Enrollment in graduate and first-professional programs increased from 1976 to 2005. Female enrollment increased by a larger percentage than did male enrollment during this period for both types of programs.

Enrollment in graduate programs increased 64 percent between 1976 and 2005 (from 1.3 to 2.2 million), and 18 percent between 2000 and 2005 (see table 9-1). First-professional program enrollment increased 38 percent between 1976 and 2005 (from 244,000 to 337,000), and 10 percent between 2000 and 2005. Increases in both graduate and first-professional enrollments are projected to continue, with graduate enrollment reaching more than 2.6 million and first-professional enrollment reaching 440,000 by 2016.

Enrollment trends differ by sex in graduate and first-professional programs. More men than women attended both program types in 1976. Since then, female enrollment in graduate programs has increased 112 percent (from 619,000 to 1.3 million in 2005), while male enrollment fluctuated but increased 23 percent overall (from 714,000 to 877,000). In the more recent period from 2000 to 2005, female graduate enrollment increased 22 percent and male graduate enrollment increased 13 percent. Females represented 46 percent of total graduate enrollment in 1976, some 50 percent in 1984, and 60 percent in 2005. Between 1976 and 2005, female enrollment in first-professional programs increased 207 percent (from 54,000 to 167,000), while male enrollment fluctuated but had an overall decrease of 11 percent (from 190,000 to 170,000). Between 2000 and 2005, first-professional enrollment increased 17 percent for females and 4 percent for males. Women are projected to have exceeded 50 percent of total first-professional enrollment for the first time in 2006.

Minorities experienced enrollment gains between 1976 and 2005. In 1976, minorities represented 10 percent of total graduate enrollment, compared with 23 percent in 2005 (see table 9-2). Minority enrollment in graduate programs increased 269 percent during this period (from 134,000 to 496,000), while White enrollment increased 28 percent (from 1.1 to 1.4 million). Among minorities, enrollments for Hispanics and Asians/Pacific Islanders have seen the greatest growth overall, but Blacks had the largest increase in the more recent period of 1995 to 2005. In first-professional programs, minority enrollment grew by 331 percent (from 21,000 to 91,000), compared with an 8 percent growth in White enrollment (from 220,000 to 238,000).