While campuses across America see fewer students enrolling, a profound and contrasting global shift is reshaping higher education from who attends, who teaches, and whose research leads the world.
Key Takeaways
- In the 2021-22 academic year, total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the US was 18.4 million students, a decrease of 3% from 2019-20
- Undergraduate enrollment in US postsecondary institutions fell by 7% from fall 2019 to fall 2021, reaching 15.0 million students
- In fall 2021, 55% of US undergraduate students were female, compared to 44% male, with 1% unknown
- The 6-year graduation rate for US first-time, full-time bachelor's students at public 4-year institutions was 64% for the 2015 cohort
- US 4-year graduation rate for Black students at public universities was 46% for 2015 cohort, vs 68% for White students
- In 2021, the average 6-year graduation rate for private nonprofit 4-year colleges was 68%
- In 2021, US postsecondary faculty numbered 1.5 million, with 49% full-time
- 43% of US higher ed faculty were tenured or on tenure track in 2021
- Women comprised 53% of US postsecondary faculty in 2021, up from 47% in 2011
- In 2022, global scientific publications totaled 3.3 million, up 7% from 2021
- US researchers published 429,000 citable documents in 2022, leading globally
- China overtook US in total publications with 740,000 in 2022
- In 2021, US higher ed R&D expenditures totaled $97.9 billion, up 7.4%
- Federally funded academic R&D in US: $47.5 billion in FY2021
- Higher education institutions received 54% of NSF funding in 2021, $9.0 billion
US college enrollment is falling but global academic research is growing significantly.
Enrollment Statistics
- In the 2021-22 academic year, total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the US was 18.4 million students, a decrease of 3% from 2019-20
- Undergraduate enrollment in US postsecondary institutions fell by 7% from fall 2019 to fall 2021, reaching 15.0 million students
- In fall 2021, 55% of US undergraduate students were female, compared to 44% male, with 1% unknown
- Enrollment of Hispanic or Latino students in US postsecondary institutions increased 16% from 2010 to 2021, reaching 3.0 million
- In 2020, 39% of US 18- to 24-year-olds were enrolled in college, down from 42% in 2016
- Global higher education enrollment reached 235 million students in 2020, up 66% from 2000
- In 2022, China had 46 million tertiary students, the highest globally
- India's tertiary gross enrollment ratio rose to 28.4% in 2021 from 24.5% in 2018
- In the EU, tertiary enrollment for women was 58% of total in 2021
- US community college enrollment dropped 17% from 2019 to 2022, to 4.7 million students
- In 2021, 14.1% of US postsecondary undergraduates were first-generation college students
- Enrollment in online courses in US higher ed increased to 53% of students in fall 2020
- Sub-Saharan Africa's tertiary enrollment grew 170% from 2000 to 2020
- In Australia, international student enrollment was 692,000 in 2022, recovering post-COVID
- US Black student enrollment in public 4-year institutions was 13% in 2021
- Japan's tertiary enrollment rate for 18-22 year olds was 63% in 2021
- In Brazil, tertiary enrollment reached 8.3 million in 2021, with 59% female
- UK undergraduate enrollment was 2.8 million in 2021/22, up 2% from prior year
- In Canada, postsecondary enrollment hit 2.2 million in 2021, with 60% female
- South Korea's tertiary gross enrollment ratio was 71% in 2021
- In Germany, 2.9 million students were enrolled in higher education in 2021/22
- Mexico's tertiary enrollment grew to 4.5 million in 2021
- In 2022, US for-profit college enrollment was 0.8 million, down 20% from 2019
- France had 2.7 million tertiary students in 2021, with 55% female
- Nigeria's tertiary enrollment was 2.1 million in 2021
- In 2021, 36% of US high school graduates immediately enrolled in 4-year colleges
- Russia's tertiary enrollment stood at 4.1 million in 2021
- Turkey's tertiary gross enrollment ratio reached 115% in 2021 due to high overage enrollment
- In 2022, US graduate enrollment was 3.2 million, up 1% from 2021
- Iran's tertiary enrollment was 4.4 million in 2021, with 52% female
Enrollment Statistics Interpretation
While American higher education is experiencing a domestic contraction and a gender gap in favor of women, global enrollment surges are redistributing the map of academic influence, demonstrating that the student body is becoming less of a monolith and more of a rapidly shifting, worldwide mosaic.
Faculty Demographics
- In 2021, US postsecondary faculty numbered 1.5 million, with 49% full-time
- 43% of US higher ed faculty were tenured or on tenure track in 2021
- Women comprised 53% of US postsecondary faculty in 2021, up from 47% in 2011
- In 2021, 24% of US full-time faculty were Asian, 13% Black, 14% Hispanic
- Average age of US full-time faculty was 49 years in 2021
- In the UK, 46% of academic staff in higher ed were professors or senior lecturers in 2021/22
- OECD countries average part-time faculty rate in higher ed is 33%
- In China, higher ed faculty reached 2.1 million in 2021, with 45% professors/associate profs
- US adjunct faculty earned median $3,500 per course in 2021
- In Australia, 41% of university academic staff were female in 2022
- Germany's higher ed teaching staff was 130,000 in 2021, 28% female professors
- In Canada, 38% of full-time university professors were women in 2021
- Brazil had 410,000 higher ed faculty in 2021, 47% female
- Japan's university faculty totaled 180,000 in 2021, 29% female
- In France, 40% of university teachers were women in 2021
- US STEM faculty diversity: 6% Black women in 2021
- India's higher ed faculty was 1.6 million in 2021, 42% female
- South Korea's university professors numbered 73,000 in 2021, 25% female
- In the Netherlands, 33% of professors were women in 2022
- Italy's university faculty was 64,000 in 2021, 38% female
- Sweden had 40,000 higher ed teachers in 2021, 45% female professors
- Spain's university professors totaled 45,000 in 2021, 39% women
Faculty Demographics Interpretation
The ivory tower's global staffing report reveals a profession inching toward parity but still stubbornly pale, male, and tenured, with a glaring and underpaid adjunct underclass propping up the entire enterprise.
Funding Sources
- In 2021, US higher ed R&D expenditures totaled $97.9 billion, up 7.4%
- Federally funded academic R&D in US: $47.5 billion in FY2021
- Higher education institutions received 54% of NSF funding in 2021, $9.0 billion
- NIH extramural grants to universities: $30.2 billion in FY2021
- US states spent $87 billion on higher ed operations in 2021
- Global higher ed expenditure: $1.5 trillion in 2020
- UK research councils funded £8 billion to universities in 2021/22
- China's higher ed R&D spending: 250 billion yuan in 2021
- EU Horizon 2020 allocated €80 billion to research, 40% to universities
- Australian universities received A$15 billion govt funding in 2022
- Germany's DFG granted €3.2 billion to basic research in 2021
- Canada's federal research grants to postsecondary: C$4.5 billion in 2021
- Brazil's CAPES/CNPq funded 100,000 scholarships worth R$10 billion in 2021
- Japan's MEXT budget for universities: ¥4.8 trillion in 2022
- France's ANR allocated €800 million to projects in 2021
- India's higher ed allocation: ₹99,700 crore in 2022 budget
- South Africa's NRF funded R1.8 billion to universities in 2021
- Netherlands' NWO budget: €1 billion in 2022
- Sweden's research funding to HEIs: SEK 25 billion in 2021
- Industry funding to US universities: $9.8 billion in 2021
Funding Sources Interpretation
It appears the world, while arguing about everything else, has quietly and firmly decided that the true arms race is fought not with missiles, but with microscopes, granting billions to universities on a simple, unifying belief: if we throw enough money at smart people, the future might just catch it.
Graduation Rates
- The 6-year graduation rate for US first-time, full-time bachelor's students at public 4-year institutions was 64% for the 2015 cohort
- US 4-year graduation rate for Black students at public universities was 46% for 2015 cohort, vs 68% for White students
- In 2021, the average 6-year graduation rate for private nonprofit 4-year colleges was 68%
- Retention rate for US full-time bachelor's students was 76% from fall 2020 to 2021
- OECD average first-time tertiary graduation rate for women was 49% in 2020, vs 38% for men
- In California State University system, 4-year graduation rate was 28% for 2017 cohort
- US community college 150% normal time completion rate for 2018 cohort was 34%
- Harvard University's 6-year graduation rate is 97% for recent cohorts
- In the UK, 85.5% of full-time first-degree students graduating in 2020/21 completed within 5 years
- Australia's bachelor degree completion rate within 6 years is 78% for 2015 starters
- In Germany, 52% of university students graduate within standard duration +2 years
- Brazil's higher education completion rate is 23% for those who enter
- US Pell Grant recipients have a 6-year graduation rate of 54% vs 72% non-recipients
- In Canada, 72% of university starters graduate within 6 years
- South Africa's university graduation rate within minimum time is 15%
- In Japan, 4-year university graduation rate is 85% for 2020 entrants
- France's licence (bachelor) graduation rate within 3 years is 28%
- India's gross graduation rate in higher ed is 26.3% for 2020-21
- China's undergraduate graduation rate is over 90% in regular universities
- In the Netherlands, 75% of HBO students graduate within 5 years
- US first-generation students have 6-year graduation rate of 28% vs 58% continuing-generation
- Italy's tertiary graduation rate within 3 years for short cycle is 25%
- Sweden's university graduation rate within 5 years is 72%
Graduation Rates Interpretation
This alarming collection of statistics reveals a global higher education landscape where graduation success often seems less about personal effort and more about the postal code of your birthplace, the color of your skin, or the thickness of your family's wallet.
Research Output
- In 2022, global scientific publications totaled 3.3 million, up 7% from 2021
- US researchers published 429,000 citable documents in 2022, leading globally
- China overtook US in total publications with 740,000 in 2022
- Nature Index 2022: China had 20,415 Share for high-quality output
- EU-27 published 569,000 scientific papers in 2021
- UK research output: 111,000 publications in 2022
- Global open access publications reached 35% of total in 2022
- India ranked 3rd globally with 115,000 publications in 2022
- Average citations per document globally: 18.4 in Scopus 2022
- Harvard University led with 10,000+ publications in 2022
- Germany's research output: 110,000 docs in 2022
- Japan published 75,000 citable papers in 2022
- Australia's 48,000 publications ranked top 10
- Brazil's scientific output grew to 55,000 in 2022
- Canada: 65,000 publications, H-index 487 in 2022
- France: 72,000 docs, top in clinical medicine
- South Korea: 62,000 publications in 2022
- Netherlands: 36,000 papers, high impact
- Italy: 70,000 publications in 2022
- Sweden: 22,000 docs, citations per doc 25.2
- Global R&D publications in AI: 250,000 since 2010
- Spain: 48,000 publications in 2022
Research Output Interpretation
Despite China winning the raw publication sprint, the real academic marathon of quality, impact, and open collaboration is still being fiercely run by a global peloton where everyone is trying to publish or perish.
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