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Digest of Education Statistics
2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 317.10. Degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution: Selected years, 1949-50 through 2019-20
Year All institutions Public Private
Total 4-year 2-year Total 4-year 2-year Total 4-year,
total
2-year,
total
Nonprofit For-profit
Total 4-year 2-year Total 4-year 2-year
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Excluding branch
    campuses
                               
1949-50 1,851 1,327 524 641 344 297 1,210 983 227   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1959-60 2,004 1,422 582 695 367 328 1,309 1,055 254   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1969-70 2,525 1,639 886 1,060 426 634 1,465 1,213 252   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1979-80 2,975 1,863 1,112 1,310 464 846 1,665 1,399 266   --- --- --- --- --- ---

1980-81
3,056 1,861 1,195 1,334 465 869 1,722 1,396 326 1 --- --- --- --- --- ---
1981-82 3,083 1,883 1,200 1,340 471 869 1,743 1,412 331 1 --- --- --- --- --- ---
1982-83 3,111 1,887 1,224 1,336 472 864 1,775 1,415 360 1 --- --- --- --- --- ---
1983-84 3,117 1,914 1,203 1,325 474 851 1,792 1,440 352   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1984-85 3,146 1,911 1,235 1,329 461 868 1,817 1,450 367   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1985-86 3,155 1,915 1,240 1,326 461 865 1,829 1,454 375   --- --- --- --- --- ---

Including branch
    campuses
                               
1974-75 3,004 1,866 1,138 1,433 537 896 1,571 1,329 242   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1975-76 3,026 1,898 1,128 1,442 545 897 1,584 1,353 231   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1976-77 3,046 1,913 1,133 1,455 550 905 1,591 1,363 228   1,536 1,348 188 55 15 40
1977-78 3,095 1,938 1,157 1,473 552 921 1,622 1,386 236   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1978-79 3,134 1,941 1,193 1,474 550 924 1,660 1,391 269   1,564 1,376 188 96 15 81

1979-80
3,152 1,957 1,195 1,475 549 926 1,677 1,408 269   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1980-81 3,231 1,957 1,274 1,497 552 945 1,734 1,405 329 1 1,569 1,387 182 165 18 147
1981-82 3,253 1,979 1,274 1,498 558 940 1,755 1,421 334 1 --- --- --- --- --- ---
1982-83 3,280 1,984 1,296 1,493 560 933 1,787 1,424 363 1 --- --- --- --- --- ---
1983-84 3,284 2,013 1,271 1,481 565 916 1,803 1,448 355   --- --- --- --- --- ---

1984-85
3,331 2,025 1,306 1,501 566 935 1,830 1,459 371   1,616 1,430 186 214 29 185
1985-86 3,340 2,029 1,311 1,498 566 932 1,842 1,463 379   --- --- --- --- --- ---
1986-87 3,406 2,070 1,336 1,533 573 960 1,873 1,497 376   1,635 1,462 173 238 35 203
1987-88 3,587 2,135 1,452 1,591 599 992 1,996 1,536 460   1,673 1,487 186 323 49 274
1988-89 3,565 2,129 1,436 1,582 598 984 1,983 1,531 452   1,658 1,478 180 325 53 272
1989-90 3,535 2,127 1,408 1,563 595 968 1,972 1,532 440   1,656 1,479 177 316 53 263

1990-91
3,559 2,141 1,418 1,567 595 972 1,992 1,546 446   1,649 1,482 167 343 64 279
1991-92 3,601 2,157 1,444 1,598 599 999 2,003 1,558 445   1,662 1,486 176 341 72 269
1992-93 3,638 2,169 1,469 1,624 600 1,024 2,014 1,569 445   1,672 1,493 179 342 76 266
1993-94 3,632 2,190 1,442 1,625 604 1,021 2,007 1,586 421   1,687 1,506 181 320 80 240
1994-95 3,688 2,215 1,473 1,641 605 1,036 2,047 1,610 437   1,702 1,510 192 345 100 245

1995-96
3,706 2,244 1,462 1,655 608 1,047 2,051 1,636 415   1,706 1,519 187 345 117 228
1996-97 4,009 2,267 1,742 1,702 614 1,088 2,307 1,653 654   1,693 1,509 184 614 144 470
1997-98 4,064 2,309 1,755 1,707 615 1,092 2,357 1,694 663   1,707 1,528 179 650 166 484
1998-99 4,048 2,335 1,713 1,681 612 1,069 2,367 1,723 644   1,695 1,531 164 672 192 480
1999-2000 4,084 2,363 1,721 1,682 614 1,068 2,402 1,749 653   1,681 1,531 150 721 218 503

2000-01
4,182 2,450 1,732 1,698 622 1,076 2,484 1,828 656   1,695 1,551 144 789 277 512
2001-02 4,197 2,487 1,710 1,713 628 1,085 2,484 1,859 625   1,676 1,541 135 808 318 490
2002-03 4,168 2,466 1,702 1,712 631 1,081 2,456 1,835 621   1,665 1,538 127 791 297 494
2003-04 4,236 2,530 1,706 1,720 634 1,086 2,516 1,896 620   1,664 1,546 118 852 350 502
2004-05 4,216 2,533 1,683 1,700 639 1,061 2,516 1,894 622   1,637 1,525 112 879 369 510

2005-06
4,276 2,582 1,694 1,693 640 1,053 2,583 1,942 641   1,647 1,534 113 936 408 528
2006-07 4,314 2,629 1,685 1,688 643 1,045 2,626 1,986 640   1,640 1,533 107 986 453 533
2007-08 4,352 2,675 1,677 1,685 653 1,032 2,667 2,022 645   1,624 1,532 92 1,043 490 553
2008-09 4,409 2,719 1,690 1,676 652 1,024 2,733 2,067 666   1,629 1,537 92 1,104 530 574
2009-10 4,495 2,774 1,721 1,672 672 1,000 2,823 2,102 721   1,624 1,539 85 1,199 563 636

2010-11
4,599 2,870 1,729 1,656 678 978 2,943 2,192 751   1,630 1,543 87 1,313 649 664
2011-12 4,706 2,968 1,738 1,649 682 967 3,057 2,286 771   1,653 1,553 100 1,404 733 671
2012-13 4,726 3,026 1,700 1,623 689 934 3,103 2,337 766   1,652 1,555 97 1,451 782 669
2013-14 4,724 3,039 1,685 1,625 691 934 3,099 2,348 751   1,675 1,587 88 1,424 761 663
2014-15 4,627 3,011 1,616 1,621 701 920 3,006 2,310 696   1,672 1,584 88 1,334 726 608

2015-16
4,583 3,004 1,579 1,620 710 910 2,963 2,294 669   1,701 1,594 107 1,262 700 562
2016-17 4,360 2,832 1,528 1,623 737 886 2,737 2,095 642   1,682 1,581 101 1,055 514 541
2017-18 4,313 2,828 1,485 1,626 750 876 2,687 2,078 609   1,689 1,590 99 998 488 510
2018-19 4,042 2,703 1,339 1,636 768 868 2,406 1,935 471   1,664 1,577 87 742 358 384
2019-20 3,982 2,679 1,303 1,625 772 853 2,357 1,907 450   1,660 1,568 92 697 339 358
---Not available.
1 Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data through 1995-96 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. Changes in counts of institutions over time are partly affected by increasing or decreasing numbers of institutions submitting separate data for branch campuses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Education Directory, Colleges and Universities, 1949-50 through 1965-66; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and Universities" surveys, 1966-67 through 1985-86; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Institutional Characteristics Survey"(IPEDS-IC:86-99); and IPEDS Fall 2000 through Fall 2019, Institutional Characteristics component. (This table was prepared September 2020.)

2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest