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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 311.15. Number and percentage of students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, location of student, level of enrollment, and control and level of institution: Fall 2017 and fall 2018
Year, level of enrollment, and control and level of institution Number of students Percent of students
Total No distance education courses Taking any distance education course(s) Total No distance educa-
tion courses
Taking any distance education course(s)
Total, any distance education course(s) At least one, but not all, of student's courses Exclusively distance education courses,
by location of student
Total, any distance education course(s) At least one, but not all, of student's courses Exclusively distance education courses,
by location of student
Total Same state Different state State not known Outside of the United States Loca-
tion unknown
Total Same state Differ-
ent state
State not known Outside of the United States Location unknown
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Fall 2017                                        
All students,
    total
19,778,151 13,155,348 6,622,803 3,515,659 3,107,144 1,775,555 1,251,709 15,777 45,368 18,735 100.0 66.5 33.5 17.8 15.7 9.0 6.3 0.1 0.2 0.1

Public
14,571,739 9,907,335 4,664,404 3,002,916 1,661,488 1,394,179 225,502 11,534 17,749 12,524 100.0 68.0 32.0 20.6 11.4 9.6 1.5 0.1 0.1 0.1
Private 5,206,412 3,248,013 1,958,399 512,743 1,445,656 381,376 1,026,207 4,243 27,619 6,211 100.0 62.4 37.6 9.8 27.8 7.3 19.7 0.1 0.5 0.1
Nonprofit 4,108,489 2,929,755 1,178,734 390,579 788,155 273,133 491,664 3,141 17,292 2,925 100.0 71.3 28.7 9.5 19.2 6.6 12.0 0.1 0.4 0.1
For-profit 1,097,923 318,258 779,665 122,164 657,501 108,243 534,543 1,102 10,327 3,286 100.0 29.0 71.0 11.1 59.9 9.9 48.7 0.1 0.9 0.3

Fall 2018
                                       
All students,
    total
19,645,918 12,713,844 6,932,074 3,674,087 3,257,987 1,869,652 1,293,454 17,083 44,321 33,477 100.0 64.7 35.3 18.7 16.6 9.5 6.6 0.1 0.2 0.2

4-year
13,900,710 8,941,162 4,959,548 2,506,759 2,452,789 1,144,147 1,238,866 13,504 40,619 15,653 100.0 64.3 35.7 18.0 17.6 8.2 8.9 0.1 0.3 0.1
2-year 5,745,208 3,772,682 1,972,526 1,167,328 805,198 725,505 54,588 3,579 3,702 17,824 100.0 65.7 34.3 20.3 14.0 12.6 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.3

Public
14,529,264 9,569,412 4,959,852 3,153,470 1,806,382 1,475,262 271,659 11,794 18,583 29,084 100.0 65.9 34.1 21.7 12.4 10.2 1.9 0.1 0.1 0.2
4-year 8,982,560 5,945,224 3,037,336 2,005,490 1,031,846 755,127 242,105 8,215 14,997 11,402 100.0 66.2 33.8 22.3 11.5 8.4 2.7 0.1 0.2 0.1
2-year 5,546,704 3,624,188 1,922,516 1,147,980 774,536 720,135 29,554 3,579 3,586 17,682 100.0 65.3 34.7 20.7 14.0 13.0 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.3

Private
5,116,654 3,144,432 1,972,222 520,617 1,451,605 394,390 1,021,795 5,289 25,738 4,393 100.0 61.5 38.5 10.2 28.4 7.7 20.0 0.1 0.5 0.1
Nonprofit 4,134,244 2,878,717 1,255,527 418,048 837,479 288,963 525,951 3,705 14,838 4,022 100.0 69.6 30.4 10.1 20.3 7.0 12.7 0.1 0.4 0.1
4-year 4,089,090 2,857,653 1,231,437 414,132 817,305 286,033 508,712 3,705 14,834 4,021 100.0 69.9 30.1 10.1 20.0 7.0 12.4 0.1 0.4 0.1
2-year 45,154 21,064 24,090 3,916 20,174 2,930 17,239 0 4 1 100.0 46.6 53.4 8.7 44.7 6.5 38.2 0.0 # #
For-profit 982,410 265,715 716,695 102,569 614,126 105,427 495,844 1,584 10,900 371 100.0 27.0 73.0 10.4 62.5 10.7 50.5 0.2 1.1 0.0
4-year 829,060 138,285 690,775 87,137 603,638 102,987 488,049 1,584 10,788 230 100.0 16.7 83.3 10.5 72.8 12.4 58.9 0.2 1.3 0.0
2-year 153,350 127,430 25,920 15,432 10,488 2,440 7,795 0 112 141 100.0 83.1 16.9 10.1 6.8 1.6 5.1 0.0 0.1 0.1

Undergraduate
16,610,235 10,885,526 5,724,709 3,399,567 2,325,142 1,464,038 798,815 9,641 24,188 28,460 100.0 65.5 34.5 20.5 14.0 8.8 4.8 0.1 0.1 0.2

4-year
10,865,027 7,112,844 3,752,183 2,232,239 1,519,944 738,533 744,227 6,062 20,486 10,636 100.0 65.5 34.5 20.5 14.0 6.8 6.8 0.1 0.2 0.1
2-year 5,745,208 3,772,682 1,972,526 1,167,328 805,198 725,505 54,588 3,579 3,702 17,824 100.0 65.7 34.3 20.3 14.0 12.6 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.3

Public
13,049,326 8,598,151 4,451,175 3,008,133 1,443,042 1,243,404 155,170 6,914 10,746 26,808 100.0 65.9 34.1 23.1 11.1 9.5 1.2 0.1 0.1 0.2
4-year 7,502,622 4,973,963 2,528,659 1,860,153 668,506 523,269 125,616 3,335 7,160 9,126 100.0 66.3 33.7 24.8 8.9 7.0 1.7 # 0.1 0.1
2-year 5,546,704 3,624,188 1,922,516 1,147,980 774,536 720,135 29,554 3,579 3,586 17,682 100.0 65.3 34.7 20.7 14.0 13.0 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.3

Private
3,560,909 2,287,375 1,273,534 391,434 882,100 220,634 643,645 2,727 13,442 1,652 100.0 64.2 35.8 11.0 24.8 6.2 18.1 0.1 0.4 #
Nonprofit 2,821,653 2,044,170 777,483 298,740 478,743 141,490 325,964 1,416 8,527 1,346 100.0 72.4 27.6 10.6 17.0 5.0 11.6 0.1 0.3 #
4-year 2,776,499 2,023,106 753,393 294,824 458,569 138,560 308,725 1,416 8,523 1,345 100.0 72.9 27.1 10.6 16.5 5.0 11.1 0.1 0.3 #
2-year 45,154 21,064 24,090 3,916 20,174 2,930 17,239 0 4 1 100.0 46.6 53.4 8.7 44.7 6.5 38.2 0.0 # #
For-profit 739,256 243,205 496,051 92,694 403,357 79,144 317,681 1,311 4,915 306 100.0 32.9 67.1 12.5 54.6 10.7 43.0 0.2 0.7 #
4-year 585,906 115,775 470,131 77,262 392,869 76,704 309,886 1,311 4,803 165 100.0 19.8 80.2 13.2 67.1 13.1 52.9 0.2 0.8 #
2-year 153,350 127,430 25,920 15,432 10,488 2,440 7,795 0 112 141 100.0 83.1 16.9 10.1 6.8 1.6 5.1 0.0 0.1 0.1

Postbaccalaureate
3,035,683 1,828,318 1,207,365 274,520 932,845 405,614 494,639 7,442 20,133 5,017 100.0 60.2 39.8 9.0 30.7 13.4 16.3 0.2 0.7 0.2

Public
1,479,938 971,261 508,677 145,337 363,340 231,858 116,489 4,880 7,837 2,276 100.0 65.6 34.4 9.8 24.6 15.7 7.9 0.3 0.5 0.2
Private 1,555,745 857,057 698,688 129,183 569,505 214,514 97,062 4,140 6,991 1,202 100.0 55.1 44.9 8.3 36.6 13.8 6.2 0.3 0.4 0.1
Nonprofit 1,312,591 834,547 478,044 119,308 358,736 147,473 199,987 2,289 6,311 2,676 100.0 63.6 36.4 9.1 27.3 11.2 15.2 0.2 0.5 0.2
For-profit 243,154 22,510 220,644 9,875 210,769 26,283 178,163 273 5,985 65 100.0 9.3 90.7 4.1 86.7 10.8 73.3 0.1 2.5 #
#Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Spring 2018 and Spring 2019, Fall Enrollment component. (This table was prepared December 2019.)

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