{"id":156943,"date":"2026-01-30T20:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T20:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/156943\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T20:14:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T20:14:18","slug":"lbcc-celebrates-record-enrollment-and-more-during-2026-state-of-the-college-event-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/156943\/","title":{"rendered":"LBCC celebrates record enrollment and more during 2026 State of the College event \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Long Beach City College leaders, faculty and staffers recently gathered to celebrate some of the school\u2019s key achievements \u2014 including record-high enrollment in the most recent academic year \u2014 during its 2026 State of the College event.<\/p>\n

The State of the College event took place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at LBCC\u2019s Ellis Auditorium, featuring remarks from Superintendent-President Mike Mu\u00f1oz and Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk. The event also included a performance by students in LBCC\u2019s new mariachi program, among other highlights.<\/p>\n

Mu\u00f1oz began the evening by addressing the challenges the LBCC community has faced over the past year, including funding impacts from the Trump administration, ongoing federal immigration actions in the region and more.<\/p>\n

Students and their families, he said, grappled with additional economic and housing uncertainty, fear that the economic supports they rely on would fall through as a result of the federal government\u2019s cuts to many social service programs, and concern about their safety in general.<\/p>\n

\"Superintendent-President<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

Student Trustee Pise Leiataua jokes with the audience during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Mariachi<\/p>\n

Mariachi Los Vikingos de LBCC and members of Folklorico Revoluci\u00f3n perform during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"District<\/p>\n

District Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Mariachi<\/p>\n

Mariachi Los Vikingos de LBCC and members of Folklorico Revoluci\u00f3n perform during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Superintendent-President<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Superintendent-President<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Superintendent-President<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"Superintendent-President<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 9<\/p>\n

Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Mu\u00f1oz speaks during LBCC\u2019s 18th Annual State of the College address in Long Beach on Thursday, January 29, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat reality shaped our work this past year,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said, \u201cand it strengthened our resolve to show up for students in every way we could.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response, LBCC leadership made efforts to quell the concerns of the student body. Officials secured more than $450,000 in emergency grants to help more than 3,000 students pay for their basic needs through one-time California lottery funds, Mu\u00f1oz said, and launched a resource website to keep the community informed about federal immigration activity.<\/p>\n

The college also created \u201cred cards,\u201d which contain information about how to handle interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal immigration agents, and rolled out \u201climited zone\u201d spaces that aren\u2019t legally accessible to federal agents in an effort to further protect students, Mu\u00f1oz said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt LBCC, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to maintaining a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for every member of our community \u2014 especially our undocumented students and families with mixed immigration status,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cOur message to students is simple: You belong here, and we will continue to safeguard your rights to the best of our ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides acknowledging 2025\u2019s challenges, however, Mu\u00f1oz also hailed LBCC\u2019s wins over the past year, including its record-high enrollment rate.<\/p>\n

There were 39,925 students enrolled at LBCC during the 2024-25 academic year, Mu\u00f1oz said, marking the largest class in the college\u2019s nearly century-long history. That number, he added, also represented a 3% increase in the student population from the previous academic year \u2014 and a 15% increase over the past two years.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a significant achievement, especially since many other academic institutions throughout California \u2014 across primary, secondary and higher education \u2014 are grappling with historically low enrollment rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt a time when many colleges across the state and locally are struggling with enrollment, more students are choosing LBCC than ever,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cThat speaks to the trust, the relevance, and the results we deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past five years, LBCC has also expanded its dual enrollment program, which allows high schoolers to earn college credits before they graduate. Enrollment in that program has more than doubled, from 1,486 students in 2021 to 3,222 in 2025, Mu\u00f1oz said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are accelerating their journey to achieving their degree and reducing the cost of college,\u201d the superintendent-president said. \u201cDual enrollment helps students start early.\u201d<\/p>\n

The college\u2019s graduation rates are also keeping pace with increasing enrollment, Mu\u00f1oz said. LBCC awarded 2,648 degrees during the previous academic year, a 6.2% increase from the previous year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means more students completing college. More families benefiting from education. And more qualified talent entering our regional workforce,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cThese honors reflect a college that delivers results and demonstrates what can happen when we address achievement gaps with genuine care and concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Degree completion, he added, increased by 17% for Black and African American students last year. LBCC has been formally recognized as a California Black-Serving Institution, making it one of just 31 other educational institutions across the state to receive the designation.<\/p>\n

Mu\u00f1oz also celebrated LBCC\u2019s steps toward upgrading and building out its facilities throughout 2025. The college, for example, broke ground on its Building E College Center and is working on a future student housing complex on the Liberal Arts Campus, which will bring 431 beds to the college.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of our students are couch surfing,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cOthers are struggling to stay enrolled simply because they don\u2019t have a stable place to live.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent housing at LBCC is not about changing the character of our neighborhoods,\u201d he added. \u201cIt\u2019s about responding responsibly to the realities our students face, and we are not doing this work alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal State Long Beach\u2019s University Housing and Residential Life division, in fact, will sign on to serve as the operator of the future student housing facility on LBCC\u2019s campus, Mu\u00f1oz said.<\/p>\n

\u201cCSULB brings decades of experience. We are in the process of establishing an agreement that will allow us to draw on that expertise as our housing comes online,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cThis is another example of how our partnership with CSULB continues to thrive \u2014 it is grounded in shared values, trust and a commitment to student success from start to finish.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with 2025 all wrapped up, LBCC is now looking to the future.<\/p>\n

LBCC will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd as we prepare for that milestone, it feels especially meaningful to stand here today together with you, the people \u2014 the ones we do it for, the ones we do it with,\u201d Mu\u00f1oz said. \u201cAs I reflect on my fifth State of the College, I can say this with confidence: LBCC is strong. LBCC is trusted. And LBCC is ready for the next century.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Long Beach City College leaders, faculty and staffers recently gathered to celebrate some of the school\u2019s key achievements…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":156944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,23,131,133,132,137],"class_list":["post-156943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-california","tag-local-news","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}