FIGURE 1. Number of postsecondary institutions overall and of institutions that offer subbaccalaureate occupational education, by institution control: 2000 and 2014

NOTE: Counts for intervening years are not shown in figure. Counts for even-numbered years from 2000 to 2014 are found at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/P140.asp and https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/P141.asp.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Institutional Characteristics (IC) and Completions components, 2000–01 and 2014–15.

This Data Point uses data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is an annual data collection of all postsecondary institutions in the United States and outlying territories that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs. This Data Point presents IPEDS data for U.S. undergraduate institutions in 2000 and 2014, examining changes in institutions overall and among institutions that offer subbaccalaureate occupational education (i.e., programs that can be considered career and technical education; see figure 2 note).

Among institutions overall, growth was restricted to the for-profit sector.

From 2000 to 2014, the number of forprofit institutions increased from 2,445 to 3,360, a 37 percent increase (figure 1). At the same time, the number of public and private nonprofit institutions declined from 2,084 to 1,964 and from 1,950 to 1,827, respectively, a 6 percent decline in each sector. Thus, from 2000 to 2014, the percentage of all institutions that were for-profit institutions increased from 38 to 47 percent (figure 2).

FIGURE 2. Percentage distribution of postsecondary institutions overall and of postsecondary institutions that offer subbaccalaureate occupational education, by institution control: 2000 and 2014

NOTE: Occupational education includes agriculture and natural resources; business management and support; communication and design; computer and information sciences; construction; consumer services; education; engineering, architecture, and science technologies; health sciences; manufacturing; marketing; mechanics and repair; protective services; public, legal, and social services; and transportation. Percentages in figure were calculated from the counts found at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/P140.asp and https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/tables/P141.asp.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Institutional Characteristics (IC) and Completions components, 2000–01 and 2014–15.

Growth among institutions offering subbaccalaureate occupational education also resulted from growth in the for-profit sector.

As for institutions overall, the growth from 2000 to 2014 in the number of institutions offering subbaccalaureate occupational education resulted from growth in the number of forprofit institutions. Over this period, the number of for-profit institutions that offered subbaccalaureate occupational education increased from 2,177 to 3,193, a 47 percent increase, while the number of public and private nonprofit institutions declined, respectively, from 1,659 to 1,615 (a 3 percent decrease) and from 839 to 782 (a 7 percent decrease) (figure 1). As a result, for-profit institutions increased from 47 percent of all institutions that offered subbaccalaureate occupational education in 2000 to 57 percent in 2014 (figure 2).

To learn more about IPEDS, visit https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. For questions about content or to view this report online, go to https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2017008.

This National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Data Point presents information on education topics of current interest. It was authored by Lisa Hudson of NCES. Because IPEDS is a census data collection, no statistical tests were performed. In the design, conduct, and data processing of all NCES data collections, efforts are made to minimize effects of nonsampling errors, such as item nonresponse, measurement error, data processing error, or other systematic error.