Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2004 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 173. Total fall enrollment in degree-granting institutions, by attendance status, age, and sex: Selected years, 1970 to 2014
[In thousands]

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |            Projected\2\
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |__________________________________
Age and sex                    |1970\1\|1980\1\|1990\1\|1995\1\|2000\2\|2001\2\|2002\2\|  2003|  2004|  2005| 2010 |  2014
_______________________________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|______|______|______|______|______
1                              |     2 |      3|      4|      5|      6|      7|      8|     9|    10|    11|    12|    13
_______________________________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|______|______|______|______|______
     Males and females, total .|  8,581| 12,097| 13,819| 14,262| 15,312| 15,928| 16,612|16,910|17,095|17,350|18,816|19,470
                               |_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|______|______|______|______|______
14 to 17 years old ............|    259|    247|    177|    148|    145|    133|    202|   192|   200|   201|   216|   215
18 and 19 years old ...........|  2,600|  2,901|  2,950|  2,894|  3,531|  3,595|  3,571| 3,551| 3,669| 3,705| 4,067| 3,951
20 and 21 years old ...........|  1,880|  2,424|  2,761|  2,705|  3,045|  3,408|  3,366| 3,393| 3,390| 3,456| 3,848| 3,845
22 to 24 years old ............|  1,457|  1,989|  2,144|  2,411|  2,617|  2,760|  2,932| 3,062| 3,087| 3,143| 3,384| 3,686
25 to 29 years old ............|  1,074|  1,871|  1,982|  2,120|  1,960|  2,014|  2,102| 2,244| 2,288| 2,374| 2,724| 2,913
30 to 34 years old ............|    487|  1,243|  1,322|  1,236|  1,265|  1,290|  1,300| 1,311| 1,300| 1,290| 1,399| 1,573
35 years old and over .........|    823|  1,421|  2,484|  2,747|  2,749|  2,727|  3,139| 3,158| 3,161| 3,181| 3,178| 3,287
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
Males .........................|  5,044|  5,874|  6,284|  6,343|  6,722|  6,961|  7,202| 7,259| 7,268| 7,356| 7,872| 8,084
  14 to 17 years old ..........|    130|     99|     87|     61|     63|     54|     82|    79|    81|    83|    87|    84
  18 and 19 years old .........|  1,349|  1,375|  1,421|  1,338|  1,583|  1,629|  1,616| 1,575| 1,600| 1,622| 1,760| 1,701
  20 and 21 years old .........|  1,095|  1,259|  1,368|  1,282|  1,382|  1,591|  1,562| 1,583| 1,573| 1,586| 1,739| 1,726
  22 to 24 years old ..........|    964|  1,064|  1,107|  1,153|  1,293|  1,312|  1,342| 1,401| 1,401| 1,417| 1,498| 1,617
  25 to 29 years old ..........|    783|    993|    940|    962|    862|    905|    890|   909|   917|   949| 1,071| 1,133
  30 to 34 years old ..........|    308|    576|    537|    561|    527|    510|    547|   546|   538|   533|   569|   636
  35 years old and over .......|    415|    507|    824|    986|  1,012|    961|  1,164| 1,164| 1,159| 1,166| 1,148| 1,186
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
Females .......................|  3,537|  6,223|  7,535|  7,919|  8,591|  8,967|  9,410| 9,652| 9,826| 9,995|10,945|11,386
  14 to 17 years old ..........|    129|    148|     90|     87|     82|     79|    121|   112|   119|   118|   129|   130
  18 and 19 years old .........|  1,250|  1,526|  1,529|  1,557|  1,948|  1,966|  1,955| 1,976| 2,069| 2,084| 2,308| 2,250
  20 and 21 years old .........|    786|  1,165|  1,392|  1,424|  1,663|  1,817|  1,804| 1,809| 1,817| 1,870| 2,108| 2,119
  22 to 24 years old ..........|    493|    925|  1,037|  1,258|  1,324|  1,448|  1,590| 1,661| 1,686| 1,726| 1,886| 2,069
  25 to 29 years old ..........|    291|    878|  1,043|  1,159|  1,099|  1,110|  1,212| 1,335| 1,371| 1,425| 1,653| 1,780
  30 to 34 years old ..........|    179|    667|    784|    675|    738|    780|    753|   764|   762|   757|   831|   937
  35 years old and over .......|    409|    914|  1,659|  1,760|  1,736|  1,767|  1,976| 1,994| 2,002| 2,015| 2,030| 2,102
                               |=======|=======|=======|=======|=======|=======|=======|======|======|======|======|======
Full-time .....................|  5,816|  7,098|  7,821|  8,129|  9,010|  9,448|  9,946|10,156|10,303|10,483|11,563|11,902
  14 to 17 years old ..........|    242|    223|    144|    123|    125|    122|    161|   154|   161|   162|   174|   174
  18 and 19 years old .........|  2,406|  2,669|  2,548|  2,387|  2,932|  2,929|  2,942| 2,910| 3,013| 3,043| 3,352| 3,266
  20 and 21 years old .........|  1,647|  2,075|  2,151|  2,109|  2,401|  2,662|  2,759| 2,783| 2,782| 2,840| 3,173| 3,178
  22 to 24 years old ..........|    881|  1,121|  1,350|  1,517|  1,653|  1,757|  1,922| 2,008| 2,022| 2,062| 2,235| 2,443
  25 to 29 years old ..........|    407|    577|    770|    908|    878|    883|  1,013| 1,137| 1,162| 1,208| 1,400| 1,509
  30 to 34 years old ..........|    100|    251|    387|    430|    422|    494|    465|   472|   469|   467|   514|   584
  35 years old and over .......|    134|    182|    471|    653|    599|    602|    684|   691|   694|   701|   714|   748
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
  Males .......................|  3,505|  3,689|  3,808|  3,807|  4,111|  4,300|  4,501| 4,517| 4,527| 4,584| 4,955| 5,034
    14 to 17 years old ........|    124|     87|     71|     54|     51|     43|     65|    62|    63|    64|    67|    65
    18 and 19 years old .......|  1,265|  1,270|  1,230|  1,091|  1,250|  1,329|  1,327| 1,277| 1,297| 1,315| 1,427| 1,379
    20 and 21 years old .......|    990|  1,109|  1,055|    999|  1,106|  1,249|  1,275| 1,292| 1,283| 1,294| 1,419| 1,408
    22 to 24 years old ........|    650|    665|    742|    789|    839|    854|    936|   977|   975|   986| 1,043| 1,122
    25 to 29 years old ........|    327|    360|    401|    454|    415|    397|    467|   479|   482|   500|   564|   596
    30 to 34 years old ........|     72|    124|    156|    183|    195|    216|    183|   184|   180|   179|   191|   213
    35 years old and over .....|     75|     74|    152|    238|    256|    212|    247|   247|   245|   247|   244|   251
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
  Females .....................|  2,311|  3,409|  4,013|  4,321|  4,899|  5,148|  5,445| 5,638| 5,776| 5,899| 6,608| 6,868
    14 to 17 years old ........|    117|    136|     73|     69|     74|     78|     96|    92|    98|    98|   107|   109
    18 and 19 years old .......|  1,140|  1,399|  1,318|  1,296|  1,682|  1,600|  1,615| 1,633| 1,716| 1,729| 1,926| 1,887
    20 and 21 years old .......|    657|    966|  1,096|  1,111|  1,296|  1,413|  1,484| 1,491| 1,499| 1,546| 1,754| 1,770
    22 to 24 years old ........|    231|    456|    608|    729|    814|    903|    985| 1,032| 1,047| 1,076| 1,193| 1,321
    25 to 29 years old ........|     80|    217|    369|    455|    463|    486|    546|   659|   679|   708|   836|   913
    30 to 34 years old ........|     28|    127|    231|    247|    227|    277|    282|   288|   289|   288|   323|   371
    35 years old and over .....|     59|    108|    319|    415|    343|    390|    437|   444|   448|   454|   470|   498
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
Part-time .....................|  2,765|  4,999|  5,998|  6,133|  6,303|  6,480|  6,665| 6,755| 6,792| 6,867| 7,253| 7,568
  14 to 17 years old ..........|     17|     38|     32|     25|     20|     11|     41|    38|    39|    39|    42|    41
  18 and 19 years old .........|    194|    418|    402|    507|    599|    666|    628|   641|   656|   662|   715|   686
  20 and 21 years old .........|    233|    441|    610|    596|    644|    746|    607|   609|   608|   616|   675|   667
  22 to 24 years old ..........|    576|    844|    794|    894|    964|  1,003|  1,010| 1,054| 1,065| 1,081| 1,149| 1,243
  25 to 29 years old ..........|    668|  1,209|  1,213|  1,212|  1,083|  1,132|  1,088| 1,107| 1,127| 1,166| 1,324| 1,404
  30 to 34 years old ..........|    388|    905|    935|    805|    843|    796|    835|   839|   830|   823|   885|   989
  35 years old and over .......|    689|  1,145|  2,012|  2,093|  2,150|  2,126|  2,456| 2,467| 2,467| 2,480| 2,464| 2,539
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
  Males .......................|  1,540|  2,185|  2,476|  2,535|  2,611|  2,661|  2,701| 2,742| 2,741| 2,772| 2,917| 3,050
    14 to 17 years old ........|      5|     17|     16|      7|     11|     11|     17|    18|    18|    18|    19|    19
    18 and 19 years old .......|     84|    202|    191|    246|    333|    300|    288|   298|   303|   307|   333|   323
    20 and 21 years old .......|    105|    201|    313|    283|    276|    342|    287|   291|   289|   292|   320|   318
    22 to 24 years old ........|    314|    392|    365|    365|    454|    458|    405|   424|   426|   432|   455|   495
    25 to 29 years old ........|    456|    594|    539|    508|    447|    508|    423|   431|   435|   450|   507|   538
    30 to 34 years old ........|    236|    397|    381|    378|    332|    294|    364|   363|   357|   354|   378|   423
    35 years old and over .....|    340|    382|    672|    748|    757|    749|    917|   917|   913|   919|   905|   935
                               |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |      |      |      |      |
  Females .....................|  1,225|  2,814|  3,521|  3,598|  3,692|  3,820|  3,964| 4,013| 4,050| 4,096| 4,336| 4,518
    14 to 17 years old ........|     12|     20|     17|     18|      9|      1|     24|    20|    21|    21|    22|    22
    18 and 19 years old .......|    110|    215|    211|    261|    266|    366|    340|   343|   353|   355|   382|   363
    20 and 21 years old .......|    128|    240|    297|    313|    368|    404|    320|   319|   318|   324|   355|   349
    22 to 24 years old ........|    262|    452|    429|    529|    510|    545|    605|   630|   639|   649|   693|   748
    25 to 29 years old ........|    212|    616|    674|    704|    636|    624|    666|   677|   692|   716|   817|   866
    30 to 34 years old ........|    151|    507|    554|    427|    511|    502|    471|   476|   473|   469|   507|   566
    35 years old and over .....|    349|    762|  1,340|  1,345|  1,393|  1,377|  1,539| 1,550| 1,554| 1,561| 1,560| 1,604
_______________________________|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|_______|______|______|______|______|______

\1\Institutions that were accredited by an agency or association that was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, or recognized directly by the Secretary of Education.
\2\Data are for 4-year and 2-year degree-granting institutions that were participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs.

NOTE: Distributions by age are estimates based on samples of the civilian noninstitutional population. 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; 1990 through 2002 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, "Fall Enrollment Survey," (IPEDS-EF:90-99), and Spring 2001 through Spring 2003; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2014. (This table was prepared April 2005.)