Elementary and Secondary Education

Student Effort, Persistence and Progress

Table A-34-3. Percentage of high school completers who were enrolled in 2- or 4-year colleges the October immediately following high school completion, by sex and level of institution: 1975–2010

Year	Total		Male			Female
Year	2-year¹	4-year¹	Total	2-year¹	4-year¹	Total	2-year¹	4-year¹
1975	18.2	32.6	52.6	19.0	33.6	49.0	17.4	31.6
1976	15.6	33.3	47.2	14.5	32.7	50.3	16.6	33.8
1977	17.5	33.1	52.1	17.2	35.0	49.3	17.8	31.5
1978	17.0	33.1	51.1	15.6	35.5	49.3	18.3	31.0
1979	17.5	31.8	50.4	16.9	33.5	48.4	18.1	30.3

1980	19.4	29.9	46.7	17.1	29.7	51.8	21.6	30.2
1981	20.5	33.5	54.8	20.9	33.9	53.1	20.1	33.0
1982	19.1	31.5	49.1	17.5	31.6	52.0	20.6	31.4
1983	19.2	33.5	51.9	20.2	31.7	53.4	18.4	35.1
1984	19.4	35.8	56.0	17.7	38.4	54.5	21.0	33.5

1985	19.6	38.1	58.6	19.9	38.8	56.8	19.3	37.5
1986	19.3	34.5	55.8	21.3	34.5	51.9	17.3	34.6
1987	18.9	37.9	58.3	17.3	41.0	55.3	20.3	35.0
1988	21.9	37.1	57.1	21.3	35.8	60.7	22.4	38.3
1989	20.7	38.9	57.6	18.3	39.3	61.6	23.1	38.5

1990	20.1	40.0	58.0	19.6	38.4	62.2	20.6	41.6
1991	24.9	37.7	57.9	22.9	35.0	67.1	26.8	40.3
1992	23.0	38.9	60.0	22.1	37.8	63.8	23.9	40.0
1993	22.8	39.8	59.9	22.9	37.0	65.2	22.8	42.4
1994	21.0	40.9	60.6	23.0	37.5	63.2	19.1	44.1

1995	21.5	40.4	62.6	25.3	37.4	61.3	18.1	43.2
1996	23.1	41.9	60.1	21.5	38.5	69.7	24.6	45.1
1997	22.8	44.3	63.6	21.4	42.2	70.3	24.1	46.2
1998	24.4	41.3	62.4	24.4	38.0	69.1	24.3	44.8
1999	21.0	41.9	61.4	21.0	40.5	64.4	21.1	43.3

2000	21.4	41.9	59.9	23.1	36.8	66.2	20.0	46.2
2001	19.6	42.1	60.1	18.6	41.4	63.5	20.6	42.8
2002	21.6	43.6	62.1	20.4	41.7	68.4	22.8	45.6
2003	21.5	42.5	61.2	21.9	39.3	66.5	21.0	45.5
2004	22.4	44.2	61.4	21.8	39.6	71.5	23.1	48.5

2005	24.0	44.6	66.5	24.7	41.8	70.4	23.4	47.0
2006	24.7	41.3	65.8	24.9	40.9	66.1	24.5	41.7
2007	24.1	43.1	66.1	22.7	43.4	68.3	25.5	42.8
2008	27.7	40.9	65.9	24.9	41.0	71.6	30.6	40.9
2009	27.7	42.4	66.0	25.1	40.9	73.8	30.1	43.8
2010	26.7	41.4	62.8	28.5	34.3	74.0	24.6	49.5

1 From 1975 through 1986, due to a skip pattern in the Current Population Survey (CPS), about 3–9 percent of high school completers ages 16–24 who immediately enrolled in college were not asked the question about the level of institution attended. Such respondents were assumed to have had the same probability of enrolling in a 2- or 4-year institution as those who were asked the question.
NOTE: Includes high school completers ages 16–24, who account for about 98 percent of all high school completers in each year. Before 1992, high school completer referred to those who had completed 12 years of schooling. As of 1992, high school completer refers to those who have received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. For more information on the Current Population Survey (CPS), see Appendix B – Guide to Sources. For more information on educational attainment, see Appendix C – Commonly Used Measures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement, 1975–2010.

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