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Digest of Education Statistics
2011 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 200. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by attendance status, sex, and age: Selected years, 1970 through 2020
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, and age 1970 1980 1990 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Projected
2011 2015 2020
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
All students 8,581 12,097 13,819 15,312 16,612 16,911 17,272 17,487 17,759 18,248 19,103 20,428 21,016 21,575 22,612 24,075
14 to 17 years old 263 257 153 131 152 169 166 187 184 200 195 217 211 204 211 237
18 and 19 years old 2,579 2,852 2,777 3,258 3,363 3,355 3,367 3,444 3,561 3,690 3,813 4,041 4,119 4,295 4,282 4,648
20 and 21 years old 1,885 2,395 2,593 3,005 3,331 3,391 3,516 3,563 3,573 3,570 3,649 3,945 4,052 4,308 4,278 4,399
22 to 24 years old 1,469 1,947 2,202 2,600 2,988 3,086 3,166 3,114 3,185 3,280 3,443 3,594 3,674 3,771 4,083 4,083
25 to 29 years old 1,091 1,843 2,083 2,044 2,196 2,311 2,418 2,469 2,506 2,651 2,840 3,096 3,196 3,203 3,510 3,770
30 to 34 years old 527 1,227 1,384 1,333 1,438 1,418 1,440 1,438 1,472 1,519 1,609 1,741 1,823 1,876 2,083 2,296
35 years old and over 767 1,577 2,627 2,942 3,144 3,181 3,199 3,272 3,277 3,339 3,554 3,794 3,941 3,919 4,165 4,643
                                 
Males 5,044 5,874 6,284 6,722 7,202 7,260 7,387 7,456 7,575 7,816 8,189 8,770 9,045 9,243 9,465 9,842
14 to 17 years old 125 106 66 58 62 67 62 68 69 88 93 103 92 97 97 107
18 and 19 years old 1,355 1,368 1,298 1,464 1,507 1,474 1,475 1,523 1,604 1,669 1,704 1,806 1,842 1,887 1,861 2,002
20 and 21 years old 1,064 1,219 1,259 1,411 1,514 1,541 1,608 1,658 1,628 1,634 1,695 1,876 1,931 2,014 1,974 2,006
22 to 24 years old 1,004 1,075 1,129 1,222 1,394 1,411 1,437 1,410 1,445 1,480 1,555 1,606 1,666 1,724 1,831 1,798
25 to 29 years old 796 983 1,024 908 962 1,007 1,039 1,057 1,040 1,148 1,222 1,382 1,414 1,414 1,502 1,571
30 to 34 years old 333 564 605 581 617 602 619 591 628 638 691 709 745 764 822 876
35 years old and over 366 559 902 1,077 1,146 1,158 1,147 1,149 1,160 1,159 1,228 1,287 1,354 1,343 1,377 1,484
                                 
Females 3,537 6,223 7,535 8,591 9,410 9,651 9,885 10,032 10,184 10,432 10,914 11,658 11,971 12,332 13,147 14,233
14 to 17 years old 137 151 87 73 90 102 104 119 115 112 102 114 119 107 113 130
18 and 19 years old 1,224 1,484 1,479 1,794 1,856 1,880 1,892 1,920 1,956 2,021 2,109 2,236 2,276 2,408 2,421 2,647
20 and 21 years old 821 1,177 1,334 1,593 1,816 1,851 1,908 1,905 1,945 1,936 1,954 2,069 2,120 2,294 2,304 2,394
22 to 24 years old 464 871 1,073 1,378 1,595 1,675 1,729 1,704 1,740 1,800 1,888 1,987 2,008 2,047 2,251 2,285
25 to 29 years old 296 859 1,059 1,136 1,234 1,304 1,379 1,413 1,466 1,502 1,618 1,713 1,783 1,789 2,008 2,199
30 to 34 years old 194 663 779 752 821 816 821 847 844 881 918 1,032 1,078 1,112 1,261 1,420
35 years old and over 401 1,018 1,725 1,865 1,998 2,023 2,052 2,123 2,117 2,180 2,326 2,507 2,587 2,575 2,788 3,159
                                 
Full-time 5,816 7,098 7,821 9,010 9,946 10,326 10,610 10,797 10,957 11,270 11,748 12,723 13,082 13,361 13,881 14,697
14 to 17 years old 246 231 134 121 131 146 138 152 148 169 168 181 171 167 174 196
18 and 19 years old 2,374 2,544 2,471 2,823 2,904 2,934 2,960 3,026 3,120 3,244 3,359 3,513 3,543 3,667 3,663 3,984
20 and 21 years old 1,649 2,007 2,137 2,452 2,752 2,841 2,926 2,976 2,972 2,985 3,043 3,271 3,319 3,470 3,454 3,560
22 to 24 years old 904 1,181 1,405 1,714 1,975 2,083 2,143 2,122 2,127 2,205 2,347 2,535 2,596 2,584 2,797 2,803
25 to 29 years old 426 641 791 886 1,011 1,086 1,132 1,174 1,225 1,299 1,369 1,520 1,584 1,588 1,745 1,879
30 to 34 years old 113 272 383 418 494 489 517 547 571 556 571 663 749 771 860 949
35 years old and over 104 221 500 596 680 747 795 800 794 812 890 1,041 1,121 1,115 1,188 1,326
                                 
Males 3,504 3,689 3,808 4,111 4,501 4,638 4,739 4,803 4,879 5,029 5,234 5,671 5,837 5,932 6,071 6,341
14 to 17 years old 121 95 55 51 52 58 49 53 52 74 73 78 63 72 74 81
18 and 19 years old 1,261 1,219 1,171 1,252 1,304 1,291 1,297 1,339 1,404 1,465 1,516 1,580 1,594 1,626 1,610 1,739
20 and 21 years old 955 1,046 1,035 1,156 1,261 1,305 1,360 1,398 1,372 1,366 1,407 1,547 1,583 1,594 1,571 1,605
22 to 24 years old 686 717 768 834 958 995 1,001 982 992 1,043 1,105 1,177 1,200 1,237 1,320 1,307
25 to 29 years old 346 391 433 410 466 503 498 506 533 578 597 665 708 708 760 805
30 to 34 years old 77 142 171 186 215 209 231 225 235 231 249 281 307 314 342 370
35 years old and over 58 80 174 222 244 277 302 300 291 273 287 343 383 379 394 433
                                 
Females 2,312 3,409 4,013 4,899 5,445 5,688 5,871 5,994 6,078 6,240 6,513 7,052 7,245 7,429 7,810 8,356
14 to 17 years old 125 136 78 70 79 88 89 98 95 95 95 103 108 94 100 115
18 and 19 years old 1,113 1,325 1,300 1,571 1,599 1,643 1,662 1,687 1,716 1,779 1,843 1,933 1,949 2,040 2,053 2,244
20 and 21 years old 693 961 1,101 1,296 1,491 1,536 1,566 1,578 1,601 1,619 1,636 1,724 1,736 1,875 1,884 1,955
22 to 24 years old 218 464 638 880 1,017 1,088 1,142 1,140 1,135 1,163 1,242 1,358 1,396 1,346 1,477 1,496
25 to 29 years old 80 250 358 476 545 583 634 668 692 721 772 855 875 880 985 1,074
30 to 34 years old 37 130 212 232 279 280 286 322 336 324 322 382 442 457 517 579
35 years old and over 46 141 326 374 435 471 493 500 503 539 603 697 738 735 794 893
                                 
Part-time 2,765 4,999 5,998 6,303 6,665 6,585 6,662 6,690 6,802 6,978 7,355 7,705 7,934 8,214 8,731 9,378
14 to 17 years old 16 26 19 10 21 23 28 36 36 31 27 36 41 37 37 41
18 and 19 years old 205 308 306 435 460 421 407 417 440 446 453 528 576 629 619 665
20 and 21 years old 236 388 456 553 579 551 590 586 601 585 606 674 733 838 824 839
22 to 24 years old 564 765 796 886 1,013 1,003 1,023 992 1,058 1,074 1,096 1,059 1,078 1,187 1,285 1,280
25 to 29 years old 665 1,202 1,291 1,158 1,185 1,224 1,286 1,296 1,282 1,352 1,471 1,576 1,613 1,615 1,765 1,891
30 to 34 years old 414 954 1,001 915 944 929 923 891 901 963 1,037 1,078 1,074 1,104 1,224 1,347
35 years old and over 663 1,356 2,127 2,345 2,464 2,434 2,404 2,472 2,483 2,527 2,664 2,753 2,820 2,804 2,976 3,316
                                 
Males 1,540 2,185 2,476 2,611 2,701 2,622 2,648 2,653 2,696 2,786 2,955 3,099 3,208 3,311 3,394 3,501
14 to 17 years old 4 12 11 7 10 9 13 15 17 14 20 25 29 24 24 26
18 and 19 years old 94 149 127 212 203 183 178 184 200 204 188 226 249 261 251 262
20 and 21 years old 108 172 224 255 253 236 248 260 257 269 289 329 349 420 404 401
22 to 24 years old 318 359 361 388 436 416 436 428 452 438 450 430 467 486 511 491
25 to 29 years old 450 592 591 498 496 504 540 551 507 570 625 717 706 706 742 766
30 to 34 years old 257 422 435 395 402 392 388 365 393 406 442 428 438 450 480 506
35 years old and over 309 479 728 855 901 882 845 850 869 886 941 944 971 964 982 1,051
                                 
Females 1,225 2,814 3,521 3,692 3,964 3,963 4,014 4,038 4,106 4,192 4,401 4,606 4,726 4,903 5,337 5,877
14 to 17 years old 12 14 9 3 11 14 15 21 20 17 7 11 11 13 13 15
18 and 19 years old 112 159 179 223 256 238 230 233 240 242 265 303 327 368 368 403
20 and 21 years old 128 216 233 298 326 315 342 327 344 317 318 345 384 418 420 439
22 to 24 years old 246 407 435 497 578 587 588 564 605 637 646 629 611 701 774 789
25 to 29 years old 216 609 700 660 689 721 746 745 774 781 846 858 907 909 1,023 1,125
30 to 34 years old 158 532 567 520 542 537 535 526 508 557 595 651 636 655 744 841
35 years old and over 354 876 1,399 1,491 1,563 1,552 1,560 1,623 1,614 1,640 1,723 1,810 1,850 1,840 1,994 2,266
NOTE: Distributions by age are estimates based on samples of the civilian noninstitutional population from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Data through 1995 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.) Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
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 and 1980; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:90-99); IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2011, Enrollment component; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2020. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1970 through 2010. (This table was prepared September 2011.)

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