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Digest of Education Statistics
2019 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 of student: Selected years, 1970 through 2029
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, and age 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Projected
2019 2020 2021 2029
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 20,314 21,019 21,011 20,644 20,377 20,209 19,988 19,847 19,778 19,646 19,720 19,744 19,778 20,115
14 to 17 years old 263 257 153 131 187 215 202 221 242 256 239 214 214 210 206 204 205 207 204
18 and 19 years old 2,579 2,852 2,777 3,258 3,444 4,009 4,057 3,956 3,782 3,720 3,720 3,732 3,738 3,782 3,768 4,091 4,029 3,996 4,025
20 and 21 years old 1,885 2,395 2,593 3,005 3,563 3,916 4,103 4,269 4,235 4,183 4,163 4,148 4,204 4,160 4,142 4,467 4,519 4,537 4,517
22 to 24 years old 1,469 1,947 2,202 2,600 3,114 3,571 3,759 3,793 3,951 3,964 3,910 3,785 3,736 3,691 3,666 3,551 3,540 3,547 3,619
25 to 29 years old 1,091 1,843 2,083 2,044 2,469 3,082 3,254 3,272 3,155 3,050 3,084 3,165 3,192 3,226 3,194 3,058 3,033 2,996 2,957
30 to 34 years old 527 1,227 1,384 1,333 1,438 1,735 1,805 1,788 1,684 1,606 1,586 1,600 1,589 1,587 1,562 1,565 1,597 1,632 1,625
35 years old and over 767 1,577 2,627 2,942 3,272 3,785 3,840 3,712 3,597 3,597 3,507 3,344 3,174 3,123 3,107 2,785 2,821 2,864 3,166

Males
5,044 5,874 6,284 6,722 7,456 8,733 9,046 9,034 8,919 8,861 8,798 8,724 8,638 8,571 8,443 8,470 8,476 8,487 8,630
14 to 17 years old 125 106 66 58 68 103 94 104 119 125 117 94 83 75 77 81 81 82 81
18 and 19 years old 1,355 1,368 1,298 1,464 1,523 1,795 1,820 1,782 1,707 1,661 1,673 1,684 1,688 1,686 1,654 1,815 1,784 1,769 1,786
20 and 21 years old 1,064 1,219 1,259 1,411 1,658 1,866 1,948 1,985 1,960 1,955 1,960 1,954 1,945 1,915 1,889 2,025 2,048 2,055 2,044
22 to 24 years old 1,004 1,075 1,129 1,222 1,410 1,599 1,723 1,769 1,864 1,846 1,789 1,746 1,739 1,690 1,653 1,613 1,606 1,608 1,639
25 to 29 years old 796 983 1,024 908 1,057 1,378 1,410 1,404 1,353 1,356 1,379 1,382 1,366 1,385 1,378 1,299 1,291 1,276 1,251
30 to 34 years old 333 564 605 581 591 707 731 700 661 634 643 655 670 667 662 623 636 651 652
35 years old and over 366 559 902 1,077 1,149 1,285 1,320 1,290 1,255 1,283 1,237 1,208 1,148 1,154 1,131 1,015 1,030 1,047 1,177

Females
3,537 6,223 7,535 8,591 10,032 11,581 11,974 11,976 11,725 11,515 11,412 11,264 11,208 11,207 11,203 11,250 11,268 11,292 11,485
14 to 17 years old 137 151 87 73 119 113 108 116 123 131 121 120 131 135 130 123 124 125 123
18 and 19 years old 1,224 1,484 1,479 1,794 1,920 2,214 2,237 2,173 2,074 2,059 2,047 2,049 2,050 2,096 2,115 2,276 2,244 2,227 2,239
20 and 21 years old 821 1,177 1,334 1,593 1,905 2,050 2,155 2,284 2,276 2,228 2,203 2,194 2,259 2,245 2,253 2,442 2,470 2,482 2,473
22 to 24 years old 464 871 1,073 1,378 1,704 1,972 2,036 2,024 2,087 2,118 2,122 2,038 1,997 2,001 2,014 1,937 1,934 1,939 1,980
25 to 29 years old 296 859 1,059 1,136 1,413 1,704 1,844 1,868 1,802 1,694 1,706 1,783 1,826 1,841 1,816 1,759 1,743 1,720 1,706
30 to 34 years old 194 663 779 752 847 1,028 1,074 1,088 1,022 972 943 945 919 920 899 943 961 981 973
35 years old and over 401 1,018 1,725 1,865 2,123 2,500 2,520 2,422 2,341 2,314 2,270 2,136 2,026 1,969 1,976 1,770 1,791 1,816 1,990

Full-time
5,816 7,098 7,821 9,010 10,797 12,605 13,087 13,003 12,734 12,597 12,454 12,288 12,125 12,076 11,992 12,025 12,022 12,021 12,144
14 to 17 years old 246 231 134 121 152 179 170 185 207 210 200 182 186 183 179 178 179 181 178
18 and 19 years old 2,374 2,544 2,471 2,823 3,026 3,481 3,496 3,351 3,226 3,199 3,174 3,188 3,161 3,242 3,238 3,390 3,339 3,313 3,337
20 and 21 years old 1,649 2,007 2,137 2,452 2,976 3,241 3,364 3,427 3,386 3,327 3,326 3,290 3,365 3,332 3,361 3,419 3,460 3,471 3,455
22 to 24 years old 904 1,181 1,405 1,714 2,122 2,511 2,585 2,580 2,603 2,650 2,597 2,568 2,502 2,433 2,374 2,244 2,238 2,243 2,290
25 to 29 years old 426 641 791 886 1,174 1,506 1,605 1,600 1,555 1,528 1,525 1,519 1,478 1,480 1,453 1,385 1,375 1,358 1,339
30 to 34 years old 113 272 383 418 547 657 745 763 711 664 626 601 583 570 563 564 575 588 586
35 years old and over 104 221 500 596 800 1,030 1,122 1,096 1,047 1,018 1,005 941 852 835 824 844 855 868 959

Males
3,504 3,689 3,808 4,111 4,803 5,632 5,838 5,793 5,708 5,682 5,620 5,558 5,473 5,424 5,339 5,350 5,345 5,343 5,395
14 to 17 years old 121 95 55 51 53 77 71 85 102 106 100 81 71 65 66 68 69 69 69
18 and 19 years old 1,261 1,219 1,171 1,252 1,339 1,570 1,574 1,510 1,461 1,423 1,402 1,414 1,416 1,435 1,407 1,458 1,433 1,422 1,436
20 and 21 years old 955 1,046 1,035 1,156 1,398 1,536 1,586 1,586 1,537 1,542 1,549 1,546 1,552 1,536 1,546 1,564 1,582 1,587 1,579
22 to 24 years old 686 717 768 834 982 1,169 1,215 1,217 1,254 1,270 1,236 1,208 1,173 1,129 1,099 1,032 1,028 1,030 1,050
25 to 29 years old 346 391 433 410 506 661 715 727 728 734 732 709 689 693 683 672 667 660 647
30 to 34 years old 77 142 171 186 225 279 301 299 278 257 242 251 253 256 244 249 255 261 261
35 years old and over 58 80 174 222 300 341 376 369 349 351 360 349 320 310 293 306 310 315 354

Females
2,312 3,409 4,013 4,899 5,994 6,973 7,249 7,210 7,026 6,914 6,835 6,729 6,653 6,652 6,653 6,676 6,677 6,678 6,748
14 to 17 years old 125 136 78 70 98 102 99 100 105 104 101 101 115 118 113 110 111 111 110
18 and 19 years old 1,113 1,325 1,300 1,571 1,687 1,911 1,922 1,842 1,765 1,776 1,773 1,774 1,745 1,807 1,831 1,932 1,906 1,891 1,901
20 and 21 years old 693 961 1,101 1,296 1,578 1,705 1,778 1,840 1,849 1,785 1,777 1,744 1,813 1,795 1,815 1,855 1,878 1,885 1,876
22 to 24 years old 218 464 638 880 1,140 1,343 1,370 1,364 1,349 1,380 1,362 1,359 1,329 1,305 1,275 1,212 1,210 1,213 1,240
25 to 29 years old 80 250 358 476 668 845 891 873 827 794 793 810 789 788 769 714 707 698 692
30 to 34 years old 37 130 212 232 322 378 444 464 433 408 384 350 330 314 318 314 320 327 325
35 years old and over 46 141 326 374 500 690 746 727 698 667 645 592 532 526 531 538 545 552 605

Part-time
2,765 4,999 5,998 6,303 6,690 7,708 7,932 8,008 7,910 7,780 7,755 7,701 7,722 7,702 7,654 7,695 7,722 7,757 7,971
14 to 17 years old 16 26 19 10 36 36 32 36 35 47 38 32 28 27 27 26 26 26 26
18 and 19 years old 205 308 306 435 417 528 561 604 556 521 546 545 577 540 531 700 690 683 688
20 and 21 years old 236 388 456 553 586 675 738 842 850 855 836 858 839 828 781 1,048 1,058 1,065 1,062
22 to 24 years old 564 765 796 886 992 1,059 1,174 1,212 1,348 1,314 1,313 1,217 1,235 1,257 1,292 1,306 1,302 1,304 1,330
25 to 29 years old 665 1,202 1,291 1,158 1,296 1,576 1,648 1,672 1,600 1,522 1,560 1,646 1,715 1,745 1,741 1,672 1,659 1,638 1,618
30 to 34 years old 414 954 1,001 915 891 1,079 1,060 1,025 973 942 960 1,000 1,006 1,016 999 1,002 1,022 1,044 1,040
35 years old and over 663 1,356 2,127 2,345 2,472 2,754 2,718 2,616 2,550 2,579 2,502 2,404 2,322 2,288 2,283 1,941 1,966 1,996 2,207

Males
1,540 2,185 2,476 2,611 2,653 3,101 3,207 3,241 3,211 3,179 3,178 3,165 3,166 3,147 3,104 3,121 3,131 3,143 3,235
14 to 17 years old 4 12 11 7 15 25 23 20 17 20 18 13 12 10 10 12 12 12 12
18 and 19 years old 94 149 127 212 184 226 245 273 246 239 271 270 272 251 247 357 351 347 351
20 and 21 years old 108 172 224 255 260 330 362 398 423 413 411 408 393 378 342 461 466 468 465
22 to 24 years old 318 359 361 388 428 430 508 552 610 576 553 538 566 561 554 581 578 578 589
25 to 29 years old 450 592 591 498 551 718 695 677 625 622 646 673 677 692 695 627 623 616 604
30 to 34 years old 257 422 435 395 365 428 430 401 383 377 401 405 417 410 418 373 381 390 391
35 years old and over 309 479 728 855 850 944 944 921 906 932 877 859 829 845 838 710 720 732 822

Females
1,225 2,814 3,521 3,692 4,038 4,607 4,725 4,767 4,699 4,601 4,577 4,535 4,556 4,555 4,550 4,574 4,591 4,614 4,736
14 to 17 years old 12 14 9 3 21 11 9 16 18 27 20 19 16 17 16 14 14 14 14
18 and 19 years old 112 159 179 223 233 303 316 332 310 283 274 275 305 289 284 343 339 336 338
20 and 21 years old 128 216 233 298 327 345 377 444 427 443 425 450 446 450 439 587 592 598 597
22 to 24 years old 246 407 435 497 564 629 666 660 738 738 760 679 668 696 738 725 724 725 741
25 to 29 years old 216 609 700 660 745 859 953 995 975 900 913 973 1,037 1,053 1,047 1,045 1,036 1,022 1,014
30 to 34 years old 158 532 567 520 526 651 630 624 589 565 559 595 589 606 581 629 641 654 649
35 years old and over 354 876 1,399 1,491 1,623 1,810 1,774 1,695 1,643 1,647 1,625 1,544 1,493 1,443 1,445 1,232 1,247 1,264 1,385
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 2019, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 2000 through 2029. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1970 through 2018. (This table was prepared April 2020.)

2019 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest