Southern and Western), Charter Oak State College and CT State Community College — is projecting a $140 million deficit for fiscal 2026, with $1.28 billion in spending outpacing $1.14 billion in revenue.
CSCU faces structural deficits, officials said, due to the loss of one-time pandemic-relief funds, enrollment declines, reduced state support, and rising operating and facility costs.
The four state universities combined enrolled 22,667 full-time students in the 2024-25 academic year, down 17.5% from a decade earlier
WestConn’s full-time student count was 3,621 at the end of last academic year, down 24.5% from a decade ago.
However, there is a bit of good news. Enrollment at the four state universities has been creeping upward since 2023-24. WestConn’s full-time enrollment rose 3.7% last year, and the school reported a 6.2% increase in first-year students this fall.
Still, there needs to be a much greater focus on revenue diversification and reaching new students, Bernal and others said.
Flexible pathways
About half of WestConn students identify as minorities, with about a third being Hispanic or Latino. Bernal said the school, which is also contending with a deficit, is developing targeted programs to serve these populations.
The university has launched micro-credentials in cybersecurity and medical interpretation, with the latter specifically designed for Portuguese medical terminology to serve the region’s diverse healthcare needs.
The program focuses on “healthcare language and healthcare proficiency,” said Stephen Hegedus, WestConn’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, noting that Danbury Hospital’s campus is located nearby.
WestConn is also implementing accelerated degree pathways, including an accelerated program for undergraduate students working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration who plan to go on to earn an MBA. The program allows students to complete both degrees in five years instead of the traditional six.
The programs are designed to meet people where they are in their careers, whether they want to pivot from one field to another, or gain the skills necessary to advance.
“The typical individual is no longer the person that’s 18 years old going to college, studying for four years,” Bernal explained. “What they are doing, we call ‘blended lifelong learning.’ The blend means that higher education has to create these really easy on-ramps and off-ramps.”
About 400,000 people in Connecticut have received college credits, but never graduated from college, he added.
“The challenge that creates for both the workforce and the continued income gap that exists in the state is all just perpetuated by that reality,” Bernal said.
Quinnipiac’s approach
At Quinnipiac University, founded in 1929 with an emphasis on career readiness, officials have systematically expanded certificate offerings across multiple fields.
The number of certificates conferred by the university has grown from 26 in 2020 to 87 so far in 2025 — an increase of 235%. The university has also issued 2,083 badges — digital credentials that recognize completion of specific skills or training modules — a 478% increase from 2023 to 2025.
Annalisa Zinn, vice president for academic innovation and effectiveness, said Quinnipiac added certificates in creative writing, nursing education and tax law for the current academic year.
“We’re constantly analyzing market data and trying to see what’s being responsive, but also thinking ahead,” Zinn said.
The university offers both standalone certificates for working professionals and embedded programs for degree-seeking students.
Quinnipiac’s certificates often utilize a “stackable credential” approach, where students can build from shorter programs toward full degrees. For example, students can begin with a certificate in an online design course, and potentially transition to a master’s program in instructional design and technology.
“Employers are looking for skills,” Zinn said. “We know that things evolve. We know that jobs change. And I think an advantage of having multiple credentials is that not only it signals adaptability, but it also gives them those transferable skills.”
Industry partnerships
WestConn and Quinnipiac both emphasized the importance of business partnerships in developing relevant programming.
Quinnipiac has partnered with Hartford HealthCare to offer advanced diagnostic imaging certificates for practicing radiographers, allowing them to specialize in MRI, CT scans or mammography — credentials that directly address workforce shortages in high-demand medical fields.
At WestConn, a business advisory group provides guidance on workforce needs, and many students participate in internships with local companies.
WestConn is also developing programs in artificial intelligence. It recently launched a master’s program in AI and is reconfiguring existing programs to incorporate artificial intelligence.
Jennifer Widness, president of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, noted that Connecticut’s independent colleges have participated in the state’s Tech Talent Accelerator program, which provided grant support for faculty to create certificate programs in in-demand tech fields.
“An additional round of funding is expected this fiscal year to create more certificate programs related to AI and quantum,” she said.
The federal government has also recognized the trend.
The federal budget bill passed in July created the Workforce Pell Grant, which for the first time will let students use federal aid for short-term certificate programs that meet workforce criteria approved by governors, Widness said.
Both Bernal and Zinn emphasized that certificate programs represent part of a broader transformation in higher education toward more flexible, workforce-responsive programming.
“I think higher education has been too often creating these pathways and programs and degrees in silos, thinking that we can dictate what education and training folks need longer term,” Bernal said. “But the reality is that we need to be listening to our community, to our state, to our business and nonprofit partners, and really being responsive to the needs of what’s going on.”
