Participation in Education

Postsecondary Enrollment

Table A-11-1. Number and percentage distribution of actual and projected postbaccalaureate enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by sex, attendance status, and control of institution: Fall 1976–2021

[Numbers in thousands]
Fall of year	Total	Sex				Attendance status				Control of institution
		Male		Female		Full-time		Part-time		Public		Private
		Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Total		Nonprofit		For-profit
		Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
1976	1,578	905	57.3	673	42.7	684	43.3	894	56.7	1,033	65.5	544	34.5	541	34.3	3	0.2
1977	1,569	892	56.8	677	43.2	699	44.5	870	55.5	1,004	64.0	565	36.0	561	35.8	4	0.2
1978	1,576	880	55.8	696	44.2	705	44.7	871	55.3	999	63.4	577	36.6	574	36.4	4	0.2
1979	1,572	863	54.9	709	45.1	715	45.5	857	54.5	990	63.0	582	37.0	578	36.8	4	0.2
1980	1,622	874	53.9	748	46.1	736	45.4	886	54.6	1,015	62.6	606	37.4	601	37.1	5	0.3

1981	1,617	867	53.6	750	46.4	732	45.3	885	54.7	999	61.8	618	38.2	614	37.9	5	0.3
1982	1,601	861	53.8	740	46.2	737	46.0	864	54.0	983	61.4	618	38.6	613	38.3	4	0.3
1983	1,619	865	53.5	753	46.5	747	46.2	872	53.8	986	60.9	633	39.1	628	38.8	5	0.3
1984	1,624	857	52.8	767	47.2	751	46.2	873	53.8	984	60.6	640	39.4	634	39.0	6	0.4
1985	1,650	856	51.9	794	48.1	756	45.8	895	54.2	1,002	60.7	648	39.3	643	38.9	5	0.3

1986	1,706	867	50.8	839	49.2	767	45.0	938	55.0	1,053	61.8	652	38.2	644	37.8	8	0.5
1987	1,720	864	50.2	857	49.8	769	44.7	952	55.3	1,055	61.3	666	38.7	662	38.5	3	0.2
1988	1,739	864	49.7	875	50.3	794	45.7	944	54.3	1,058	60.9	681	39.1	—	—	—	—
1989	1,796	879	48.9	917	51.1	820	45.7	976	54.3	1,090	60.7	706	39.3	—	—	—	—
1990	1,860	904	48.6	955	51.4	845	45.4	1,015	54.6	1,135	61.0	724	39.0	717	38.5	8	0.4

1991	1,920	931	48.5	989	51.5	894	46.6	1,026	53.4	1,162	60.5	758	39.5	747	38.9	11	0.6
1992	1,950	941	48.3	1,009	51.7	918	47.1	1,032	52.9	1,168	59.9	781	40.1	771	39.5	11	0.5
1993	1,981	944	47.6	1,037	52.4	948	47.9	1,033	52.1	1,177	59.4	804	40.6	790	39.9	14	0.7
1994	2,016	950	47.1	1,066	52.9	969	48.1	1,047	51.9	1,189	59.0	828	41.0	810	40.2	18	0.9
1995	2,030	941	46.4	1,089	53.6	984	48.4	1,047	51.6	1,189	58.6	841	41.4	824	40.6	17	0.8

1996	2,041	932	45.7	1,108	54.3	1,004	49.2	1,036	50.8	1,185	58.1	855	41.9	830	40.7	25	1.2
1997	2,052	927	45.2	1,124	54.8	1,019	49.7	1,032	50.3	1,189	57.9	863	42.1	838	40.8	25	1.2
1998	2,070	923	44.6	1,147	55.4	1,025	49.5	1,045	50.5	1,188	57.4	882	42.6	852	41.2	30	1.5
1999	2,110	931	44.1	1,179	55.9	1,050	49.7	1,061	50.3	1,202	56.9	909	43.1	870	41.2	39	1.8
2000	2,157	944	43.7	1,213	56.3	1,087	50.4	1,070	49.6	1,213	56.3	943	43.7	896	41.6	47	2.2

2001	2,212	956	43.2	1,256	56.8	1,120	50.6	1,093	49.4	1,247	56.4	965	43.6	910	41.1	55	2.5
2002	2,355	1,010	42.9	1,345	57.1	1,212	51.5	1,143	48.5	1,319	56.0	1,035	44.0	959	40.7	76	3.2
2003	2,431	1,033	42.5	1,398	57.5	1,281	52.7	1,150	47.3	1,336	54.9	1,096	45.1	994	40.9	101	4.2
2004	2,491	1,047	42.0	1,444	58.0	1,326	53.2	1,166	46.8	1,330	53.4	1,162	46.6	1,022	41.0	140	5.6
2005	2,524	1,047	41.5	1,476	58.5	1,351	53.5	1,173	46.5	1,324	52.5	1,199	47.5	1,036	41.1	163	6.5

2006	2,575	1,061	41.2	1,514	58.8	1,386	53.8	1,188	46.2	1,333	51.8	1,242	48.2	1,065	41.4	177	6.9
2007	2,644	1,088	41.2	1,556	58.8	1,429	54.0	1,215	46.0	1,353	51.2	1,291	48.8	1,101	41.6	190	7.2
2008	2,737	1,122	41.0	1,615	59.0	1,493	54.5	1,244	45.5	1,381	50.5	1,356	49.5	1,125	41.1	231	8.4
2009	2,862	1,174	41.0	1,688	59.0	1,579	55.2	1,283	44.8	1,424	49.8	1,438	50.2	1,172	40.9	267	9.3
2010	2,937	1,210	41.2	1,728	58.8	1,631	55.5	1,307	44.5	1,439	49.0	1,499	51.0	1,202	40.9	297	10.1

Projected¹
2011	2,968	1,224	41.2	1,744	58.8	1,621	54.6	1,347	45.4	1,455	49.0	1,513	51.0	—	—	—	—
2012	3,029	1,248	41.2	1,781	58.8	1,658	54.7	1,371	45.3	1,484	49.0	1,545	51.0	—	—	—	—
2013	3,088	1,265	41.0	1,823	59.0	1,692	54.8	1,397	45.2	1,513	49.0	1,575	51.0	—	—	—	—
2014	3,148	1,277	40.6	1,871	59.4	1,723	54.7	1,425	45.3	1,543	49.0	1,606	51.0	—	—	—	—
2015	3,202	1,288	40.2	1,914	59.8	1,750	54.7	1,453	45.4	1,569	49.0	1,633	51.0	—	—	—	—

2016	3,261	1,304	40.0	1,957	60.0	1,778	54.5	1,482	45.4	1,598	49.0	1,663	51.0	—	—	—	—
2017	3,327	1,323	39.8	2,004	60.2	1,811	54.4	1,516	45.6	1,630	49.0	1,697	51.0	—	—	—	—
2018	3,394	1,343	39.6	2,052	60.5	1,843	54.3	1,551	45.7	1,664	49.0	1,731	51.0	—	—	—	—
2019	3,440	1,355	39.4	2,085	60.6	1,862	54.1	1,578	45.9	1,686	49.0	1,754	51.0	—	—	—	—
2020	3,472	1,363	39.3	2,110	60.8	1,873	53.9	1,599	46.1	1,702	49.0	1,770	51.0	—	—	—	—
2021	3,495	1,369	39.2	2,126	60.8	1,881	53.8	1,614	46.2	1,714	49.0	1,782	51.0	—	—	—	—

— Not available.

¹Projections are based on reported data through 2010. The most recent year of actual data is 2010, and 2021 is the last year for which projected data are available. For more information on projections, see NCES 2012-044.

NOTE: Postbaccalaureate enrollment is the number of students with a bachelor's degree who are enrolled in master’s or doctoral programs, including those formerly classified as first-professional programs. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. For more information on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), see Appendix B – Guide to Sources. For more information on the classification of postsecondary education institutions, see Appendix C – Commonly Used Measures. See Appendix D – Glossary for definitions of full-time and part-time enrollment.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Colleges and Universities" surveys, 1970 through 1985; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:90-99); IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2011, Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Model, 1980–2010.

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