Preliminary enrollment numbers for the fall 2026 semester show continued growth for Del Mar College.
As of 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, the preliminary and uncertified enrollment for the fall semester was 12,205 students. As of Aug. 25, the college enrolled 925 students into the second cohort of the Freedom to Dream 2.0, a tuition waiver program
This year’s uncertified enrollment accounts for about 500 more students than the certified August 2025 enrollment of 11,695 students. The official enrollment numbers for Fall 2026 will be released following the census date of Sept. 9.
“Del Mar College’s enrollment is partially due to district students’ participation in our Freedom to Dream tuition waiver program,” said DMC Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Benavides-Dominguez. “More students are taking the opportunity to attend the college full time in order to reach their goals faster, whether that’s further study at the university level or entering the workforce as soon as they complete their journey here at Del Mar College.”
Freedom to Dream’s first cohort began in the Fall 2025 semester, with 1,730 enrollees. Freedom to Dream 2.0 revised aspects of the program to focus on college readiness. Applicants had to achieve college readiness benchmark scores on the Texas Success Imitative Assessment (TSIA) 2.0 test. Also, Freedom to Dream 2.0 will not cover tuition for developmental courses needed to bring participants up to college-level work in English, mathematics and reading.
