Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics: 2015
Digest of Education Statistics: 2015

NCES 2016-014
December 2016


Table 303.40. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and age: Selected years, 1970 through 2025
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, and age 1970 1980 1990 2000 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Projected
2015 2016 2020 2025
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
All students 8,581 12,097 13,819 15,312 17,272 17,487 17,759 18,248 19,103 20,314 21,019 21,011 20,644 20,376 20,207 20,264 20,516 22,013 23,290
14 to 17 years old 263 257 153 131 166 187 184 200 195 215 202 221 242 256 257 251 256 271 287
18 and 19 years old 2,579 2,852 2,777 3,258 3,367 3,444 3,561 3,690 3,813 4,009 4,057 3,956 3,782 3,720 3,694 3,881 3,929 4,137 4,360
20 and 21 years old 1,885 2,395 2,593 3,005 3,516 3,563 3,573 3,570 3,649 3,916 4,103 4,269 4,235 4,183 4,074 4,292 4,279 4,527 4,689
22 to 24 years old 1,469 1,947 2,202 2,600 3,166 3,114 3,185 3,280 3,443 3,571 3,759 3,793 3,951 3,964 3,990 3,962 3,974 4,083 4,283
25 to 29 years old 1,091 1,843 2,083 2,044 2,418 2,469 2,506 2,651 2,840 3,082 3,254 3,272 3,155 3,050 3,016 2,955 3,066 3,372 3,426
30 to 34 years old 527 1,227 1,384 1,333 1,440 1,438 1,472 1,519 1,609 1,735 1,805 1,788 1,684 1,606 1,552 1,471 1,506 1,706 1,877
35 years old and over 767 1,577 2,627 2,942 3,199 3,272 3,277 3,339 3,554 3,785 3,840 3,712 3,597 3,597 3,625 3,453 3,506 3,917 4,367
                                       
Males 5,044 5,874 6,284 6,722 7,387 7,456 7,575 7,816 8,189 8,733 9,046 9,034 8,919 8,861 8,797 8,760 8,808 9,364 9,937
14 to 17 years old 125 106 66 58 62 68 69 88 93 103 94 104 119 125 126 114 116 120 128
18 and 19 years old 1,355 1,368 1,298 1,464 1,475 1,523 1,604 1,669 1,704 1,795 1,820 1,782 1,707 1,661 1,639 1,688 1,704 1,781 1,880
20 and 21 years old 1,064 1,219 1,259 1,411 1,608 1,658 1,628 1,634 1,695 1,866 1,948 1,985 1,960 1,955 1,932 2,034 2,009 2,099 2,158
22 to 24 years old 1,004 1,075 1,129 1,222 1,437 1,410 1,445 1,480 1,555 1,599 1,723 1,769 1,864 1,846 1,803 1,799 1,788 1,811 1,895
25 to 29 years old 796 983 1,024 908 1,039 1,057 1,040 1,148 1,222 1,378 1,410 1,404 1,353 1,356 1,376 1,329 1,373 1,510 1,548
30 to 34 years old 333 564 605 581 619 591 628 638 691 707 731 700 661 634 621 565 576 653 734
35 years old and over 366 559 902 1,077 1,147 1,149 1,160 1,159 1,228 1,285 1,320 1,290 1,255 1,283 1,300 1,231 1,242 1,390 1,593
                                       
Females 3,537 6,223 7,535 8,591 9,885 10,032 10,184 10,432 10,914 11,581 11,974 11,976 11,725 11,515 11,410 11,503 11,708 12,648 13,353
14 to 17 years old 137 151 87 73 104 119 115 112 102 113 108 116 123 131 130 137 141 150 159
18 and 19 years old 1,224 1,484 1,479 1,794 1,892 1,920 1,956 2,021 2,109 2,214 2,237 2,173 2,074 2,059 2,055 2,193 2,225 2,356 2,479
20 and 21 years old 821 1,177 1,334 1,593 1,908 1,905 1,945 1,936 1,954 2,050 2,155 2,284 2,276 2,228 2,142 2,258 2,269 2,428 2,532
22 to 24 years old 464 871 1,073 1,378 1,729 1,704 1,740 1,800 1,888 1,972 2,036 2,024 2,087 2,118 2,187 2,163 2,187 2,272 2,388
25 to 29 years old 296 859 1,059 1,136 1,379 1,413 1,466 1,502 1,618 1,704 1,844 1,868 1,802 1,694 1,640 1,625 1,693 1,862 1,878
30 to 34 years old 194 663 779 752 821 847 844 881 918 1,028 1,074 1,088 1,022 972 931 906 930 1,053 1,143
35 years old and over 401 1,018 1,725 1,865 2,052 2,123 2,117 2,180 2,326 2,500 2,520 2,422 2,341 2,314 2,325 2,221 2,264 2,528 2,774
                                       
Full-time 5,816 7,098 7,821 9,010 10,610 10,797 10,957 11,270 11,748 12,605 13,087 13,003 12,734 12,597 12,454 12,484 12,651 13,550 14,278
14 to 17 years old 246 231 134 121 138 152 148 169 168 179 170 185 207 210 208 182 187 196 205
18 and 19 years old 2,374 2,544 2,471 2,823 2,960 3,026 3,120 3,244 3,359 3,481 3,496 3,351 3,226 3,199 3,198 3,296 3,343 3,530 3,720
20 and 21 years old 1,649 2,007 2,137 2,452 2,926 2,976 2,972 2,985 3,043 3,241 3,364 3,427 3,386 3,327 3,260 3,277 3,276 3,488 3,625
22 to 24 years old 904 1,181 1,405 1,714 2,143 2,122 2,127 2,205 2,347 2,511 2,585 2,580 2,603 2,650 2,620 2,619 2,638 2,716 2,837
25 to 29 years old 426 641 791 886 1,132 1,174 1,225 1,299 1,369 1,506 1,605 1,600 1,555 1,529 1,527 1,532 1,593 1,771 1,809
30 to 34 years old 113 272 383 418 517 547 571 556 571 657 745 763 711 664 616 575 591 681 758
35 years old and over 104 221 500 596 795 800 794 812 890 1,030 1,122 1,096 1,047 1,019 1,024 1,003 1,023 1,168 1,324
                                       
Males 3,504 3,689 3,808 4,111 4,739 4,803 4,879 5,029 5,234 5,632 5,838 5,793 5,708 5,682 5,619 5,638 5,671 5,998 6,318
14 to 17 years old 121 95 55 51 49 53 52 74 73 77 71 85 102 106 106 98 100 104 111
18 and 19 years old 1,261 1,219 1,171 1,252 1,297 1,339 1,404 1,465 1,516 1,570 1,574 1,510 1,461 1,423 1,400 1,392 1,409 1,476 1,560
20 and 21 years old 955 1,046 1,035 1,156 1,360 1,398 1,372 1,366 1,407 1,536 1,586 1,586 1,537 1,542 1,523 1,583 1,564 1,639 1,688
22 to 24 years old 686 717 768 834 1,001 982 992 1,043 1,105 1,169 1,215 1,217 1,254 1,270 1,249 1,261 1,253 1,275 1,337
25 to 29 years old 346 391 433 410 498 506 533 578 597 661 715 727 728 734 744 733 761 842 866
30 to 34 years old 77 142 171 186 231 225 235 231 249 279 301 299 278 257 233 215 221 252 285
35 years old and over 58 80 174 222 302 300 291 273 287 341 376 369 349 351 363 357 363 410 473
                                       
Females 2,312 3,409 4,013 4,899 5,871 5,994 6,078 6,240 6,513 6,973 7,249 7,210 7,026 6,915 6,835 6,846 6,980 7,552 7,960
14 to 17 years old 125 136 78 70 89 98 95 95 95 102 99 100 105 104 102 84 87 92 94
18 and 19 years old 1,113 1,325 1,300 1,571 1,662 1,687 1,716 1,779 1,843 1,911 1,922 1,842 1,765 1,776 1,798 1,904 1,935 2,054 2,160
20 and 21 years old 693 961 1,101 1,296 1,566 1,578 1,601 1,619 1,636 1,705 1,778 1,840 1,849 1,785 1,738 1,694 1,712 1,849 1,938
22 to 24 years old 218 464 638 880 1,142 1,140 1,135 1,163 1,242 1,343 1,370 1,364 1,349 1,380 1,371 1,359 1,385 1,442 1,500
25 to 29 years old 80 250 358 476 634 668 692 721 772 845 891 873 827 794 783 798 832 929 943
30 to 34 years old 37 130 212 232 286 322 336 324 322 378 444 464 433 408 383 360 370 429 473
35 years old and over 46 141 326 374 493 500 503 539 603 690 746 727 698 668 661 646 660 758 852
                                       
Part-time 2,765 4,999 5,998 6,303 6,662 6,690 6,802 6,978 7,355 7,708 7,932 8,008 7,910 7,779 7,753 7,779 7,865 8,463 9,012
14 to 17 years old 16 26 19 10 28 36 36 31 27 36 32 36 35 47 48 68 70 75 82
18 and 19 years old 205 308 306 435 407 417 440 446 453 528 561 604 556 521 496 585 586 607 639
20 and 21 years old 236 388 456 553 590 586 601 585 606 675 738 842 850 855 814 1,015 1,003 1,040 1,064
22 to 24 years old 564 765 796 886 1,023 992 1,058 1,074 1,096 1,059 1,174 1,212 1,348 1,314 1,370 1,343 1,336 1,366 1,446
25 to 29 years old 665 1,202 1,291 1,158 1,286 1,296 1,282 1,352 1,471 1,576 1,648 1,672 1,600 1,522 1,489 1,423 1,472 1,601 1,618
30 to 34 years old 414 954 1,001 915 923 891 901 963 1,037 1,079 1,060 1,025 973 942 935 896 915 1,025 1,119
35 years old and over 663 1,356 2,127 2,345 2,404 2,472 2,483 2,527 2,664 2,754 2,718 2,616 2,550 2,578 2,600 2,449 2,483 2,749 3,043
                                       
Males 1,540 2,185 2,476 2,611 2,648 2,653 2,696 2,786 2,955 3,101 3,207 3,241 3,211 3,179 3,178 3,122 3,137 3,367 3,619
14 to 17 years old 4 12 11 7 13 15 17 14 20 25 23 20 17 20 20 16 16 17 18
18 and 19 years old 94 149 127 212 178 184 200 204 188 226 245 273 246 239 239 297 295 305 320
20 and 21 years old 108 172 224 255 248 260 257 269 289 330 362 398 423 413 409 451 445 460 470
22 to 24 years old 318 359 361 388 436 428 452 438 450 430 508 552 610 576 554 538 535 537 558
25 to 29 years old 450 592 591 498 540 551 507 570 625 718 695 677 625 622 632 596 612 668 682
30 to 34 years old 257 422 435 395 388 365 393 406 442 428 430 401 383 377 387 350 355 401 449
35 years old and over 309 479 728 855 845 850 869 886 941 944 944 921 906 932 936 874 879 980 1,121
                                       
Females 1,225 2,814 3,521 3,692 4,014 4,038 4,106 4,192 4,401 4,607 4,725 4,767 4,699 4,600 4,576 4,657 4,728 5,096 5,393
14 to 17 years old 12 14 9 3 15 21 20 17 7 11 9 16 18 27 28 53 54 59 65
18 and 19 years old 112 159 179 223 230 233 240 242 265 303 316 332 310 283 257 288 290 302 319
20 and 21 years old 128 216 233 298 342 327 344 317 318 345 377 444 427 443 405 564 558 580 594
22 to 24 years old 246 407 435 497 588 564 605 637 646 629 666 660 738 738 816 804 802 830 888
25 to 29 years old 216 609 700 660 746 745 774 781 846 859 953 995 975 900 857 827 860 933 935
30 to 34 years old 158 532 567 520 535 526 508 557 595 651 630 624 589 564 548 546 560 624 670
35 years old and over 354 876 1,399 1,491 1,560 1,623 1,614 1,640 1,723 1,810 1,774 1,695 1,643 1,646 1,664 1,575 1,604 1,770 1,922
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. 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 2015, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 1980 through 2025. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1970 through 2014. (This table was prepared March 2016.)