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Digest of Education Statistics
2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 303.40. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status, sex, and age: Selected years, 1970 through 2027
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, and age 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Projected
2017 2018 2020 2027
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 17,487 18,248 19,103 20,314 21,019 21,011 20,644 20,377 20,209 19,988 19,841 19,831 19,924 20,047 20,453
14 to 17 years old 263 257 153 131 187 200 195 215 202 221 242 256 239 214 207 212 209 208 208
18 and 19 years old 2,579 2,852 2,777 3,258 3,444 3,690 3,813 4,009 4,057 3,956 3,782 3,720 3,720 3,732 3,730 4,008 4,050 4,014 4,052
20 and 21 years old 1,885 2,395 2,593 3,005 3,563 3,570 3,649 3,916 4,103 4,269 4,235 4,183 4,163 4,148 4,197 4,356 4,359 4,425 4,461
22 to 24 years old 1,469 1,947 2,202 2,600 3,114 3,280 3,443 3,571 3,759 3,793 3,951 3,964 3,910 3,785 3,689 3,708 3,668 3,629 3,666
25 to 29 years old 1,091 1,843 2,083 2,044 2,469 2,651 2,840 3,082 3,254 3,272 3,155 3,050 3,084 3,165 3,213 3,178 3,216 3,210 3,136
30 to 34 years old 527 1,227 1,384 1,333 1,438 1,519 1,609 1,735 1,805 1,788 1,684 1,606 1,586 1,600 1,627 1,508 1,524 1,585 1,640
35 years old and over 767 1,577 2,627 2,942 3,272 3,339 3,554 3,785 3,840 3,712 3,597 3,597 3,507 3,344 3,179 2,860 2,897 2,976 3,290
                                       
Males 5,044 5,874 6,284 6,722 7,456 7,816 8,189 8,733 9,046 9,034 8,919 8,861 8,798 8,724 8,636 8,637 8,675 8,726 8,896
14 to 17 years old 125 106 66 58 68 88 93 103 94 104 119 125 117 94 83 78 77 77 77
18 and 19 years old 1,355 1,368 1,298 1,464 1,523 1,669 1,704 1,795 1,820 1,782 1,707 1,661 1,673 1,684 1,708 1,805 1,823 1,805 1,821
20 and 21 years old 1,064 1,219 1,259 1,411 1,658 1,634 1,695 1,866 1,948 1,985 1,960 1,955 1,960 1,954 1,948 2,023 2,022 2,053 2,068
22 to 24 years old 1,004 1,075 1,129 1,222 1,410 1,480 1,555 1,599 1,723 1,769 1,864 1,846 1,789 1,746 1,726 1,742 1,721 1,699 1,714
25 to 29 years old 796 983 1,024 908 1,057 1,148 1,222 1,378 1,410 1,404 1,353 1,356 1,379 1,382 1,364 1,328 1,346 1,347 1,312
30 to 34 years old 333 564 605 581 591 638 691 707 731 700 661 634 643 655 669 613 621 649 676
35 years old and over 366 559 902 1,077 1,149 1,159 1,228 1,285 1,320 1,290 1,255 1,283 1,237 1,208 1,137 1,048 1,063 1,096 1,228
                                       
Females 3,537 6,223 7,535 8,591 10,032 10,432 10,914 11,581 11,974 11,976 11,725 11,515 11,412 11,264 11,205 11,193 11,249 11,322 11,557
14 to 17 years old 137 151 87 73 119 112 102 113 108 116 123 131 121 120 123 133 132 131 131
18 and 19 years old 1,224 1,484 1,479 1,794 1,920 2,021 2,109 2,214 2,237 2,173 2,074 2,059 2,047 2,049 2,021 2,203 2,227 2,209 2,231
20 and 21 years old 821 1,177 1,334 1,593 1,905 1,936 1,954 2,050 2,155 2,284 2,276 2,228 2,203 2,194 2,249 2,334 2,337 2,372 2,393
22 to 24 years old 464 871 1,073 1,378 1,704 1,800 1,888 1,972 2,036 2,024 2,087 2,118 2,122 2,038 1,962 1,966 1,947 1,930 1,952
25 to 29 years old 296 859 1,059 1,136 1,413 1,502 1,618 1,704 1,844 1,868 1,802 1,694 1,706 1,783 1,849 1,851 1,870 1,862 1,824
30 to 34 years old 194 663 779 752 847 881 918 1,028 1,074 1,088 1,022 972 943 945 958 895 903 937 964
35 years old and over 401 1,018 1,725 1,865 2,123 2,180 2,326 2,500 2,520 2,422 2,341 2,314 2,270 2,136 2,042 1,812 1,834 1,880 2,062
                                       
Full-time 5,816 7,098 7,821 9,010 10,797 11,270 11,748 12,605 13,087 13,003 12,734 12,597 12,454 12,288 12,126 12,085 12,128 12,164 12,325
14 to 17 years old 246 231 134 121 152 169 168 179 170 185 207 210 200 182 185 169 167 166 166
18 and 19 years old 2,374 2,544 2,471 2,823 3,026 3,244 3,359 3,481 3,496 3,351 3,226 3,199 3,174 3,188 3,133 3,292 3,327 3,295 3,327
20 and 21 years old 1,649 2,007 2,137 2,452 2,976 2,985 3,043 3,241 3,364 3,427 3,386 3,327 3,326 3,290 3,302 3,283 3,285 3,334 3,361
22 to 24 years old 904 1,181 1,405 1,714 2,122 2,205 2,347 2,511 2,585 2,580 2,603 2,650 2,597 2,568 2,506 2,475 2,447 2,423 2,448
25 to 29 years old 426 641 791 886 1,174 1,299 1,369 1,506 1,605 1,600 1,555 1,528 1,525 1,519 1,500 1,484 1,502 1,499 1,465
30 to 34 years old 113 272 383 418 547 556 571 657 745 763 711 664 626 601 605 556 562 584 605
35 years old and over 104 221 500 596 800 812 890 1,030 1,122 1,096 1,047 1,018 1,005 941 896 828 839 862 953
                                       
Males 3,504 3,689 3,808 4,111 4,803 5,029 5,234 5,632 5,838 5,793 5,708 5,682 5,620 5,558 5,473 5,464 5,482 5,496 5,565
14 to 17 years old 121 95 55 51 53 74 73 77 71 85 102 106 100 81 73 65 64 64 64
18 and 19 years old 1,261 1,219 1,171 1,252 1,339 1,465 1,516 1,570 1,574 1,510 1,461 1,423 1,402 1,414 1,414 1,492 1,508 1,492 1,505
20 and 21 years old 955 1,046 1,035 1,156 1,398 1,366 1,407 1,536 1,586 1,586 1,537 1,542 1,549 1,546 1,520 1,505 1,505 1,528 1,539
22 to 24 years old 686 717 768 834 982 1,043 1,105 1,169 1,215 1,217 1,254 1,270 1,236 1,208 1,170 1,146 1,132 1,117 1,127
25 to 29 years old 346 391 433 410 506 578 597 661 715 727 728 734 732 709 692 674 684 684 666
30 to 34 years old 77 142 171 186 225 231 249 279 301 299 278 257 242 251 264 260 263 274 286
35 years old and over 58 80 174 222 300 273 287 341 376 369 349 351 360 349 340 322 327 337 378
                                       
Females 2,312 3,409 4,013 4,899 5,994 6,240 6,513 6,973 7,249 7,210 7,026 6,914 6,835 6,729 6,653 6,621 6,646 6,668 6,760
14 to 17 years old 125 136 78 70 98 95 95 102 99 100 105 104 101 101 112 104 103 102 102
18 and 19 years old 1,113 1,325 1,300 1,571 1,687 1,779 1,843 1,911 1,922 1,842 1,765 1,776 1,773 1,774 1,718 1,799 1,819 1,804 1,822
20 and 21 years old 693 961 1,101 1,296 1,578 1,619 1,636 1,705 1,778 1,840 1,849 1,785 1,777 1,744 1,782 1,778 1,780 1,806 1,822
22 to 24 years old 218 464 638 880 1,140 1,163 1,242 1,343 1,370 1,364 1,349 1,380 1,362 1,359 1,336 1,329 1,315 1,306 1,321
25 to 29 years old 80 250 358 476 668 721 772 845 891 873 827 794 793 810 808 810 818 815 798
30 to 34 years old 37 130 212 232 322 324 322 378 444 464 433 408 384 350 341 296 299 310 319
35 years old and over 46 141 326 374 500 539 603 690 746 727 698 667 645 592 556 506 512 525 576
                                       
Part-time 2,765 4,999 5,998 6,303 6,690 6,978 7,355 7,708 7,932 8,008 7,910 7,780 7,755 7,701 7,715 7,746 7,796 7,883 8,129
14 to 17 years old 16 26 19 10 36 31 27 36 32 36 35 47 38 32 22 43 43 42 42
18 and 19 years old 205 308 306 435 417 446 453 528 561 604 556 521 546 545 597 717 724 719 726
20 and 21 years old 236 388 456 553 586 585 606 675 738 842 850 855 836 858 895 1,073 1,074 1,091 1,100
22 to 24 years old 564 765 796 886 992 1,074 1,096 1,059 1,174 1,212 1,348 1,314 1,313 1,217 1,182 1,234 1,221 1,206 1,218
25 to 29 years old 665 1,202 1,291 1,158 1,296 1,352 1,471 1,576 1,648 1,672 1,600 1,522 1,560 1,646 1,713 1,694 1,714 1,711 1,672
30 to 34 years old 414 954 1,001 915 891 963 1,037 1,079 1,060 1,025 973 942 960 1,000 1,022 953 963 1,001 1,035
35 years old and over 663 1,356 2,127 2,345 2,472 2,527 2,664 2,754 2,718 2,616 2,550 2,579 2,502 2,404 2,283 2,032 2,058 2,114 2,337
                                       
Males 1,540 2,185 2,476 2,611 2,653 2,786 2,955 3,101 3,207 3,241 3,211 3,179 3,178 3,165 3,163 3,173 3,193 3,230 3,332
14 to 17 years old 4 12 11 7 15 14 20 25 23 20 17 20 18 13 10 13 13 13 13
18 and 19 years old 94 149 127 212 184 204 188 226 245 273 246 239 271 270 294 312 315 313 316
20 and 21 years old 108 172 224 255 260 269 289 330 362 398 423 413 411 408 428 517 517 526 529
22 to 24 years old 318 359 361 388 428 438 450 430 508 552 610 576 553 538 556 597 589 582 587
25 to 29 years old 450 592 591 498 551 570 625 718 695 677 625 622 646 673 672 654 663 663 646
30 to 34 years old 257 422 435 395 365 406 442 428 430 401 383 377 401 405 405 354 359 374 390
35 years old and over 309 479 728 855 850 886 941 944 944 921 906 932 877 859 797 726 736 759 850
                                       
Females 1,225 2,814 3,521 3,692 4,038 4,192 4,401 4,607 4,725 4,767 4,699 4,601 4,577 4,535 4,552 4,572 4,603 4,654 4,797
14 to 17 years old 12 14 9 3 21 17 7 11 9 16 18 27 20 19 12 30 29 29 29
18 and 19 years old 112 159 179 223 233 242 265 303 316 332 310 283 274 275 303 404 408 405 410
20 and 21 years old 128 216 233 298 327 317 318 345 377 444 427 443 425 450 467 556 557 566 570
22 to 24 years old 246 407 435 497 564 637 646 629 666 660 738 738 760 679 627 637 632 625 631
25 to 29 years old 216 609 700 660 745 781 846 859 953 995 975 900 913 973 1,041 1,041 1,051 1,047 1,026
30 to 34 years old 158 532 567 520 526 557 595 651 630 624 589 565 559 595 616 599 604 627 645
35 years old and over 354 876 1,399 1,491 1,623 1,640 1,723 1,810 1,774 1,695 1,643 1,647 1,625 1,544 1,486 1,306 1,322 1,355 1,486
NOTE: Distributions by age are estimates based on samples of the civilian noninstitutionalized 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 2017, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 2000 through 2027. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1970 through 2016. (This table was prepared April 2018.)

2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest