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Digest of Education Statistics
2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 210.5. Percentage of recent high school completers enrolled in 2-year and 4-year colleges, by income level: 1975 through 2011
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Year Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2 (annual data) 3-year moving averages3
Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2 Difference between percent enrolled
Total Low income Middle income High income Total Low income Middle income High income High-low income High-middle income
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1975 50.7 (1.26) 31.2 (3.59) 46.2 (1.69) 64.5 (2.09) 49.1 (0.74) 34.7 (2.74) 43.5 (1.22) 63.7 (1.47) 29.0 (3.11) 20.2 (1.91)
1976 48.8 (1.31) 39.1 (4.20) 40.5 (1.76) 63.0 (2.06) 50.1 (0.74) 32.3 (2.17) 43.8 (1.00) 64.6 (1.18) 32.3 (2.47) 20.8 (1.55)
1977 50.6 (1.29) 27.7 (3.54) 44.2 (1.76) 66.3 (2.01) 49.9 (0.75) 32.4 (2.22) 43.1 (1.02) 64.4 (1.18) 32.1 (2.51) 21.4 (1.56)
1978 50.1 (1.28) 31.4 (3.74) 44.3 (1.74) 64.0 (2.05) 50.0 (0.74) 29.8 (2.13) 43.9 (1.01) 64.5 (1.17) 34.6 (2.43) 20.5 (1.55)
1979 49.3 (1.28) 30.5 (3.78) 43.2 (1.74) 63.2 (2.04) 49.6 (0.74) 31.6 (2.11) 43.4 (1.01) 64.1 (1.19) 32.6 (2.42) 20.8 (1.56)
                                         
1980 49.3 (1.30) 32.5 (3.47) 42.5 (1.78) 65.2 (2.08) 50.8 (0.75) 32.2 (2.14) 45.0 (1.02) 65.3 (1.20) 33.0 (2.45) 20.2 (1.57)
1981 53.9 (1.30) 33.6 (3.90) 49.2 (1.75) 67.6 (2.09) 51.3 (0.75) 32.9 (2.11) 44.5 (1.01) 67.9 (1.19) 34.9 (2.42) 23.4 (1.57)
1982 50.6 (1.36) 32.8 (3.81) 41.7 (1.81) 70.9 (2.13) 52.4 (0.79) 33.6 (2.29) 45.4 (1.06) 69.6 (1.25) 36.0 (2.61) 24.2 (1.64)
1983 52.7 (1.39) 34.6 (4.02) 45.2 (1.88) 70.3 (2.17) 52.8 (0.79) 34.0 (2.20) 45.1 (1.08) 71.7 (1.23) 37.8 (2.52) 26.7 (1.63)
1984 55.2 (1.37) 34.5 (3.62) 48.4 (1.89) 74.0 (2.09) 55.1 (0.81) 36.3 (2.26) 48.0 (1.11) 72.9 (1.24) 36.6 (2.58) 24.9 (1.66)
                                         
1985 57.7 (1.45) 40.2 (4.14) 50.6 (2.02) 74.6 (2.16) 55.5 (0.82) 35.9 (2.18) 49.1 (1.13) 73.2 (1.26) 37.3 (2.51) 24.1 (1.69)
1986 53.8 (1.43) 33.9 (3.59) 48.5 (1.97) 71.0 (2.28) 56.1 (0.84) 36.8 (2.23) 49.6 (1.17) 73.2 (1.27) 36.4 (2.57) 23.5 (1.72)
1987 56.8 (1.46) 36.9 (3.88) 50.0 (2.07) 73.8 (2.16) 56.5 (0.83) 37.6 (2.21) 51.1 (1.16) 72.6 (1.30) 35.0 (2.57) 21.5 (1.74)
1988 58.9 (1.57) 42.5 (4.39) 54.7 (2.14) 72.8 (2.52) 58.4 (0.92) 42.4 (2.54) 53.4 (1.28) 72.5 (1.44) 30.2 (2.92) 19.1 (1.93)
1989 59.6 (1.64) 48.1 (4.56) 55.4 (2.28) 70.7 (2.61) 59.5 (0.94) 45.6 (2.66) 54.9 (1.28) 73.2 (1.50) 27.6 (3.06) 18.4 (1.97)
                                         
1990 60.1 (1.60) 46.7 (4.76) 54.4 (2.14) 76.6 (2.54) 60.7 (0.92) 44.8 (2.63) 56.0 (1.27) 75.0 (1.44) 30.2 (3.00) 19.0 (1.92)
1991 62.5 (1.62) 39.5 (4.50) 58.4 (2.25) 78.2 (2.39) 61.5 (0.92) 42.2 (2.62) 56.5 (1.26) 78.0 (1.40) 35.8 (2.97) 21.4 (1.88)
1992 61.9 (1.58) 40.9 (4.37) 57.0 (2.18) 79.0 (2.35) 62.3 (0.92) 43.6 (2.60) 57.4 (1.26) 78.8 (1.38) 35.3 (2.94) 21.4 (1.87)
1993 62.6 (1.59) 50.4 (4.56) 56.9 (2.15) 79.3 (2.46) 62.1 (0.91) 44.7 (2.55) 57.3 (1.23) 78.7 (1.39) 34.0 (2.90) 21.5 (1.86)
1994 61.9 (1.43) 43.3 (3.96) 57.8 (1.94) 77.9 (2.22) 62.1 (0.83) 42.0 (2.27) 57.0 (1.14) 80.4 (1.22) 38.4 (2.57) 23.4 (1.67)
                                         
1995 61.9 (1.41) 34.2 (3.56) 56.0 (2.00) 83.5 (1.86) 63.0 (0.81) 42.1 (2.16) 58.9 (1.12) 79.9 (1.20) 37.8 (2.47) 21.0 (1.64)
1996 65.0 (1.42) 48.6 (3.78) 62.7 (1.95) 78.0 (2.27) 64.7 (0.82) 47.1 (2.18) 59.9 (1.16) 81.3 (1.19) 34.3 (2.49) 21.4 (1.66)
1997 67.0 (1.38) 57.0 (3.66) 60.7 (1.97) 82.2 (1.98) 65.9 (0.80) 50.6 (2.14) 62.7 (1.12) 79.3 (1.24) 28.7 (2.47) 16.6 (1.67)
1998 65.6 (1.38) 46.4 (3.62) 64.7 (1.89) 77.5 (2.21) 65.2 (0.80) 50.3 (2.14) 61.9 (1.10) 78.4 (1.24) 28.1 (2.47) 16.6 (1.66)
1999 62.9 (1.38) 47.6 (3.77) 60.2 (1.87) 75.4 (2.26) 64.0 (0.80) 47.9 (2.13) 61.5 (1.10) 76.6 (1.29) 28.7 (2.49) 15.1 (1.70)
                                         
2000 63.3 (1.41) 49.7 (3.67) 59.5 (1.97) 76.9 (2.22) 62.7 (0.82) 47.1 (2.17) 58.8 (1.14) 77.4 (1.29) 30.3 (2.52) 18.6 (1.72)
2001 61.8 (1.48) 43.8 (3.81) 56.4 (2.07) 80.0 (2.19) 63.5 (0.82) 49.9 (2.19) 59.1 (1.14) 78.3 (1.28) 28.4 (2.53) 19.3 (1.71)
2002 65.2 (1.31) 56.3 (3.64) 60.9 (1.78) 78.2 (2.12) 63.7 (0.78) 50.9 (2.14) 58.4 (1.08) 79.5 (1.20) 28.6 (2.45) 21.0 (1.61)
2003 63.9 (1.35) 52.8 (3.83) 57.6 (1.87) 80.1 (2.02) 65.3 (0.77) 52.5 (2.20) 60.6 (1.05) 79.5 (1.18) 27.0 (2.49) 18.9 (1.58)
2004 66.7 (1.31) 47.8 (3.95) 63.3 (1.79) 80.1 (1.98) 66.4 (0.77) 51.4 (2.24) 62.0 (1.05) 80.5 (1.15) 29.0 (2.52) 18.5 (1.56)
                                         
2005 68.6 (1.31) 53.5 (3.86) 65.1 (1.81) 81.2 (1.98) 67.1 (0.76) 50.8 (2.26) 63.3 (1.04) 80.7 (1.15) 29.9 (2.53) 17.4 (1.55)
2006 66.0 (1.33) 50.9 (3.92) 61.4 (1.82) 80.7 (2.01) 67.2 (0.75) 54.5 (2.18) 63.3 (1.03) 80.0 (1.15) 25.5 (2.47) 16.7 (1.55)
2007 67.2 (1.26) 58.4 (3.57) 63.3 (1.73) 78.2 (2.01) 67.3 (0.73) 55.3 (2.11) 63.5 (0.99) 80.2 (1.14) 24.9 (2.40) 16.8 (1.51)
2008 68.6 (1.21) 55.9 (3.50) 65.2 (1.62) 81.9 (1.90) 68.6 (0.71) 56.1 (2.08) 65.1 (0.96) 81.4 (1.11) 25.3 (2.36) 16.2 (1.47)
2009 70.1 (1.23) 53.9 (3.75) 66.7 (1.66) 84.2 (1.84) 68.9 (0.70) 53.3 (2.02) 66.2 (0.94) 82.8 (1.10) 29.5 (2.30) 16.6 (1.44)
                                         
20104 68.1 (1.49) 50.7 (3.88) 66.7 (1.59) 82.2 (2.34) 68.8 (0.71) 52.6 (1.97) 66.5 (0.94) 83.0 (1.12) 30.4 (2.27) 16.4 (1.46)
20114 68.2 (1.45) 53.5 (4.25) 66.2 (1.63) 82.4 (2.46) 68.2 (1.02) 52.1 (2.75) 66.5 (1.37) 82.3 (1.66) 30.2 (3.22) 15.8 (2.15)
1 Individuals ages 16 to 24 who graduated from high school or completed a GED during the preceding 12 months.
2 Enrollment in college as of October of each year for individuals ages 16 to 24 who completed high school during the preceding 12 months.
3 A 3-year moving average is an arithmetic average of the year indicated, the year immediately preceding, and the year immediately following. For 1975 and 2011, a 2-year moving average is used: The moving average for 1975 reflects an average of 1975 and 1976, and the moving average for 2011 reflects an average of 2010 and 2011. Moving averages are used to produce more stable estimates.
4 Beginning in 2010, standard errors were computed using replicate weights, which produced more precise values than the methodology used in prior years.
NOTE: Low income refers to the bottom 20 percent of all family incomes, high income refers to the top 20 percent of all family incomes, and middle income refers to the 60 percent in between.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1975 through 2011. (This table was prepared June 2012.)

2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest