Table 243.

Percentage of first-year undergraduate students who took remedial education courses, by selected characteristics: 2003-04 and 2007-08

Selected characteristic	2003-04 first-year undergraduates1																				2007-08 first-year undergraduates1
	Percent who ever took a remedial course		Percent who took remedial course in 2003-04																		Number of students (in thou-sands)	Percent who ever took a remedial course		Number who took a course in 2007-08 (in thou-sands)	Percent who took remedial courses in 2007-08
			Any course			English			Mathematics			Reading			Studying			Writing							Any courses			1 course			2 courses			3 or more courses
1	2		3			4			5			6			7			8			9	10		11	12			13			14			15
Total	34.7	(0.37)	19.1		(0.29)	5.7		(0.22)	14.6		(0.26)	5.5		(0.17)	2.3		(0.10)	6.9		(0.18)	8,517	36.2	(0.39)	1,724	20.2		(0.32)	9.3		(0.21)	6.5		(0.16)	4.4	(0.17)
Sex
Male	32.9	(0.52)	18.3		(0.45)	5.5		(0.30)	13.9		(0.41)	5.2		(0.22)	2.2		(0.15)	6.6		(0.27)	3,714	32.8	(0.51)	719	19.4		(0.47)	8.9		(0.33)	6.5		(0.25)	3.9	(0.20)
Female	36.0	(0.55)	19.7		(0.39)	5.8		(0.23)	15.0		(0.33)	5.8		(0.24)	2.4		(0.15)	7.1		(0.26)	4,802	38.8	(0.49)	1,005	20.9		(0.40)	9.7		(0.28)	6.5		(0.23)	4.8	(0.23)
Race/ethnicity of student
White	31.7	(0.42)	17.7		(0.35)	4.9		(0.21)	13.5		(0.32)	4.4		(0.18)	2.2		(0.14)	6.4		(0.22)	4,897	31.3	(0.39)	881	18.0		(0.39)	8.8		(0.28)	5.4		(0.22)	3.9	(0.19)
Black	41.2	(0.99)	22.4		(0.76)	7.5		(0.52)	17.1		(0.66)	7.8		(0.49)	2.9		(0.26)	6.9		(0.44)	1,397	45.1	(0.96)	344	24.7		(0.85)	11.3		(0.64)	7.7		(0.44)	5.6	(0.48)
Hispanic	37.5	(0.92)	20.9		(0.69)	6.4		(0.52)	16.5		(0.63)	6.9		(0.49)	2.4		(0.25)	8.1		(0.48)	1,386	43.3	(1.11)	323	23.3		(0.79)	9.5		(0.48)	8.8		(0.49)	5.0	(0.41)
Asian	39.6	(1.72)	17.6		(1.56)	8.2		(1.09)	10.9		(1.19)	7.0		(0.83)	1.8		(0.48)	8.4		(0.93)	455	38.0	(1.82)	90	19.8		(1.84)	7.2		(1.03)	7.3		(0.78)	5.2	(0.84)
Pacific Islander	40.8	(5.11)	22.4		(4.55)	10.2	!	(4.18)	19.8		(4.64)	10.1	!	(4.07)	‡		(†)	11.3	!	(4.00)	69	40.0	(4.0)	13	19.3		(3.87)	7.9	!	(2.65)	9.2		(2.67)	‡	(†)
American Indian/Alaska      Native	44.8	(4.33)	23.6		(3.10)	3.4		(0.99)	17.3		(2.79)	8.4		(2.28)	3.9	!	(1.53)	8.0		(2.35)	82	46.8	(4.43)	24	29.0		(3.62)	12.0		(2.03)	9.0		(1.77)	8.0	(1.91)
Two or more races	33.9	(2.01)	20.8		(1.80)	4.7		(0.90)	14.8		(1.48)	4.9		(0.98)	1.9		(0.48)	6.5		(1.12)	205	32.8	(2.15)	43	20.9		(1.72)	12.2		(1.40)	5.2		(1.0)	3.5	(0.81)
Other	31.1	(2.78)	17.2		(2.34)	5.0		(1.35)	14.3		(2.12)	6.1		(1.30)	2.7	!	(0.86)	6.9		(1.63)	26	35.6	(5.97)	6	23.2		(4.92)	7.7	!	(3.08)	9.9	!	(3.02)	‡	(†)
Age
15 to 23	33.6	(0.41)	21.3		(0.38)	6.5		(0.28)	16.0		(0.34)	6.4		(0.22)	2.5		(0.13)	8.2		(0.22)	5,260	34.6	(0.46)	1,168	22.2		(0.39)	10.1		(0.31)	7.4		(0.22)	4.7	(0.20)
24 to 29	34.9	(1.02)	15.9		(0.78)	4.3		(0.40)	12.8		(0.65)	4.0		(0.40)	2.1		(0.27)	5.0		(0.55)	1,347	39.5	(0.88)	261	19.4		(0.73)	8.9		(0.59)	6.1		(0.45)	4.4	(0.41)
30 or older	37.4	(0.86)	15.6		(0.51)	4.5		(0.35)	12.1		(0.51)	4.4		(0.32)	2.1		(0.21)	4.6		(0.31)	1,910	38.1	(0.92)	295	15.5		(0.63)	7.5		(0.48)	4.3		(0.28)	3.6	(0.35)
Attendance status
Exclusively full-time	31.3	(0.46)	19.0		(0.37)	5.7		(0.22)	14.0		(0.35)	5.6		(0.22)	2.6		(0.15)	7.5		(0.23)	4,010	31.4	(0.52)	786	19.6		(0.41)	8.8		(0.28)	6.2		(0.26)	4.6	(0.22)
Exclusively part-time	37.4	(0.65)	17.9		(0.51)	5.3		(0.31)	14.0		(0.46)	5.0		(0.28)	2.0		(0.16)	5.6		(0.28)	3,426	39.8	(0.66)	650	19.0		(0.52)	9.2		(0.33)	5.9		(0.30)	3.9	(0.27)
Mixed full- and part-time	40.9	(0.96)	23.5		(0.84)	7.1		(0.56)	18.6		(0.79)	7.1		(0.47)	2.1		(0.25)	8.3		(0.45)	1,081	42.5	(1.03)	288	26.7		(1.07)	11.8		(0.70)	9.6		(0.51)	5.3	(0.45)
Student housing status
On-campus	24.5	(0.70)	16.8		(0.56)	4.8		(0.30)	11.3		(0.49)	4.8		(0.31)	2.4		(0.27)	8.2		(0.40)	1,081	23.1	(0.78)	185	17.1		(0.73)	8.8		(0.59)	5.1		(0.43)	3.2	(0.30)
Off-campus	35.8	(0.59)	16.9		(0.40)	5.1		(0.30)	13.3		(0.35)	4.6		(0.22)	2.3		(0.15)	5.5		(0.28)	4,327	37.3	(0.59)	777	18.0		(0.49)	8.4		(0.36)	5.4		(0.23)	4.1	(0.24)
With parents or relatives	37.6	(0.60)	24.2		(0.59)	7.1		(0.37)	18.3		(0.52)	7.6		(0.35)	2.5		(0.20)	8.6		(0.36)	2,538	39.8	(0.69)	646	25.4		(0.62)	11.0		(0.49)	8.9		(0.37)	5.6	(0.33)
Attended more than one      institution	36.5	(1.18)	18.3		(0.99)	6.4		(0.58)	14.5		(0.98)	5.0		(0.48)	2.2		(0.32)	6.3		(0.48)	570	36.2	(0.91)	116	20.4		(1.18)	9.6		(0.73)	6.5		(0.52)	4.3	(0.47)
Dependency status
Dependent	33.3	(0.45)	21.9		(0.40)	6.6		(0.27)	16.3		(0.35)	6.5		(0.24)	2.5		(0.14)	8.6		(0.23)	4,521	34.3	(0.47)	1,036	22.9		(0.41)	10.4		(0.32)	7.5		(0.24)	5.0	(0.22)
Independent	36.3	(0.62)	16.1		(0.39)	4.8		(0.27)	12.7		(0.37)	4.5		(0.23)	2.2		(0.15)	5.0		(0.27)	3,996	38.3	(0.58)	689	17.2		(0.45)	8.1		(0.30)	5.4		(0.26)	3.7	(0.25)
Veteran status
Veteran	35.8	(2.32)	13.2		(1.52)	1.9		(0.51)	9.8		(1.40)	3.1		(0.68)	1.1	!	(0.33)	4.3		(0.84)	260	36.7	(2.27)	44	16.9		(1.95)	10.8		(1.55)	3.8		(0.80)	‡	(†)
Not veteran	34.7	(0.39)	19.3		(0.30)	5.8		(0.22)	14.7		(0.27)	5.6		(0.18)	2.4		(0.11)	6.9		(0.18)	8,257	36.1	(0.39)	1,681	20.4		(0.33)	9.3		(0.21)	6.6		(0.17)	4.5	(0.17)
Field of study
Business/management	36.3	(0.98)	19.5		(0.95)	5.5		(0.41)	14.6		(0.99)	6.0		(0.44)	2.3		(0.35)	7.3		(0.60)	1,147	36.6	(0.97)	253	22.0		(0.88)	10.4		(0.65)	6.3		(0.50)	5.3	(0.56)
Computer science	33.7	(1.59)	19.1		(1.37)	4.7		(0.66)	14.6		(1.26)	5.3		(0.82)	2.1		(0.46)	5.6		(0.73)	296	36.0	(2.12)	60	20.3		(1.68)	8.7		(1.10)	6.9		(1.04)	4.7	(0.84)
Education	41.1	(1.58)	22.9		(1.13)	6.3		(0.74)	17.4		(1.0)	6.3		(0.72)	2.0		(0.42)	8.7		(0.86)	380	40.8	(1.80)	87	23.0		(1.40)	10.5		(1.04)	7.3		(0.73)	5.2	(0.80)
Engineering	30.3	(1.81)	16.2		(1.42)	5.4		(0.79)	12.7		(1.25)	4.7		(0.76)	2.4		(0.56)	6.6		(0.91)	378	32.3	(1.52)	71	18.7		(1.48)	8.2		(1.10)	6.4		(0.85)	4.2	(0.62)
Health	36.9	(0.82)	19.6		(0.67)	6.1		(0.48)	15.4		(0.62)	5.7		(0.43)	2.7		(0.26)	6.2		(0.49)	1,417	39.1	(0.87)	276	19.5		(0.75)	9.0		(0.57)	5.9		(0.46)	4.6	(0.36)
Humanities	34.1	(1.28)	18.9		(0.94)	5.7		(0.46)	14.3		(0.88)	5.0		(0.52)	1.7		(0.23)	7.3		(0.52)	1,405	38.4	(0.91)	322	22.9		(0.77)	10.6		(0.56)	7.6		(0.46)	4.7	(0.37)
Life sciences	31.1	(1.82)	19.6		(1.71)	5.7		(1.26)	14.5		(1.47)	5.4		(1.21)	2.7		(0.65)	8.0		(1.20)	311	30.6	(1.78)	63	20.3		(1.57)	9.8		(1.09)	6.9		(0.95)	3.5	(0.62)
Mathematics	23.0	(5.55)	11.0	!	(4.43)	‡		(†)	9.3	!	(4.26)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	29	40.8	(5.87)	‡	15.1	!	(4.54)	4.8	!	(2.17)	5.6	!	(2.60)	‡	(†)
Physical sciences	23.7	(4.35)	12.8		(3.45)	7.4	!	(2.82)	5.2	!	(2.11)	6.3	!	(3.02)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	45	25.6	(4.12)	‡	15.2		(3.16)	7.0		(1.92)	6.3	!	(2.61)	‡	(†)
Social/behavioral sciences	33.2	(2.06)	19.3		(1.57)	5.5		(0.90)	14.5		(1.38)	6.5		(1.0)	2.6		(0.54)	8.6		(1.04)	286	33.7	(1.81)	65	22.5		(1.61)	11.7		(1.21)	6.6		(0.99)	4.3	(0.93)
Vocational/technical	38.4	(2.09)	18.3		(1.59)	5.0		(0.85)	14.4		(1.39)	5.6		(1.0)	2.2		(0.46)	4.7		(0.60)	288	31.5	(2.09)	46	15.8		(1.64)	6.8		(1.04)	5.7		(0.89)	3.3	(0.70)
Undeclared	33.5	(0.67)	19.2		(0.58)	5.9		(0.37)	14.4		(0.49)	5.1		(0.33)	2.5		(0.20)	7.2		(0.37)	1,013	35.8	(1.18)	205	20.3		(1.03)	9.0		(0.65)	6.8		(0.63)	4.4	(0.45)
Other	33.2	(1.51)	17.9		(1.07)	5.2		(0.67)	13.6		(0.95)	6.1		(0.56)	2.4		(0.34)	5.8		(0.56)	888	34.2	(1.18)	164	18.5		(0.93)	8.3		(0.73)	6.0		(0.56)	4.2	(0.44)
Type of institution
Public less-than-2-year	30.6	(1.85)	10.9		(1.09)	4.8		(0.80)	9.4		(1.05)	4.0		(0.86)	1.4	!	(0.58)	3.9		(0.90)	80	31.5	(2.58)	7	9.1		(0.88)	4.7		(1.01)	0.7	!	(0.34)	3.7	(0.70)
Public 2-year	41.4	(0.59)	23.0		(0.47)	6.9		(0.33)	18.3		(0.42)	7.1		(0.28)	2.4		(0.15)	7.2		(0.27)	4,855	41.9	(0.48)	1,160	23.9		(0.43)	10.7		(0.30)	8.0		(0.25)	5.2	(0.25)
Public 4-year nondoctorate	34.1	(1.75)	21.3		(1.11)	5.3		(0.60)	16.3		(1.04)	5.2		(0.55)	1.9		(0.28)	8.5		(0.62)	690	38.6	(1.47)	175	25.3		(1.10)	12.0		(0.68)	8.8		(0.64)	4.5	(0.53)
Public 4-year doctorate	25.7	(1.11)	16.3		(0.63)	4.4		(0.34)	11.6		(0.60)	3.9		(0.39)	2.6		(0.27)	8.1		(0.42)	823	24.2	(0.96)	142	17.2		(0.77)	10.0		(0.58)	4.5		(0.35)	2.7	(0.28)
Private not-for-profit    less-than-4-year	30.8	(1.87)	12.6		(1.69)	4.2		(0.93)	10.1		(1.33)	2.7		(0.71)	2.3	!	(0.73)	4.8		(1.14)	53	33.0	(3.07)	6	10.7		(2.47)	4.6		(1.23)	1.8	!	(0.71)	4.3	(0.99)
Private not-for-profit     4-year nondoctorate	25.7	(1.19)	14.4		(0.81)	5.2		(0.70)	9.4		(0.56)	3.9		(0.42)	2.0		(0.29)	6.7		(0.79)	415	25.8	(1.69)	68	16.5		(1.44)	6.9		(1.08)	5.4		(0.67)	4.1	(0.68)
Private not-for-profit    4-year doctorate	18.4	(1.64)	11.7		(1.37)	2.5		(0.53)	7.5		(1.34)	2.9		(0.56)	2.2	!	(0.67)	6.3		(0.90)	319	22.3	(1.66)	43	13.3		(1.36)	6.9		(1.10)	3.7		(0.65)	2.7	(0.43)
Private for-profit      less-than-2-year	24.1	(0.48)	7.8		(0.23)	3.1		(0.18)	4.7		(0.16)	2.2		(0.19)	2.3		(0.12)	3.5		(0.22)	380	26.7	(0.77)	22	5.7		(0.43)	2.2		(0.25)	1.4		(0.25)	2.0	(0.22)
Private for-profit 2 years      or more	25.3	(1.63)	11.7		(1.04)	4.1		(0.50)	7.5		(0.75)	3.3		(0.45)	2.7		(0.39)	4.9		(0.70)	904	28.8	(1.32)	103	11.4		(1.12)	4.9		(0.69)	2.9		(0.57)	3.6	(0.73)

!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater.

† Not applicable ‡Reporting standards not met (too few cases).

1 Student status was determined by accumulation of credits. Students attending postsecondary education part-time, or not completing the credit accumulation requirements for second-year status, could be considered first-year students for more than one year.

NOTE: Data are based on a sample survey of students who enrolled at any time during the school year. Data include Puerto Rico. Detail may not sum to totals because of survey item nonresponse and rounding. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Standard errors appear in parentheses.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2003-04 and 2007-08 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:04 and NPSAS:08). (This table was prepared July 2010.)