U.S. public secondary schools enrolled 90.9 million students in grades 6 through 12 in fall 2023. The global online education market reached 245.4 billion dollars that same year. Enrollment figures vary sharply by education level and by country.
Key Takeaways
- 90.9 million students were enrolled in U.S. public secondary schools (grades 6–12) in Fall 2023
- 17.7 million undergraduate students were enrolled in U.S. degree-granting institutions in Fall 2021 (NCES)
- In the UK, 1.9 million students were enrolled in higher education in 2022–23 (HESA)
- 15.1 million students were enrolled in U.S. public schools in Fall 2023 in grades 9–12
- 14.8% of the world’s children of primary school age were out of school in 2022 (UNESCO UIS estimate)
- In the OECD, 43.0% of 25–34-year-olds were enrolled in education or training in 2022 (enrolment-related participation)
- In U.S. postsecondary education, 45.0% of undergraduate students were enrolled part-time in fall 2022 (NCES/IPEDS)
- In 2022–23, 1.2 million Pell Grant recipients attended private for-profit institutions (Federal Student Aid data center)
- In U.S. public schools, 23.2% of students were White in 2023, 27.4% Hispanic, 15.4% Black, 5.8% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Alaska Native (NCES)
- In the U.S., 54% of online course takers were enrolled in community colleges in 2020 (NCES)
- Udemy reported 75 million learners on its platform as of 2023 (Udemy annual report)
- Open universities/online education: The global number of MOOCs learners exceeded 220 million cumulative registrations by 2021 (Class Central MOOC report)
- 3.9% of U.S. adults (aged 25 and older) were enrolled in higher education in 2023, measured as participation in colleges/universities
- In 2022, there were 57.7 million students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary education (degree-granting institutions and non-degree institutions), counting all postsecondary students
- In 2022, 19.9 million students were enrolled in tertiary education in the European Union (EU27), measured as tertiary enrollment
Enrollment spans the globe from tens of millions in U.S. schools and universities to expanding online learning markets.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics & Equity9 stats
01
In U.S. postsecondary education, 45.0% of undergraduate students were enrolled part-time in fall 2022 (NCES/IPEDS)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_306.10.asp
02
In 2022–23, 1.2 million Pell Grant recipients attended private for-profit institutions (Federal Student Aid data center)https://studentaid.gov/data-center/student/
03
In U.S. public schools, 23.2% of students were White in 2023, 27.4% Hispanic, 15.4% Black, 5.8% Asian, and 1.0% Native American/Alaska Native (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_203.50.asp
04
In U.S. public schools, 9.1% of students were English learners in 2023 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_204.30.asp
05
In U.S. K–12, students with disabilities represented 14.2% in 2023 (IDEA counts in NCES Digest)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_204.10.asp
06
In U.S. public schools, 1.3% of students were homeless in 2023 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_214.10.asp
07
In the U.S., 44% of undergraduate students were first-generation college students as of 2022 (National Center for Education Statistics, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study)https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/npsas/index.asp
08
In OECD countries, 36% of tertiary students were enrolled in fields of study related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in 2021 (OECD Education at a Glance)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2023_1f8c8b1f-en
09
In U.S. higher education, 25% of undergraduates were students of color in 2022 (NCES/IPEDS)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_305.10.asp
Interpretation
Demographics & Equity Interpretation
The Demographics and Equity picture is that student populations in U.S. education are highly uneven, with only 23.2% of public school students White in 2023 while 27.4% were Hispanic and major supports like 9.1% English learners and 14.2% students with disabilities show how equity needs are widespread.
02 · Category
Enrollment By Level8 stats
01
90.9 million students were enrolled in U.S. public secondary schools (grades 6–12) in Fall 2023https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_205.10.asp
02
17.7 million undergraduate students were enrolled in U.S. degree-granting institutions in Fall 2021 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_303.10.asp
03
In the UK, 1.9 million students were enrolled in higher education in 2022–23 (HESA)https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/17-01-2024/sfr-247-enrolment-2022-23
04
In Canada, 1.2 million students were enrolled in undergraduate programs in 2022 (Statistics Canada)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240125/dq240125a-eng.htm
05
0.5 million students were enrolled in U.S. first-professional degree programs in Fall 2021 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_303.20.asp
06
3.1 million U.S. children were enrolled in kindergarten in 2022 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_203.30.asp
07
In India, 12.8 million students were enrolled in postgraduate education in 2021–22 (AISHE)https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/AISHE_2021-22.pdf
08
In Brazil, 8.2 million students were enrolled in higher education in 2022 (INEP/MEC data portal)https://www.gov.br/inep/pt-br/areas-de-atuacao/avaliacao-e-exames-educacionais/indicadores/educacao-superior
Interpretation
Enrollment By Level Interpretation
In the Enrollment By Level data, the biggest standout is that U.S. public secondary schools enroll 90.9 million students in grades 6–12 in Fall 2023, far exceeding higher education levels like 17.7 million undergraduates in Fall 2021 and 0.5 million students in U.S. first professional degree programs in Fall 2021.
03 · Category
Online & Remote4 stats
01
In the U.S., 54% of online course takers were enrolled in community colleges in 2020 (NCES)https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_332.20.asp
02
Udemy reported 75 million learners on its platform as of 2023 (Udemy annual report)https://investor.udemy.com/static-files/6a2fbd0d-f1bf-4e2b-b3c1-4dcf4a2f1d55
03
Open universities/online education: The global number of MOOCs learners exceeded 220 million cumulative registrations by 2021 (Class Central MOOC report)https://www.classcentral.com/report/moocs-2021-stats/
04
In the U.S., 9.0 million students used edtech for remote learning during 2020–21 (peer-reviewed/education research synthesis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7732766/
Interpretation
Online & Remote Interpretation
In the Online and Remote learning space, the scale is striking, with 54% of U.S. online course takers in 2020 enrolled at community colleges and massive platform and program reach from 75 million Udemy learners and over 220 million global MOOC registrations by 2021, reinforced by 9.0 million U.S. students using edtech for remote learning in 2020 to 2021.
More related reading
04 · Category
Enrollment Scale3 stats
01
3.9% of U.S. adults (aged 25 and older) were enrolled in higher education in 2023, measured as participation in colleges/universitieshttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
02
In 2022, there were 57.7 million students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary education (degree-granting institutions and non-degree institutions), counting all postsecondary studentshttps://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha
03
In 2022, 19.9 million students were enrolled in tertiary education in the European Union (EU27), measured as tertiary enrollmenthttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tertiary_education_statistics
Interpretation
Enrollment Scale Interpretation
For the Enrollment Scale category, participation remains massive in absolute terms, with 57.7 million students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary education in 2022 and 19.9 million in the EU in 2022, yet the U.S. still shows a relatively small share of the eligible population at 3.9% of adults aged 25 and older enrolled in higher education in 2023.
05 · Category
Online Education3 stats
01
In 2023, there were 220 million MOOCs learners cumulative registrations globally by end-2021 (as reported by a consolidated MOOCs tracker), measured as cumulative learnershttps://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats-2021/
02
In 2022, 5,300 universities offered online learning through MOOCs on major platforms globally (measured as number of providers tracked)https://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats-2022/
03
In 2023, 82% of organizations used or planned to use some form of e-learning for workforce training, measured as share of organizations adopting e-learninghttps://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/elearning-services-industry/
Interpretation
Online Education Interpretation
Online education is scaling fast, with Class Central tracking 220 million cumulative MOOC registrations by end-2021 and 5,300 universities offering MOOCs on major platforms by 2022, while in 2023 82% of organizations planned to use e-learning for workforce training, showing clear mainstream demand beyond classrooms.
06 · Category
Overview9 stats
01
14.8% of the world’s children of primary school age were out of school in 2022 (UNESCO UIS estimate)https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381643
02
In the OECD, 43.0% of 25–34-year-olds were enrolled in education or training in 2022 (enrolment-related participation)https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2023_0b57b3c0-en
03
In 2021, 14.3% of U.S. undergraduates reported being first-generation college students (students whose parents have not earned a bachelor’s degree)https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2022121
04
In 2022, 14.8% of U.S. college students were enrolled in for-profit institutions, measured as for-profit enrollment sharehttps://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cpb/
05
In 2022, 5.1 million students were enrolled in tertiary education in the United States and were international students, measured as internationally mobile tertiary students residing in the U.S.https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/
06
In 2022, there were 916,000 international students enrolled in the United Kingdom, measured as total international students in higher educationhttps://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/international
07
In 2022, the global corporate e-learning market reached $23.3 billion, measured as global market revenuehttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/corporate-e-learning-market-100791
08
In 2023, global online education market revenue was $245.4 billion, measured as market size for online educationhttps://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/online-education-market
09
15.1 million students were enrolled in U.S. public schools in Fall 2023 in grades 9–12https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23_205.20.asp
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The Industry Overview picture of enrollment is mixed but global, with 14.8% of primary school age children out of school worldwide in 2022 alongside strong participation in advanced education in OECD countries where 43.0% of 25 to 34 year olds were enrolled in education or training in 2022.
report visual · Comparison
Enrollment snapshot (U.S.)
U.S. enrollment spans K–12 and postsecondary—tens of millions in public secondary schools and tens of millions across U.S. postsecondary institutions.
In 2022, there were 57.7 million students enrolled in U.S. postsecondary education (degree-granting institutions and non2022
90.9 million students were enrolled in U.S. public secondary schools (grades 6–12) in Fall 2023
90.9
17.7 million undergraduate students were enrolled in U.S. degree-granting institutions in Fall 2021 (NCES)
17.7
15.1 million students were enrolled in U.S. public schools in Fall 2023 in grades 9–12
15.1
source-verifiednces.ed.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). Enrollment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/enrollment-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "Enrollment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/enrollment-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "Enrollment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/enrollment-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)