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Digest of Education Statistics
2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 224. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by attendance status, sex, and age: Selected years, 1970 through 2021
[In thousands]
Attendance status, sex, and age 1970 1980 1990 2000 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Projected
2012 2013 2016 2021
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
All students 8,581 12,097 13,819 15,312 16,911 17,272 17,487 17,759 18,248 19,103 20,428 21,016 20,994 21,253 21,485 22,194 23,755
14 to 17 years old 263 257 153 131 169 166 187 184 200 195 217 202 202 207 208 219 244
18 and 19 years old 2,579 2,852 2,777 3,258 3,355 3,367 3,444 3,561 3,690 3,813 4,041 4,056 4,025 4,343 4,331 4,358 4,765
20 and 21 years old 1,885 2,395 2,593 3,005 3,391 3,516 3,563 3,573 3,570 3,649 3,945 4,101 4,174 4,386 4,368 4,361 4,603
22 to 24 years old 1,469 1,947 2,202 2,600 3,086 3,166 3,114 3,185 3,280 3,443 3,594 3,758 3,708 3,823 3,922 3,996 4,037
25 to 29 years old 1,091 1,843 2,083 2,044 2,311 2,418 2,469 2,506 2,651 2,840 3,096 3,253 3,319 3,057 3,116 3,389 3,545
30 to 34 years old 527 1,227 1,384 1,333 1,418 1,440 1,438 1,472 1,519 1,609 1,741 1,805 1,807 1,678 1,726 1,833 2,037
35 years old and over 767 1,577 2,627 2,942 3,181 3,199 3,272 3,277 3,339 3,554 3,794 3,840 3,758 3,759 3,812 4,038 4,524
                                   
Males 5,044 5,874 6,284 6,722 7,260 7,387 7,456 7,575 7,816 8,189 8,770 9,045 9,026 9,107 9,160 9,261 9,741
14 to 17 years old 125 106 66 58 67 62 68 69 88 93 103 94 95 90 90 92 101
18 and 19 years old 1,355 1,368 1,298 1,464 1,474 1,475 1,523 1,604 1,669 1,704 1,806 1,820 1,819 1,896 1,886 1,876 2,040
20 and 21 years old 1,064 1,219 1,259 1,411 1,541 1,608 1,658 1,628 1,634 1,695 1,876 1,948 1,973 2,102 2,088 2,060 2,154
22 to 24 years old 1,004 1,075 1,129 1,222 1,411 1,437 1,410 1,445 1,480 1,555 1,606 1,723 1,682 1,760 1,798 1,799 1,792
25 to 29 years old 796 983 1,024 908 1,007 1,039 1,057 1,040 1,148 1,222 1,382 1,410 1,442 1,354 1,370 1,452 1,491
30 to 34 years old 333 564 605 581 602 619 591 628 638 691 709 731 715 691 707 729 792
35 years old and over 366 559 902 1,077 1,158 1,147 1,149 1,160 1,159 1,228 1,287 1,320 1,300 1,215 1,223 1,252 1,372
                                   
Females 3,537 6,223 7,535 8,591 9,651 9,885 10,032 10,184 10,432 10,914 11,658 11,971 11,968 12,146 12,325 12,933 14,014
14 to 17 years old 137 151 87 73 102 104 119 115 112 102 114 108 108 118 119 127 143
18 and 19 years old 1,224 1,484 1,479 1,794 1,880 1,892 1,920 1,956 2,021 2,109 2,236 2,236 2,206 2,447 2,446 2,482 2,725
20 and 21 years old 821 1,177 1,334 1,593 1,851 1,908 1,905 1,945 1,936 1,954 2,069 2,154 2,201 2,284 2,280 2,301 2,449
22 to 24 years old 464 871 1,073 1,378 1,675 1,729 1,704 1,740 1,800 1,888 1,987 2,036 2,027 2,063 2,125 2,197 2,245
25 to 29 years old 296 859 1,059 1,136 1,304 1,379 1,413 1,466 1,502 1,618 1,713 1,844 1,877 1,703 1,746 1,937 2,055
30 to 34 years old 194 663 779 752 816 821 847 844 881 918 1,032 1,074 1,092 987 1,020 1,103 1,246
35 years old and over 401 1,018 1,725 1,865 2,023 2,052 2,123 2,117 2,180 2,326 2,507 2,520 2,458 2,544 2,590 2,786 3,152
                                   
Full-time 5,816 7,098 7,821 9,010 10,326 10,610 10,797 10,957 11,270 11,748 12,723 13,082 13,001 13,146 13,262 13,586 14,497
14 to 17 years old 246 231 134 121 146 138 152 148 169 168 181 170 171 163 164 174 194
18 and 19 years old 2,374 2,544 2,471 2,823 2,934 2,960 3,026 3,120 3,244 3,359 3,513 3,495 3,413 3,644 3,637 3,665 4,014
20 and 21 years old 1,649 2,007 2,137 2,452 2,841 2,926 2,976 2,972 2,985 3,043 3,271 3,363 3,392 3,438 3,427 3,426 3,623
22 to 24 years old 904 1,181 1,405 1,714 2,083 2,143 2,122 2,127 2,205 2,347 2,535 2,584 2,504 2,689 2,758 2,808 2,846
25 to 29 years old 426 641 791 886 1,086 1,132 1,174 1,225 1,299 1,369 1,520 1,605 1,628 1,477 1,507 1,641 1,723
30 to 34 years old 113 272 383 418 489 517 547 571 556 571 663 744 759 646 665 705 785
35 years old and over 104 221 500 596 747 795 800 794 812 890 1,041 1,121 1,135 1,088 1,104 1,168 1,312
                                   
Males 3,504 3,689 3,808 4,111 4,638 4,739 4,803 4,879 5,029 5,234 5,671 5,837 5,793 5,843 5,873 5,931 6,263
14 to 17 years old 121 95 55 51 58 49 53 52 74 73 78 71 75 58 58 60 67
18 and 19 years old 1,261 1,219 1,171 1,252 1,291 1,297 1,339 1,404 1,465 1,516 1,580 1,574 1,532 1,588 1,581 1,578 1,722
20 and 21 years old 955 1,046 1,035 1,156 1,305 1,360 1,398 1,372 1,366 1,407 1,547 1,586 1,591 1,642 1,632 1,617 1,698
22 to 24 years old 686 717 768 834 995 1,001 982 992 1,043 1,105 1,177 1,214 1,171 1,269 1,296 1,301 1,305
25 to 29 years old 346 391 433 410 503 498 506 533 578 597 665 714 736 640 649 693 719
30 to 34 years old 77 142 171 186 209 231 225 235 231 249 281 301 296 291 298 310 341
35 years old and over 58 80 174 222 277 302 300 291 273 287 343 376 392 355 359 371 412
                                   
Females 2,312 3,409 4,013 4,899 5,688 5,871 5,994 6,078 6,240 6,513 7,052 7,245 7,208 7,303 7,388 7,655 8,234
14 to 17 years old 125 136 78 70 88 89 98 95 95 95 103 99 96 104 105 113 127
18 and 19 years old 1,113 1,325 1,300 1,571 1,643 1,662 1,687 1,716 1,779 1,843 1,933 1,921 1,880 2,057 2,056 2,087 2,292
20 and 21 years old 693 961 1,101 1,296 1,536 1,566 1,578 1,601 1,619 1,636 1,724 1,777 1,801 1,797 1,794 1,808 1,925
22 to 24 years old 218 464 638 880 1,088 1,142 1,140 1,135 1,163 1,242 1,358 1,370 1,333 1,421 1,462 1,507 1,540
25 to 29 years old 80 250 358 476 583 634 668 692 721 772 855 890 892 837 858 948 1,004
30 to 34 years old 37 130 212 232 280 286 322 336 324 322 382 444 463 355 367 395 445
35 years old and over 46 141 326 374 471 493 500 503 539 603 697 745 743 733 745 797 900
                                   
Part-time 2,765 4,999 5,998 6,303 6,585 6,662 6,690 6,802 6,978 7,355 7,705 7,934 7,993 8,107 8,224 8,608 9,258
14 to 17 years old 16 26 19 10 23 28 36 36 31 27 36 32 31 45 44 46 50
18 and 19 years old 205 308 306 435 421 407 417 440 446 453 528 561 612 699 694 693 751
20 and 21 years old 236 388 456 553 551 590 586 601 585 606 674 739 782 947 942 936 980
22 to 24 years old 564 765 796 886 1,003 1,023 992 1,058 1,074 1,096 1,059 1,174 1,204 1,134 1,164 1,188 1,192
25 to 29 years old 665 1,202 1,291 1,158 1,224 1,286 1,296 1,282 1,352 1,471 1,576 1,649 1,692 1,580 1,609 1,748 1,823
30 to 34 years old 414 954 1,001 915 929 923 891 901 963 1,037 1,078 1,060 1,047 1,032 1,061 1,128 1,252
35 years old and over 663 1,356 2,127 2,345 2,434 2,404 2,472 2,483 2,527 2,664 2,753 2,719 2,624 2,671 2,708 2,870 3,212
                                   
Males 1,540 2,185 2,476 2,611 2,622 2,648 2,653 2,696 2,786 2,955 3,099 3,208 3,233 3,264 3,287 3,329 3,478
14 to 17 years old 4 12 11 7 9 13 15 17 14 20 25 23 20 31 31 32 34
18 and 19 years old 94 149 127 212 183 178 184 200 204 188 226 245 287 308 305 298 318
20 and 21 years old 108 172 224 255 236 248 260 257 269 289 329 362 382 460 456 443 456
22 to 24 years old 318 359 361 388 416 436 428 452 438 450 430 508 510 491 502 498 487
25 to 29 years old 450 592 591 498 504 540 551 507 570 625 717 695 706 714 721 759 772
30 to 34 years old 257 422 435 395 392 388 365 393 406 442 428 430 419 400 408 419 451
35 years old and over 309 479 728 855 882 845 850 869 886 941 944 944 908 859 864 881 960
                                   
Females 1,225 2,814 3,521 3,692 3,963 4,014 4,038 4,106 4,192 4,401 4,606 4,726 4,760 4,843 4,936 5,279 5,780
14 to 17 years old 12 14 9 3 14 15 21 20 17 7 11 9 12 13 13 14 15
18 and 19 years old 112 159 179 223 238 230 233 240 242 265 303 316 325 390 389 395 433
20 and 21 years old 128 216 233 298 315 342 327 344 317 318 345 377 400 487 486 492 524
22 to 24 years old 246 407 435 497 587 588 564 605 637 646 629 666 694 643 663 690 705
25 to 29 years old 216 609 700 660 721 746 745 774 781 846 858 953 985 866 888 989 1,050
30 to 34 years old 158 532 567 520 537 535 526 508 557 595 651 630 629 632 653 709 801
35 years old and over 354 876 1,399 1,491 1,552 1,560 1,623 1,614 1,640 1,723 1,810 1,775 1,716 1,812 1,844 1,989 2,252
NOTE: Distributions by age are estimates based on samples of the civilian noninstitutional population from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. 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. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Colleges and Universities" surveys, 1970 and 1980; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:90-99); IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2012, Enrollment component; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2021. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, selected years, 1970 through 2011. (This table was prepared December 2012.)

2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest