Digest of Education Statistics
2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 302.20. Percentage of recent high school completers enrolled in college, by race/ethnicity: 1960 through 2020
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Year Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2 (annual data) 3-year moving averages3
Percent of recent high school completers1 enrolled in college2 Difference between percent enrolled
Total White Black Hispanic Asian4 Total White Black Hispanic Asian4 White-Black White-Hispanic White-Asian4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1960 45.1 (2.16) 45.8 5 (2.24) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 46.6 (1.52) 47.7 5 (1.58) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1961 48.0 (2.12) 49.5 5 (2.22) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 47.4 (1.22) 48.7 5 (1.28) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1962 49.0 (2.08) 50.6 5 (2.19) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 47.4 (1.22) 48.6 5 (1.27) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1963 45.0 (2.12) 45.6 5 (2.21) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 47.5 (1.18) 48.5 5 (1.23) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1964 48.3 (1.92) 49.2 5 (2.01) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 48.5 (1.10) 49.2 5 (1.15) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)

1965
50.9 (1.73) 51.7 5 (1.81) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 49.9 (1.03) 51.0 5 (1.08) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1966 50.1 (1.74) 51.7 5 (1.82) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 51.0 (1.01) 52.1 5 (1.06) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1967 51.9 (1.44) 53.0 5 (1.52) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 52.5 (0.82) 53.8 5 (0.87) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1968 55.4 (1.41) 56.6 5 (1.50) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 53.6 (0.81) 55.0 5 (0.86) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1969 53.3 (1.36) 55.2 5 (1.43) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 53.5 (0.80) 54.6 5 (0.85) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)

1970
51.7 (1.38) 52.0 5 (1.46) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 52.9 (0.79) 53.8 5 (0.83) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1971 53.5 (1.35) 54.0 5 (1.42) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) 51.5 (0.78) 51.9 5 (0.83) --- (†) --- (†) --- (†) ---   (†) ---   (†) ---   (†)
1972 49.2 (1.33) 49.7   (1.45) 44.6 (4.74) 45.0 (12.85) --- (†) 49.7 (0.77) 50.5   (0.83) 38.4 (3.26) 49.9 (8.76) --- (†) 12.1   (3.36)   (†) ---   (†)
1973 46.6 (1.31) 47.8   (1.43) 32.5 (4.40) 54.1 (11.89) --- (†) 47.8 (0.76) 48.2   (0.83) 41.4 (2.68) 48.8 (7.04) --- (†) 6.8 ! (2.81)   (†) ---   (†)
1974 47.6 (1.30) 47.2   (1.42) 47.2 (4.69) 46.9 (11.79) --- (†) 48.3 (0.75) 48.7   (0.82) 40.5 (2.69) 53.1 (6.72) --- (†) 8.3 ! (2.82)   (†) ---   (†)

1975
50.7 (1.29) 51.1   (1.40) 41.7 (4.81) 58.0 (11.14) --- (†) 49.1 (0.75) 49.1   (0.82) 44.5 (2.78) 52.7 (6.44) --- (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
1976 48.8 (1.33) 48.8   (1.45) 44.4 (4.94) 52.7 (10.52) --- (†) 50.1 (0.75) 50.3   (0.82) 45.3 (2.78) 53.6 (6.18) --- (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
1977 50.6 (1.30) 50.8   (1.42) 49.5 (4.70) 50.8 (10.43) --- (†) 49.9 (0.75) 50.1   (0.83) 46.8 (2.73) 48.8 (6.18) --- (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
1978 50.1 (1.29) 50.5   (1.42) 46.4 (4.55) 42.0 (11.06) --- (†) 50.0 (0.75) 50.4   (0.82) 47.5 (2.69) 46.1 (6.14) --- (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)
1979 49.3 (1.29) 49.9   (1.42) 46.7 (4.73) 45.0 (10.37) --- (†) 49.6 (0.75) 50.1   (0.82) 45.2 (2.65) 46.3 (6.32) --- (†)   (†)   (†) ---   (†)

1980
49.3 (1.31) 49.8   (1.44) 42.7 (4.48) 52.3 (11.39) --- (†) 50.8 (0.75) 51.5   (0.83) 44.0 (2.64) 49.6 (6.25) --- (†) 7.5 ! (2.76)   (†) ---   (†)
1981 53.9 (1.31) 54.9   (1.45) 42.7 (4.48) 52.1 (10.73) --- (†) 51.3 (0.76) 52.4   (0.84) 40.3 (2.53) 48.7 (6.13) --- (†) 12.2   (2.66)   (†) ---   (†)
1982 50.6 (1.38) 52.7   (1.54) 35.8 (4.39) 43.2 (10.37) --- (†) 52.4 (0.80) 54.2   (0.90) 38.8 (2.61) 49.4 (6.44) --- (†) 15.4   (2.76)   (†) ---   (†)
1983 52.7 (1.41) 55.0   (1.57) 38.2 (4.41) 54.2 (11.69) --- (†) 52.8 (0.81) 55.5   (0.90) 38.0 (2.50) 46.7 (6.16) --- (†) 17.5   (2.66)   (†) ---   (†)
1984 55.2 (1.39) 59.0   (1.57) 39.8 (4.21) 44.3 (10.00) --- (†) 55.1 (0.82) 57.9   (0.92) 39.9 (2.58) 49.3 (6.38) --- (†) 18.0   (2.74)   (†) ---   (†)

1985
57.7 (1.47) 60.1   (1.64) 42.2 (4.86) 51.0 (9.79) --- (†) 55.5 (0.83) 58.6   (0.93) 39.5 (2.59) 46.1 (5.20) --- (†) 19.1   (2.75) 12.5 ! (5.28) ---   (†)
1986 53.8 (1.45) 56.8   (1.64) 36.9 (4.44) 44.0 (8.88) --- (†) 56.1 (0.85) 58.5   (0.96) 43.5 (2.75) 42.3 (5.21) --- (†) 15.0   (2.91) 16.2 ! (5.30) ---   (†)
1987 56.8 (1.48) 58.6   (1.68) 52.2 (4.90) 33.5 (8.28) --- (†) 56.5 (0.85) 58.8   (0.96) 44.2 (2.69) 45.0 (5.06) --- (†) 14.6   (2.86) 13.8 ! (5.15) ---   (†)
1988 58.9 (1.60) 61.1   (1.82) 44.4 (4.98) 57.1 (9.60) --- (†) 58.4 (0.94) 60.1   (1.07) 49.7 (3.02) 48.5 (5.67) --- (†) 10.4 ! (3.20) 11.6 ! (5.77) ---   (†)
1989 59.6 (1.58) 60.7   (1.79) 53.4 (5.07) 55.1 (9.21) 81.1 (10.23) 59.5 (0.90) 61.6   (1.02) 48.0 (2.87) 52.7 (5.54) 81.4 (6.36) 13.6   (3.04)   (†) -19.8 ! (6.44)

1990
60.1 (1.60) 63.0   (1.80) 46.8 (5.08) 42.7 (10.82) 81.7 (8.12) 60.7 (0.92) 63.0   (1.04) 48.9 (2.97) 52.5 (5.70) 81.4 (6.36) 14.0   (3.14)   (†) -18.5 ! (6.44)
1991 62.5 (1.62) 65.4   (1.82) 46.4 (5.24) 57.2 (9.57) 78.9 (9.04) 61.5 (0.92) 64.2   (1.05) 47.2 (2.93) 52.6 (5.52) 80.6 (5.21) 17.0   (3.11) 11.7 ! (5.62) -16.3 ! (5.31)
1992 61.9 (1.58) 64.3   (1.84) 48.2 (4.91) 55.0 (8.50) 81.7 (7.00) 62.3 (0.92) 64.2   (1.06) 50.0 (2.97) 58.2 (5.04) 80.9 (4.58) 14.2   (3.16)   (†) -16.7   (4.70)
1993 62.6 (1.59) 62.9   (1.86) 55.6 (5.27) 62.2 (8.21) 86.2 (6.63) 62.1 (0.91) 63.9   (1.04) 51.3 (2.96) 55.7 (4.97) 82.5 (4.30) 12.6   (3.14)   (†) -18.6   (4.42)
1994 61.9 (1.54) 64.5   (1.74) 50.8 (5.20) 49.1 (9.00) 78.3 (8.55) 62.1 (0.89) 64.0   (1.03) 52.4 (2.97) 55.0 (4.63) 82.2 (4.25) 11.5   (3.14)   (†) -18.2   (4.37)

1995
61.9 (1.41) 64.3   (1.65) 51.2 (4.22) 53.7 (4.94) 83.0 (6.94) 63.0 (0.81) 65.4   (0.94) 52.9 (2.40) 51.6 (3.19) 82.7 (4.47) 12.5   (2.58) 13.8   (3.33) -17.3   (4.57)
1996 65.0 (1.42) 67.4   (1.66) 56.0 (4.03) 50.8 (5.79) 85.3 (5.21) 64.7 (0.82) 66.6   (0.97) 55.4 (2.41) 57.6 (2.96) 82.7 (3.59) 11.3   (2.60) 9.0 ! (3.11) -16.0   (3.72)
1997 67.0 (1.37) 68.2   (1.64) 58.5 (4.11) 65.6 (4.52) 80.5 (6.09) 65.9 (0.80) 68.1   (0.94) 58.8 (2.35) 55.3 (2.93) 83.0 (3.49) 9.3   (2.53) 12.8   (3.08) -15.0   (3.62)
1998 65.6 (1.38) 68.5   (1.61) 61.9 (4.04) 47.4 (4.92) 85.5 (5.71) 65.2 (0.80) 67.7   (0.94) 59.8 (2.31) 51.9 (2.79) 83.8 (3.28) 7.9 ! (2.49) 15.7   (2.94) -16.1   (3.41)
1999 62.9 (1.38) 66.3   (1.63) 58.9 (3.85) 42.3 (4.76) 78.3 (5.73) 64.0 (0.80) 66.8   (0.94) 58.6 (2.31) 47.4 (2.84) 81.1 (3.40) 8.3 ! (2.50) 19.5   (2.99) -14.3   (3.53)

2000
63.3 (1.41) 65.7   (1.66) 54.9 (4.10) 52.9 (5.03) 81.0 (6.29) 62.7 (0.82) 65.4   (0.96) 56.4 (2.33) 48.6 (2.96) 81.3 (3.44) 9.1   (2.52) 16.9   (3.11) -15.8   (3.57)
2001 61.8 (1.41) 64.3   (1.63) 55.0 (3.96) 51.7 (5.33) 73.8 (8.71) 63.5 (0.78) 66.3   (0.92) 56.4 (2.26) 52.8 (2.78) 78.4 (3.87) 10.0   (2.44) 13.5   (2.93) -12.0 ! (3.97)
2002 65.2 (1.31) 69.1   (1.55) 59.4 (3.90) 53.6 (4.46) 63.7 (6.51) 63.7 (0.78) 66.5   (0.92) 57.3 (2.33) 54.8 (2.75) 71.9 (4.05) 9.3   (2.50) 11.7   (2.90)   (†)
20036 63.9 (1.35) 66.2   (1.61) 57.5 (4.25) 58.6 (4.61) 84.1 (5.10) 65.3 (0.77) 68.0   (0.91) 59.9 (2.29) 57.7 (2.66) 74.2 (3.51) 8.1 ! (2.46) 10.3   (2.81)   (†)
20046 66.7 (1.31) 68.8   (1.57) 62.5 (3.77) 61.8 (4.76) 75.6 (6.13) 66.4 (0.77) 69.4   (0.91) 58.8 (2.34) 57.7 (2.60) 81.6 (3.37) 10.6   (2.51) 11.7   (2.75) -12.2   (3.49)

20056
68.6 (1.31) 73.2   (1.52) 55.7 (4.15) 54.0 (4.18) 86.7 (5.99) 67.1 (0.76) 70.2   (0.90) 58.2 (2.35) 57.5 (2.52) 80.9 (3.64) 12.0   (2.52) 12.6   (2.67) -10.7 ! (3.75)
20066 66.0 (1.33) 68.5   (1.60) 55.5 (4.33) 57.9 (4.18) 82.3 (5.32) 67.2 (0.75) 70.4   (0.89) 55.6 (2.35) 58.5 (2.43) 85.1 (3.64) 14.7   (2.51) 11.9   (2.59) -14.7   (3.74)
20076 67.2 (1.26) 69.5   (1.49) 55.7 (3.78) 64.0 (4.22) 88.8 (6.26) 67.3 (0.73) 70.0   (0.87) 55.7 (2.27) 62.0 (2.33) 85.8 (3.45) 14.3   (2.43) 8.0 ! (2.48) -15.8   (3.56)
20086 68.6 (1.21) 71.7   (1.44) 55.7 (3.78) 63.9 (3.72) 88.4 (5.08) 68.6 (0.71) 70.8   (0.86) 60.3 (2.15) 62.3 (2.25) 90.1 (3.01) 10.5   (2.31) 8.6   (2.41) -19.2   (3.13)
20096 70.1 (1.23) 71.3   (1.53) 69.5 (3.51) 59.3 (3.80) 92.1 (3.90) 68.9 (0.70) 71.2   (0.86) 62.4 (2.09) 60.9 (2.14) 88.1 (2.85) 8.8   (2.26) 10.3   (2.31) -16.9   (2.98)

20106
68.1 (1.49) 70.5   (1.68) 62.0 (4.81) 59.7 (4.18) 84.7 (5.27) 68.8 (0.71) 70.1   (0.90) 66.1 (2.01) 62.3 (2.01) 87.4 (2.78)   (†) 7.8   (2.21) -17.3   (2.92)
20116 68.2 (1.45) 68.3   (1.86) 67.1 (4.01) 66.6 (3.50) 86.1 (4.25) 67.5 (0.89) 68.2   (1.03) 62.1 (2.86) 66.1 (2.17) 83.9 (2.79) 6.1 ! (3.04)   (†) -15.7   (2.97)
20126 66.2 (1.59) 65.7   (1.94) 56.4 (4.84) 70.3 (3.22) 81.5 (5.15) 66.8 (0.94) 67.6   (1.12) 60.5 (2.64) 65.9 (1.99) 82.3 (3.59) 7.1 ! (2.87)   (†) -14.7   (3.76)
20136 65.9 (1.58) 68.8   (1.90) 56.7 (5.59) 59.8 (3.62) 80.1 (6.52) 66.8 (0.98) 67.4   (1.26) 60.7 (3.09) 65.5 (2.06) 83.6 (3.20) 6.7 ! (3.34)   (†) -16.2   (3.44)
20146 68.4 (1.67) 67.7   (2.25) 70.2 (4.56) 65.2 (4.08) 90.9 (3.91) 67.8 (1.00) 69.3   (1.17) 60.6 (3.40) 64.7 (2.16) 84.2 (3.16) 8.8 ! (3.59)   (†) -14.9   (3.37)

20156
69.2 (1.54) 71.3   (1.74) 55.6 (5.69) 68.9 (3.64) 83.2 (4.65) 69.1 (1.07) 69.6   (1.32) 60.8 (3.41) 69.0 (2.05) 88.5 (2.48) 8.8 ! (3.66)   (†) -18.9   (2.81)
20166 69.8 (1.64) 69.7   (2.34) 57.3 (6.11) 72.0 (3.24) 91.9 (3.65) 68.6 (1.02) 70.1   (1.28) 57.5 (3.44) 67.6 (2.20) 85.7 (2.60) 12.6   (3.67)   (†) -15.7   (2.90)
20176 66.7 (1.68) 69.1   (2.09) 59.4 (4.79) 61.0 (3.98) 82.7 (5.20) 68.6 (1.00) 69.9   (1.23) 60.7 (2.86) 66.5 (2.19) 82.0 (2.96) 9.2 ! (3.11)   (†) -12.1   (3.20)
20186 69.1 (1.62) 70.9   (1.93) 64.5 (4.37) 65.4 (3.59) 73.6 (5.64) 67.4 (1.04) 69.3   (1.26) 58.1 (2.76) 63.4 (2.13) 82.1 (3.01) 11.2   (3.04) 5.9 ! (2.48) -12.7   (3.26)
20196 66.2 (1.80) 68.0   (2.41) 49.8 (4.94) 63.4 (4.05) 89.8 (3.99) 66.0 (1.04) 68.0   (1.34) 57.5 (2.88) 61.5 (2.17) 82.1 (3.00) 10.5 ! (3.18) 6.5 ! (2.55) -14.1   (3.29)
20206 62.7 (1.76) 65.0   (2.33) 57.5 (5.56) 56.2 (3.94) 82.7 (5.49) 64.5 (1.29) 66.6   (1.67) 53.6 (3.73) 59.6 (2.87) 86.3 (3.31) 13.0 ! (4.08) 7.0 ! (3.32) -19.7   (3.71)
---Not available.
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.
1 Individuals ages 16 to 24 who graduated from high school or completed a GED or other high school equivalency credential.
2 Enrollment in college as of October of each year for individuals ages 16 to 24 who had completed high school earlier in the calendar year.
3 A 3-year moving average is a weighted average of the year indicated, the year immediately preceding, and the year immediately following. For the first and final years of available data, a 2-year moving average is used: The moving average for 1960 reflects an average of 1960 and 1961; for Black and Hispanic data, the moving average for 1972 reflects an average of 1972 and 1973; for Asian-only data, the moving average for 2003 reflects an average of 2003 and 2004; and the moving average for 2020 reflects an average of 2019 and 2020. Moving averages are used to produce more stable estimates.
4 Prior to 2003, Asian data include Pacific Islanders.
5 Prior to 1972, White data include persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
6 After 2002, White, Black, and Asian data exclude persons of Two or more races. In 2002 and earlier years, each respondent could select only one race category.
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Includes enrollment in 2-year colleges and in 4-year colleges and universities. Prior to 2010, standard errors were computed using generalized variance function methodology rather than the more precise replicate weight methodology used in later years. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity except where otherwise noted. Totals include persons of other racial/ethnic groups not separately shown. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: American College Testing Program, unpublished tabulations, derived from statistics collected by the Census Bureau, 1960 through 1969. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1970 through 2020. (This table was prepared August 2021.)

2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest