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Digest of Education Statistics
2010 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 275. Degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Selected years, 1949-50 through 2009-10
Year All institutions Public Private
Total 4-year 2-year Total 4-year 2-year Total 4-year, total 2-year, total Not-for-profit For-profit
Total 4-year   2-year Total 4-year 2-year
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Excluding branch
   campuses
                                 
1949-50 1,851 1,327 524 641 344 297 1,210 983 227  
1959-60 2,004 1,422 582 695 367 328 1,309 1,055 254  
1969-70 2,525 1,639 886 1,060 426 634 1,465 1,213 252  
1970-71 2,556 1,665 891 1,089 435 654 1,467 1,230 237  
1971-72 2,606 1,675 931 1,137 440 697 1,469 1,235 234  
                                   
1972-73 2,665 1,701 964 1,182 449 733 1,483 1,252 231  
1973-74 2,720 1,717 1,003 1,200 440 760 1,520 1,277 243  
1974-75 2,747 1,744 1,003 1,214 447 767 1,533 1,297 236  
1975-76 2,765 1,767 998 1,219 447 772 1,546 1,320 226  
1976-77 2,785 1,783 1,002 1,231 452 779 1,554 1,331 223  
                                   
1977-78 2,826 1,808 1,018 1,241 454 787 1,585 1,354 231  
1978-79 2,954 1,843 1,111 1,308 463 845 1,646 1,380 266  
1979-80 2,975 1,863 1,112 1,310 464 846 1,665 1,399 266  
1980-81 3,056 1,861 1,195 1,334 465 869 1,722 1,396 326 1 
1981-82 3,083 1,883 1,200 1,340 471 869 1,743 1,412 331 1 
                                   
1982-83 3,111 1,887 1,224 1,336 472 864 1,775 1,415 360 1 
1983-84 3,117 1,914 1,203 1,325 474 851 1,792 1,440 352  
1984-85 3,146 1,911 1,235 1,329 461 868 1,817 1,450 367  
1985-86 3,155 1,915 1,240 1,326 461 865 1,829 1,454 375  
                                   
Including branch
   campuses
                                 
1974-75 3,004 1,866 1,138 1,433 537 896 1,571 1,329 242  
1975-76 3,026 1,898 1,128 1,442 545 897 1,584 1,353 231  
1976-77 3,046 1,913 1,133 1,455 550 905 1,591 1,363 228   1,536 1,348 188 55 15 40
1977-78 3,095 1,938 1,157 1,473 552 921 1,622 1,386 236  
1978-79 3,134 1,941 1,193 1,474 550 924 1,660 1,391 269   1,564 1,376 188 96 15 81
                                   
1979-80 3,152 1,957 1,195 1,475 549 926 1,677 1,408 269  
1980-81 3,231 1,957 1,274 1,497 552 945 1,734 1,405 329 1  1,569 1,387 182 165 18 147
1981-82 3,253 1,979 1,274 1,498 558 940 1,755 1,421 334 1 
1982-83 3,280 1,984 1,296 1,493 560 933 1,787 1,424 363 1 
1983-84 3,284 2,013 1,271 1,481 565 916 1,803 1,448 355  
                                   
1984-85 3,331 2,025 1,306 1,501 566 935 1,830 1,459 371   1,616 1,430 186 214 29 185
1985-86 3,340 2,029 1,311 1,498 566 932 1,842 1,463 379  
1986-87 3,406 2,070 1,336 1,533 573 960 1,873 1,497 376   1,635 1,462 173 238 35 203
1987-88 3,587 2,135 1,452 1,591 599 992 1,996 1,536 460   1,673 1,487 186 323 49 274
1988-89 3,565 2,129 1,436 1,582 598 984 1,983 1,531 452   1,658 1,478 180 325 53 272
1989-90 3,535 2,127 1,408 1,563 595 968 1,972 1,532 440   1,656 1,479 177 316 53 263
                                   
1990-91 3,559 2,141 1,418 1,567 595 972 1,992 1,546 446   1,649 1,482 167 343 64 279
1991-92 3,601 2,157 1,444 1,598 599 999 2,003 1,558 445   1,662 1,486 176 341 72 269
1992-93 3,638 2,169 1,469 1,624 600 1,024 2,014 1,569 445   1,672 1,493 179 342 76 266
1993-94 3,632 2,190 1,442 1,625 604 1,021 2,007 1,586 421   1,687 1,506 181 320 80 240
1994-95 3,688 2,215 1,473 1,641 605 1,036 2,047 1,610 437   1,702 1,510 192 345 100 245
                                   
1995-96 3,706 2,244 1,462 1,655 608 1,047 2,051 1,636 415   1,706 1,519 187 345 117 228
1996-97 4,009 2,267 1,742 1,702 614 1,088 2,307 1,653 654   1,693 1,509 184 614 144 470
1997-98 4,064 2,309 1,755 1,707 615 1,092 2,357 1,694 663   1,707 1,528 179 650 166 484
1998-99 4,048 2,335 1,713 1,681 612 1,069 2,367 1,723 644   1,695 1,531 164 672 192 480
1999-2000 4,084 2,363 1,721 1,682 614 1,068 2,402 1,749 653   1,681 1,531 150 721 218 503
                                   
2000-01 4,182 2,450 1,732 1,698 622 1,076 2,484 1,828 656   1,695 1,551 144 789 277 512
2001-02 4,197 2,487 1,710 1,713 628 1,085 2,484 1,859 625   1,676 1,541 135 808 318 490
2002-03 4,168 2,466 1,702 1,712 631 1,081 2,456 1,835 621   1,665 1,538 127 791 297 494
2003-04 4,236 2,530 1,706 1,720 634 1,086 2,516 1,896 620   1,664 1,546 118 852 350 502
2004-05 4,216 2,533 1,683 1,700 639 1,061 2,516 1,894 622   1,637 1,525 112 879 369 510
                                   
2005-06 4,276 2,582 1,694 1,693 640 1,053 2,583 1,942 641   1,647 1,534 113 936 408 528
2006-07 4,314 2,629 1,685 1,688 643 1,045 2,626 1,986 640   1,640 1,533 107 986 453 533
2007-08 4,352 2,675 1,677 1,685 653 1,032 2,667 2,022 645   1,624 1,532 92 1,043 490 553
2008-09 4,409 2,719 1,690 1,676 652 1,024 2,733 2,067 666   1,629 1,537 92 1,104 530 574
2009-10 4,495 2,774 1,721 1,672 672 1,000 2,823 2,102 721   1,624 1,539 85 1,199 563 636
—Not available.
1 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
NOTE: Data through 1995-96 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees. (See Appendix A: Guide to Sources for details.) Changes in counts of institutions over time are partly affected by increasing or decreasing numbers of institutions submitting separate data for branch campuses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Directory, Colleges and Universities, 1949-50 through 1965-66; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and Universities" surveys, 1966-67 through 1985-86; and 1986-87 through 2009-10 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, "Institutional Characteristics Survey"(IPEDS-IC:86-99), and Fall 2000 through Fall 2009. (This table was prepared September 2010.)

2010 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest