Table 303.25.

Total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution: 1970 through 2021

Year	All institutions			Public institutions			Private institutions
	Total	4-year	2-year	Total	4-year	2-year	All private institutions				Nonprofit			For-profit
							Total	4-year	2-year		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
1970	8,580,887	6,261,502	2,319,385	6,428,134	4,232,722	2,195,412	2,152,753	2,028,780	123,973		2,134,420	2,021,121	113,299	18,333	7,659	10,674
1971	8,948,644	6,369,355	2,579,289	6,804,309	4,346,990	2,457,319	2,144,335	2,022,365	121,970		2,121,913	2,011,682	110,231	22,422	10,683	11,739
1972	9,214,860	6,458,674	2,756,186	7,070,635	4,429,696	2,640,939	2,144,225	2,028,978	115,247		2,123,245	2,019,380	103,865	20,980	9,598	11,382
1973	9,602,123	6,590,023	3,012,100	7,419,516	4,529,895	2,889,621	2,182,607	2,060,128	122,479		2,148,784	2,045,804	102,980	33,823	14,324	19,499
1974	10,223,729	6,819,735	3,403,994	7,988,500	4,703,018	3,285,482	2,235,229	2,116,717	118,512		2,200,963	2,098,599	102,364	34,266	18,118	16,148
1975	11,184,859	7,214,740	3,970,119	8,834,508	4,998,142	3,836,366	2,350,351	2,216,598	133,753		2,311,448	2,198,451	112,997	38,903	18,147	20,756
1976	11,012,137	7,128,816	3,883,321	8,653,477	4,901,691	3,751,786	2,358,660	2,227,125	131,535		2,314,298	2,206,457	107,841	44,362	20,668	23,694
1977	11,285,787	7,242,845	4,042,942	8,846,993	4,945,224	3,901,769	2,438,794	2,297,621	141,173		2,386,652	2,277,072	109,580	52,142	20,549	31,593
1978	11,260,092	7,231,625	4,028,467	8,785,893	4,912,203	3,873,690	2,474,199	2,319,422	154,777		2,408,331	2,299,132	109,199	65,868	20,290	45,578
1979	11,569,899	7,353,233	4,216,666	9,036,822	4,980,012	4,056,810	2,533,077	2,373,221	159,856		2,461,773	2,351,364	110,409	71,304	21,857	49,447
1980	12,096,895	7,570,608	4,526,287	9,457,394	5,128,612	4,328,782	2,639,501	2,441,996	197,505	1	2,527,787	2,413,693	114,094	111,714	28,303	83,411	1
1981	12,371,672	7,655,461	4,716,211	9,647,032	5,166,324	4,480,708	2,724,640	2,489,137	235,503	1	2,572,405	2,453,239	119,166	152,235	35,898	116,337	1
1982	12,425,780	7,654,074	4,771,706	9,696,087	5,176,434	4,519,653	2,729,693	2,477,640	252,053	1	2,552,739	2,437,763	114,976	176,954	39,877	137,077	1
1983	12,464,661	7,741,195	4,723,466	9,682,734	5,223,404	4,459,330	2,781,927	2,517,791	264,136		2,589,187	2,472,894	116,293	192,740	44,897	147,843
1984	12,241,940	7,711,167	4,530,773	9,477,370	5,198,273	4,279,097	2,764,570	2,512,894	251,676		2,574,419	2,466,172	108,247	190,151	46,722	143,429
1985	12,247,055	7,715,978	4,531,077	9,479,273	5,209,540	4,269,733	2,767,782	2,506,438	261,344		2,571,791	2,463,000	108,791	195,991	43,438	152,553
1986	12,503,511	7,823,963	4,679,548	9,713,893	5,300,202	4,413,691	2,789,618	2,523,761	265,857	2	2,572,479	2,470,981	101,498	217,139	52,780	164,359	2
1987	12,766,642	7,990,420	4,776,222	9,973,254	5,432,200	4,541,054	2,793,388	2,558,220	235,168	2	2,602,350	2,512,248	90,102	191,038	45,972	145,066	2
1988	13,055,337	8,180,182	4,875,155	10,161,388	5,545,901	4,615,487	2,893,949	2,634,281	259,668		2,673,567	---	---	220,382	---	---
1989	13,538,560	8,387,671	5,150,889	10,577,963	5,694,303	4,883,660	2,960,597	2,693,368	267,229		2,731,174	---	---	229,423	---	---
1990	13,818,637	8,578,554	5,240,083	10,844,717	5,848,242	4,996,475	2,973,920	2,730,312	243,608		2,760,227	2,671,069	89,158	213,693	59,243	154,450
1991	14,358,953	8,707,053	5,651,900	11,309,563	5,904,748	5,404,815	3,049,390	2,802,305	247,085		2,819,041	2,729,752	89,289	230,349	72,553	157,796
1992	14,487,359	8,764,969	5,722,390	11,384,567	5,900,012	5,484,555	3,102,792	2,864,957	237,835		2,872,523	2,789,235	83,288	230,269	75,722	154,547
1993	14,304,803	8,738,936	5,565,867	11,189,088	5,851,760	5,337,328	3,115,715	2,887,176	228,539		2,888,897	2,802,540	86,357	226,818	84,636	142,182
1994	14,278,790	8,749,080	5,529,710	11,133,680	5,825,213	5,308,467	3,145,110	2,923,867	221,243		2,910,107	2,824,500	85,607	235,003	99,367	135,636
1995	14,261,781	8,769,252	5,492,529	11,092,374	5,814,545	5,277,829	3,169,407	2,954,707	214,700		2,929,044	2,853,890	75,154	240,363	100,817	139,546
1996	14,367,520	8,804,193	5,563,327	11,120,499	5,806,036	5,314,463	3,247,021	2,998,157	248,864		2,942,556	2,867,181	75,375	304,465	130,976	173,489
1997	14,502,334	8,896,765	5,605,569	11,196,119	5,835,433	5,360,686	3,306,215	3,061,332	244,883		2,977,614	2,905,820	71,794	328,601	155,512	173,089
1998	14,506,967	9,017,653	5,489,314	11,137,769	5,891,806	5,245,963	3,369,198	3,125,847	243,351		3,004,925	2,939,055	65,870	364,273	186,792	177,481
1999	14,849,691	9,196,160	5,653,531	11,375,739	5,977,678	5,398,061	3,473,952	3,218,482	255,470		3,055,029	2,991,728	63,301	418,923	226,754	192,169
2000	15,312,289	9,363,858	5,948,431	11,752,786	6,055,398	5,697,388	3,559,503	3,308,460	251,043		3,109,419	3,050,575	58,844	450,084	257,885	192,199
2001	15,927,987	9,677,408	6,250,579	12,233,156	6,236,455	5,996,701	3,694,831	3,440,953	253,878		3,167,330	3,119,781	47,549	527,501	321,172	206,329
2002	16,611,711	10,082,332	6,529,379	12,751,993	6,481,613	6,270,380	3,859,718	3,600,719	258,999		3,265,476	3,218,389	47,087	594,242	382,330	211,912
2003	16,911,481	10,417,247	6,494,234	12,858,698	6,649,441	6,209,257	4,052,783	3,767,806	284,977		3,341,048	3,297,180	43,868	711,735	470,626	241,109
2004	17,272,044	10,726,181	6,545,863	12,980,112	6,736,536	6,243,576	4,291,932	3,989,645	302,287		3,411,685	3,369,435	42,250	880,247	620,210	260,037
2005	17,487,475	10,999,420	6,488,055	13,021,834	6,837,605	6,184,229	4,465,641	4,161,815	303,826		3,454,692	3,411,170	43,522	1,010,949	750,645	260,304
2006	17,754,230	11,240,678	6,513,552	13,175,350	6,955,221	6,220,129	4,578,880	4,285,457	293,423		3,512,929	3,473,773	39,156	1,065,951	811,684	254,267
2007	18,258,138	11,628,893	6,629,245	13,500,894	7,164,759	6,336,135	4,757,244	4,464,134	293,110		3,571,395	3,537,903	33,492	1,185,849	926,231	259,618
2008	19,081,686	12,110,487	6,971,199	13,970,862	7,330,682	6,640,180	5,110,824	4,779,805	331,019		3,660,827	3,625,469	35,358	1,449,997	1,154,336	295,661
2009	20,313,594	12,791,012	7,522,582	14,810,768	7,709,198	7,101,570	5,502,826	5,081,814	421,012		3,767,672	3,732,900	34,772	1,735,154	1,348,914	386,240
2010	21,019,438	13,335,841	7,683,597	15,142,171	7,924,108	7,218,063	5,877,267	5,411,733	465,534		3,854,482	3,821,799	32,683	2,022,785	1,589,934	432,851
2011	21,010,590	13,499,440	7,511,150	15,116,303	8,048,145	7,068,158	5,894,287	5,451,295	442,992		3,926,819	3,886,964	39,855	1,967,468	1,564,331	403,137
2012	20,644,478	13,476,638	7,167,840	14,884,667	8,092,602	6,792,065	5,759,811	5,384,036	375,775		3,951,388	3,913,690	37,698	1,808,423	1,470,346	338,077
2013	20,376,677	13,406,033	6,970,644	14,746,848	8,120,437	6,626,411	5,629,829	5,285,596	344,233		3,971,390	3,939,199	32,191	1,658,439	1,346,397	312,042
2014	20,209,092	13,494,414	6,714,678	14,654,660	8,257,108	6,397,552	5,554,432	5,237,306	317,126		3,997,249	3,966,873	30,376	1,557,183	1,270,433	286,750
2015	19,988,204	13,488,743	6,499,461	14,572,843	8,348,539	6,224,304	5,415,361	5,140,204	275,157		4,065,891	4,015,882	50,009	1,349,470	1,124,322	225,148
2016	19,846,904	13,754,486	6,092,418	14,585,840	8,742,931	5,842,909	5,261,064	5,011,555	249,509		4,078,956	4,028,401	50,555	1,182,108	983,154	198,954
2017	19,778,151	13,825,380	5,952,771	14,571,739	8,854,279	5,717,460	5,206,412	4,971,101	235,311		4,108,489	4,060,094	48,395	1,097,923	911,007	186,916
2018	19,651,412	13,898,450	5,752,962	14,539,257	8,983,172	5,556,085	5,112,155	4,915,278	196,877		4,131,846	4,086,674	45,172	980,309	828,604	151,705
2019	19,630,178	14,039,467	5,590,711	14,503,647	9,102,782	5,400,865	5,126,531	4,936,685	189,846		4,135,372	4,101,882	33,490	991,159	834,803	156,356
2020	19,027,410	14,095,730	4,931,680	13,884,456	9,163,542	4,720,914	5,142,954	4,932,188	210,766		4,101,048	4,069,000	32,048	1,041,906	863,188	178,718
2021	18,659,851	13,977,255	4,682,596	13,543,524	9,065,752	4,477,772	5,116,327	4,911,503	204,824		4,113,104	4,085,530	27,574	1,003,223	825,973	177,250

---Not available.

1Large increases are due to the addition of schools accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology.

2Because of imputation techniques, data are not consistent with figures for other years.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education" surveys, 1970 through 1985; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:86-99); and IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2022, Fall Enrollment component. (This table was prepared March 2023.)