The postsecondary education system encompasses various types of institutions under public, private not-forprofit, and private for-profit control. Indicators in this section include the racial/ethnic distribution of college students, student fields of study and degree attainment by institution type, the ways in which colleges and universities attract and compensate faculty, and the availability of financial aid.

• In 2007, some 64 percent of college students were White, 13 percent were Black, 11 percent were Hispanic, 7 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander, 1 percent were American Indian/Alaska Native, and 3 percent were students from other countries. About 7 percent of all college students attended institutions in which 75 percent or more of the students were Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native. At public 2-year institutions, 8 percent of enrollment was at such institutions, compared with 6 percent at public 4-year institutions. Larger percentages of students who were Hispanic and Black attended such institutions than students who were White, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and nonresident alien (indicator 38).
• In the 1969-70 academic year, 135,000 students from other countries were enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States. International student enrollment increased each year through 2002-03 to 586,000 students, declined over the next few years to 565,000 in 2005-06, and increased again to 583,000 in 2006-07 and to 624,000 in 2007-08.  International students accounted for 3 percent of students at the postsecondary level in 2007-08; this percentage has remained between 3 and 4 percent since 1992-93. The top three countries of origin for international students studying in the United States in 2007-08 were India, China, and South Korea (indicator 39).
• Of the 1.5 million bachelor's degrees awarded in 2006-07, over 50 percent were concentrated in five fields: business (21 percent); social sciences and history (11 percent), education (7 percent), health professions and related clinical sciences (7 percent), and psychology (6 percent). Overall, more bachelor's degrees were awarded in 2006-07 than in 1996-97 (a 30 percent increase). In addition, in 2006-07, about 57 percent of all bachelor's degrees conferred were awarded to females; females also earned between 49 and 86 percent of all degrees awarded in the five most prevalent bachelor's degree fields (indicator 40).
• In 2006-07, of the 605,000 master's degrees awarded, over 50 percent were concentrated in two fields: education (29 percent) and business (25 percent). In these fields, women earned 77 and 44 percent, respectively, of all degrees awarded. Overall, 185,000 more master's degrees were awarded in 2006-07 than in 1996-97 (a 44 percent increase). The number of doctoral degrees awarded also increased by 32 percent during this period, and there was a 62 percent increase in doctoral degrees awarded to women. Between 1996-97 and 2006- 07, there was a 14 percent increase in the number of first-professional degrees awarded. The field with the greatest percent increase over this period was pharmacy, with a 285 percent increase overall and a 303 percent increase for females (indicator 41).
• Between 1996-97 and 2006-07, the number of associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees conferred by private for-profit institutions increased by a larger percentage than the number conferred by public and private not-for-profit institutions. For example, during this period, the number of bachelor's degrees conferred by private for-profit institutions increased from 12,100 to 70,800 degrees, compared with an increase from 776,700 to 975,500 degrees for public institutions, an increase from 384,100 to 477,800 degrees for private not-for-profit institutions. In addition, the number of master's degrees conferred by private for-profit institutions increased from 5,100 to 50,900 (indicator 42).
• Average inflation-adjusted salaries for full-time instructional faculty with academic ranks in colleges and universities were 22 percent higher in 2007-08 than in 1979-80. The increase was greatest for instructors, whose average salary increased by 44 percent, followed by professors, whose average salary increased by 27 percent. The average salary was higher at all types of institutions, ranging from an increase of 7 percent at public 2-year colleges to 38 percent at private doctoral universities. However, after larger increases during the 1980s and 1990s, recent increases in faculty salaries have been relatively small (2 percent between 1999-2000 and 2007-08) (indicator 43).
• The percentage of full-time college students ages 16-24 who were employed increased from 34 to 52 percent between 1970 and 2000, decreased to 47 percent in 2001, and fluctuated between 46 and 49 percent during the period of 2001 through 2007. In addition, the number of hours these students worked has increased since 1970. For example, in 1970, about 4 percent of full-time students worked 35 or more hours per week, but for each year between 2000 and 2007, that percentage was between 8 and 9 percent. In contrast to the increase among full-time college students, there was no measurable change in the percentage of part-time college students who were employed between 1970 and 2007. Part-time college students also worked fewer hours in 2007 than they did in 1970 (indicator 44).
• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of full-time, first-time undergraduates received a student loan or grant in 2006-07. The percentage of students receiving financial aid was higher at private not-for-profit institutions (85 percent) than at public institutions (70 percent) and private for-profit institutions (69 percent). A lower percentage (61 percent) of undergraduates at public 2-year institutions received financial aid than did undergraduates at public 4-year institutions (75 percent). In 2006-07, the average federal grant was $3,841 at not-for-profit institutions, compared with $3,214 at public institutions and $2,878 at for-profit institutions. Average awards for state/ local grants followed a similar pattern, while for institutional grants the average award at not-for-profit institutions was $11,122, compared with $3,439 at public institutions and $1,602 at for-profit institutions (indicator 45).
• In 2006-07, student tuition accounted for 17 percent of the total revenue for public institutions, 26 percent for private not-for-profit institutions, and 75 percent for private for-profit institutions. State appropriations (24 percent) were the largest source of revenue for public institutions, while tuition and fees (17 percent) were the second largest source. For expenditures in 2006-07, instruction was the largest expenditure category for both public and private not-for-profit institutions. At private for-profit institutions, the largest single expenditure category was student services (indicator 46).