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Digest of Education Statistics
2015 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 303.10. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex of student, and control of institution: Selected years, 1947 through 2025
Year Total
enrollment
Attendance status Sex of student Control of institution
Full-time Part-time Percent
part-time
Male Female Percent
female
Public Private
Total Nonprofit For-profit
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
19471 2,338,226   1,659,249 678,977 29.0 1,152,377 1,185,849  
19481 2,403,396   1,709,367 694,029 28.9 1,185,588 1,217,808  
19491 2,444,900   1,721,572 723,328 29.6 1,207,151 1,237,749  
19501 2,281,298   1,560,392 720,906 31.6 1,139,699 1,141,599  
19511 2,101,962   1,390,740 711,222 33.8 1,037,938 1,064,024  
                           
19521 2,134,242   1,380,357 753,885 35.3 1,101,240 1,033,002  
19531 2,231,054   1,422,598 808,456 36.2 1,185,876 1,045,178  
19541 2,446,693   1,563,382 883,311 36.1 1,353,531 1,093,162  
19551 2,653,034   1,733,184 919,850 34.7 1,476,282 1,176,752  
19561 2,918,212   1,911,458 1,006,754 34.5 1,656,402 1,261,810  
                           
1957 3,323,783   2,170,765 1,153,018 34.7 1,972,673 1,351,110  
1959 3,639,847 2,421,016 1,218,831 2 33.5 2,332,617 1,307,230 35.9 2,180,982 1,458,865  
1961 4,145,065 2,785,133 1,359,932 2 32.8 2,585,821 1,559,244 37.6 2,561,447 1,583,618  
1963 4,779,609 3,183,833 1,595,776 2 33.4 2,961,540 1,818,069 38.0 3,081,279 1,698,330  
1964 5,280,020 3,573,238 1,706,782 2 32.3 3,248,713 2,031,307 38.5 3,467,708 1,812,312  
                           
1965 5,920,864 4,095,728 1,825,136 2 30.8 3,630,020 2,290,844 38.7 3,969,596 1,951,268  
1966 6,389,872 4,438,606 1,951,266 2 30.5 3,856,216 2,533,656 39.7 4,348,917 2,040,955  
1967 6,911,748 4,793,128 2,118,620 2 30.7 4,132,800 2,778,948 40.2 4,816,028 2,095,720 2,074,041 21,679  
1968 7,513,091 5,210,155 2,302,936   30.7 4,477,649 3,035,442 40.4 5,430,652 2,082,439 2,061,211 21,228  
1969 8,004,660 5,498,883 2,505,777   31.3 4,746,201 3,258,459 40.7 5,896,868 2,107,792 2,087,653 20,139  
                           
1970 8,580,887 5,816,290 2,764,597   32.2 5,043,642 3,537,245 41.2 6,428,134 2,152,753 2,134,420 18,333  
1971 8,948,644 6,077,232 2,871,412   32.1 5,207,004 3,741,640 41.8 6,804,309 2,144,335 2,121,913 22,422  
1972 9,214,860 6,072,389 3,142,471   34.1 5,238,757 3,976,103 43.1 7,070,635 2,144,225 2,123,245 20,980  
1973 9,602,123 6,189,493 3,412,630   35.5 5,371,052 4,231,071 44.1 7,419,516 2,182,607 2,148,784 33,823  
1974 10,223,729 6,370,273 3,853,456   37.7 5,622,429 4,601,300 45.0 7,988,500 2,235,229 2,200,963 34,266  
                           
1975 11,184,859 6,841,334 4,343,525   38.8 6,148,997 5,035,862 45.0 8,834,508 2,350,351 2,311,448 38,903  
1976 11,012,137 6,717,058 4,295,079   39.0 5,810,828 5,201,309 47.2 8,653,477 2,358,660 2,314,298 44,362  
1977 11,285,787 6,792,925 4,492,862   39.8 5,789,016 5,496,771 48.7 8,846,993 2,438,794 2,386,652 52,142  
1978 11,260,092 6,667,657 4,592,435   40.8 5,640,998 5,619,094 49.9 8,785,893 2,474,199 2,408,331 65,868  
1979 11,569,899 6,794,039 4,775,860   41.3 5,682,877 5,887,022 50.9 9,036,822 2,533,077 2,461,773 71,304  
                           
1980 12,096,895 7,097,958 4,998,937   41.3 5,874,374 6,222,521 51.4 9,457,394 2,639,501 2,527,787 111,714 3
1981 12,371,672 7,181,250 5,190,422   42.0 5,975,056 6,396,616 51.7 9,647,032 2,724,640 2,572,405 152,235 3
1982 12,425,780 7,220,618 5,205,162   41.9 6,031,384 6,394,396 51.5 9,696,087 2,729,693 2,552,739 176,954 3
1983 12,464,661 7,261,050 5,203,611   41.7 6,023,725 6,440,936 51.7 9,682,734 2,781,927 2,589,187 192,740  
1984 12,241,940 7,098,388 5,143,552   42.0 5,863,574 6,378,366 52.1 9,477,370 2,764,570 2,574,419 190,151  
                           
1985 12,247,055 7,075,221 5,171,834   42.2 5,818,450 6,428,605 52.5 9,479,273 2,767,782 2,571,791 195,991  
1986 12,503,511 7,119,550 5,383,961   43.1 5,884,515 6,618,996 52.9 9,713,893 2,789,618 2,572,479 217,139 4
1987 12,766,642 7,231,085 5,535,557   43.4 5,932,056 6,834,586 53.5 9,973,254 2,793,388 2,602,350 191,038 4
1988 13,055,337 7,436,768 5,618,569   43.0 6,001,896 7,053,441 54.0 10,161,388 2,893,949 2,673,567 220,382  
1989 13,538,560 7,660,950 5,877,610   43.4 6,190,015 7,348,545 54.3 10,577,963 2,960,597 2,731,174 229,423  
                           
1990 13,818,637 7,820,985 5,997,652   43.4 6,283,909 7,534,728 54.5 10,844,717 2,973,920 2,760,227 213,693  
1991 14,358,953 8,115,329 6,243,624   43.5 6,501,844 7,857,109 54.7 11,309,563 3,049,390 2,819,041 230,349  
1992 14,487,359 8,162,118 6,325,241   43.7 6,523,989 7,963,370 55.0 11,384,567 3,102,792 2,872,523 230,269  
1993 14,304,803 8,127,618 6,177,185   43.2 6,427,450 7,877,353 55.1 11,189,088 3,115,715 2,888,897 226,818  
1994 14,278,790 8,137,776 6,141,014   43.0 6,371,898 7,906,892 55.4 11,133,680 3,145,110 2,910,107 235,003  
                           
1995 14,261,781 8,128,802 6,132,979   43.0 6,342,539 7,919,242 55.5 11,092,374 3,169,407 2,929,044 240,363  
1996 14,367,520 8,302,953 6,064,567   42.2 6,352,825 8,014,695 55.8 11,120,499 3,247,021 2,942,556 304,465  
1997 14,502,334 8,438,062 6,064,272   41.8 6,396,028 8,106,306 55.9 11,196,119 3,306,215 2,977,614 328,601  
1998 14,506,967 8,563,338 5,943,629   41.0 6,369,265 8,137,702 56.1 11,137,769 3,369,198 3,004,925 364,273  
1999 14,849,691 8,803,139 6,046,552   40.7 6,515,164 8,334,527 56.1 11,375,739 3,473,952 3,055,029 418,923  
                           
2000 15,312,289 9,009,600 6,302,689   41.2 6,721,769 8,590,520 56.1 11,752,786 3,559,503 3,109,419 450,084  
2001 15,927,987 9,447,502 6,480,485   40.7 6,960,815 8,967,172 56.3 12,233,156 3,694,831 3,167,330 527,501  
2002 16,611,711 9,946,359 6,665,352   40.1 7,202,116 9,409,595 56.6 12,751,993 3,859,718 3,265,476 594,242  
2003 16,911,481 10,326,133 6,585,348   38.9 7,260,264 9,651,217 57.1 12,858,698 4,052,783 3,341,048 711,735  
2004 17,272,044 10,610,177 6,661,867   38.6 7,387,262 9,884,782 57.2 12,980,112 4,291,932 3,411,685 880,247  
                           
2005 17,487,475 10,797,011 6,690,464   38.3 7,455,925 10,031,550 57.4 13,021,834 4,465,641 3,454,692 1,010,949  
2006 17,758,870 10,957,305 6,801,565   38.3 7,574,815 10,184,055 57.3 13,180,133 4,578,737 3,512,866 1,065,871  
2007 18,248,128 11,269,892 6,978,236   38.2 7,815,914 10,432,214 57.2 13,490,780 4,757,348 3,571,150 1,186,198  
2008 19,102,814 11,747,743 7,355,071   38.5 8,188,895 10,913,919 57.1 13,972,153 5,130,661 3,661,519 1,469,142  
2009 20,313,594 12,605,355 7,708,239   37.9 8,732,953 11,580,641 57.0 14,810,768 5,502,826 3,767,672 1,735,154  
                           
2010 21,019,438 13,087,182 7,932,256   37.7 9,045,759 11,973,679 57.0 15,142,171 5,877,267 3,854,482 2,022,785  
2011 21,010,590 13,002,531 8,008,059   38.1 9,034,256 11,976,334 57.0 15,116,303 5,894,287 3,926,819 1,967,468  
2012 20,644,478 12,734,404 7,910,074   38.3 8,919,006 11,725,472 56.8 14,884,667 5,759,811 3,951,388 1,808,423  
2013 20,375,789 12,597,112 7,778,677   38.2 8,860,786 11,515,003 56.5 14,745,558 5,630,231 3,974,004 1,656,227  
2014 20,207,369 12,453,975 7,753,394   38.2 8,797,061 11,410,308 57.0 14,655,015 5,552,354 3,996,089 1,556,265  
                           
20155 20,264,000 12,484,000 7,779,000   38.3 8,760,000 11,503,000 57.3 14,789,000 5,475,000  
20165 20,516,000 12,651,000 7,865,000   38.5 8,808,000 11,708,000 57.6 14,964,000 5,552,000  
20175 20,972,000 12,942,000 8,030,000   38.6 8,944,000 12,028,000 57.9 15,287,000 5,686,000  
20185 21,410,000 13,207,000 8,203,000   38.7 9,118,000 12,292,000 58.1 15,604,000 5,807,000  
20195 21,753,000 13,403,000 8,349,000   38.8 9,260,000 12,493,000 58.2 15,852,000 5,900,000  
                           
20205 22,013,000 13,550,000 8,463,000   38.9 9,364,000 12,648,000 58.4 16,038,000 5,975,000  
20215 22,323,000 13,726,000 8,597,000   39.0 9,496,000 12,827,000 58.5 16,261,000 6,062,000  
20225 22,613,000 13,894,000 8,720,000   39.0 9,625,000 12,989,000 58.7 16,471,000 6,143,000  
20235 22,896,000 14,072,000 8,824,000   39.1 9,747,000 13,149,000 58.8 16,673,000 6,223,000  
20245 23,149,000 14,220,000 8,929,000   39.1 9,859,000 13,290,000 58.8 16,858,000 6,291,000  
20255 23,290,000 14,278,000 9,012,000   39.1 9,937,000 13,353,000 58.8 16,967,000 6,323,000  
—Not available.
1 Degree-credit enrollment only.
2 Includes part-time resident students and all extension students (students attending courses at sites separate from the primary reporting campus). In later years, part-time student enrollment was collected as a distinct category.
3 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
4 Because of imputation techniques, data are not consistent with figures for other years.
5 Projected.
NOTE: 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. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Biennial Survey of Education in the United States; Opening Fall Enrollment in Higher Education, 1963 through 1965; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Colleges and Universities" surveys, 1966 through 1985; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:86-99); IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2015, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 1980 through 2025. (This table was prepared February 2016.)

2015 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest