Despite a 12% decline in total postsecondary enrollment since 2010, the landscape of American higher education remains a dynamic and critical ecosystem, serving 18.6 million students in 2023 while grappling with shifting demographics, soaring costs, and urgent questions of equity and value.
Key Takeaways
- In fall 2021, total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions was 18.17 million students, with undergraduate enrollment at 15.05 million and graduate at 3.12 million
- Public 4-year institutions enrolled 8.0 million undergraduates in fall 2021, representing 53% of total undergraduate enrollment
- Private nonprofit 4-year institutions saw undergraduate enrollment of 3.8 million in fall 2021, accounting for 25% of total undergraduates
- White students made up 51.3% of total postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- Black students accounted for 13.5% of postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- Hispanic students represented 20.7% of postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- In 2022, average published tuition and fees at public 4-year institutions were $9,970 for in-state students
- Average tuition at public 4-year out-of-state was $26,027 in 2022-23
- Private nonprofit 4-year average tuition was $39,400 in 2022-23
- 6-year graduation rate for public 4-year first-time full-time students was 64% for 2015 cohort
- 8-year graduation rate at public 4-year was 70% for 2013 cohort
- Private nonprofit 4-year 6-year rate was 73% for 2015 cohort
- Bachelor's degree holders earn median $2.8 million lifetime vs $1.6 million HS grads
- Unemployment rate for bachelor's holders: 2.2% in 2023 vs 4.0% HS grads
- 86% of college graduates employed full-time one year after graduation in 2022
Higher education enrollment is shifting, with rising graduate numbers but declining community college attendance.
Completion
- 6-year graduation rate for public 4-year first-time full-time students was 64% for 2015 cohort
- 8-year graduation rate at public 4-year was 70% for 2013 cohort
- Private nonprofit 4-year 6-year rate was 73% for 2015 cohort
- Public 2-year 3-year completion rate was 32% for 2019 cohort
- 6-year completion rate at public 2-year was 44% for 2016 cohort
- Overall 6-year graduation rate for bachelor's programs was 63% in 2022
- Black students' 6-year graduation rate at 4-year was 46% vs 67% for White in 2015 cohort
- Hispanic 6-year rate was 55% at 4-year institutions for 2015 cohort
- Pell Grant recipients had 53% 6-year rate at public 4-year vs 71% non-recipients
- First-generation students' 6-year rate was 47% vs 68% continuing-generation
- STEM majors had 68% 6-year graduation rate vs 59% non-STEM in 2015 cohort
- 150% normal time completion at public 2-year was 40% for 2018 cohort
- Transfer-out rate at public 2-year was 14% for 2019 cohort
- Still-enrolled after 6 years at 4-year: 10% for 2015 cohort
- No Pell 6-year rate at private nonprofit: 79%
- Retention rate year 1 to year 2 at public 4-year: 84% for 2021 cohort
- Private nonprofit retention: 89% for 2021 cohort
- Public 2-year retention: 64% for 2021 cohort
- HBCU 6-year graduation rate averaged 38% in 2022
- Women’s 6-year rate: 67% vs men’s 59% at 4-year in 2015 cohort
- Part-time students at 4-year had 42% 8-year completion vs 65% full-time
- Online-only students had 25% 6-year completion rate vs 65% in-person
- 4-year graduation rate for 2020 cohort projected at 60%
- Median time to bachelor's degree: 5.1 years for 2017 entrants
- 36% of students who started in 2015 had not completed by 2021
- Community college stop-out rate: 44% after first year
Completion Interpretation
These statistics paint a picture of an American higher education system where success is stubbornly stratified, with graduation rates serving as a report card that consistently gives higher marks to students who are white, wealthy, and attending full-time, while others are left to beat the odds.
Costs
- In 2022, average published tuition and fees at public 4-year institutions were $9,970 for in-state students
- Average tuition at public 4-year out-of-state was $26,027 in 2022-23
- Private nonprofit 4-year average tuition was $39,400 in 2022-23
- Public 2-year in-district tuition averaged $3,860 in 2022-23
- Net tuition after aid at public 4-year in-state was $2,400 in 2021-22
- Total cost of attendance at public 4-year in-state averaged $27,940 in 2022-23
- Student aid totaled $1.7 trillion in 2021-22
- Average Pell Grant was $4,500 in 2022-23
- 46% of undergraduates received Pell Grants in 2021-22
- Federal student loans disbursed $70 billion to undergraduates in 2021-22
- Tuition at public 4-year institutions rose 180% since 1980 adjusted for inflation
- Average room and board at public 4-year was $12,310 in 2022-23
- Books and supplies cost averaged $1,250 per year at public 4-year in 2022-23
- 70% of full-time undergraduates received some financial aid in 2019-20, averaging $13,960
- Institutional grants averaged $5,640 for undergraduates in 2021-22
- Federal grants totaled $43 billion in 2021-22
- State grants amounted to $12.5 billion in 2021-22
- Average net price for low-income students at public 4-year was $3,660 in 2021-22
- High-income students paid average net price of $17,680 at public 4-year in 2021-22
- Tuition inflation at private colleges was 3.7% annually from 2000-2023
- 52% of bachelor's students took out loans, averaging $29,000 debt
- Community college net tuition after aid was $80 in 2021-22 for first-year full-time
- Private for-profit tuition averaged $17,470 in 2022-23
- Total student aid per FTE student was $15,730 in 2020-21
- Revenue from tuition was 21% of total public 4-year revenue in 2019-20
- State appropriations per FTE fell 13% from 2008 to 2018
- Average cost of attendance rose 169% since 1963 adjusted for inflation
Costs Interpretation
The soaring price of a degree, where the published sticker shock of $40,000 can be softened to a net $2,400 for in-state students by a massive $1.7 trillion aid system, reveals a complex financial labyrinth where the true cost is not just tuition, but a societal reliance on debt and grants just to keep the gates of public education nominally open.
Demographics
- White students made up 51.3% of total postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- Black students accounted for 13.5% of postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- Hispanic students represented 20.7% of postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- Asian students were 6.5% of postsecondary enrollment in 2020
- In 2021, 56% of undergraduates were female
- 44% of undergraduates were male in 2021
- 34% of undergraduates aged 25 or older in 2021
- 66% of undergraduates under 25 in 2021
- First-generation students comprised 56% of Pell Grant recipients in 2019-20
- 24% of undergraduates were from low-income families in 2015-16
- Women earned 58% of bachelor's degrees in 2020-21
- Men earned 42% of bachelor's degrees in 2020-21
- Hispanic students' share of enrollment grew from 13% in 2010 to 22% in 2021
- Black students' enrollment share stable at 13% from 2010-2021
- 11% of undergraduates had disabilities in 2019-20
- 5% of undergraduates were veterans in 2015-16
- Rural students made up 18% of undergraduates in 2015-16
- Urban students were 32% of undergraduates in 2015-16
- Suburban students comprised 50% of undergraduates in 2015-16
- In 2020, 36% of 25-34 year olds had a bachelor's degree or higher
- Among 25-34 year old women, 42% had bachelor's or higher in 2020
- Among 25-34 year old men, 31% had bachelor's or higher in 2020
- Black adults aged 25-34 had 26% bachelor's attainment in 2020
- Hispanic adults aged 25-34 had 20% bachelor's attainment in 2020
- Asian adults aged 25-34 had 61% bachelor's attainment in 2020
- In 2021, 59% of recent high school graduates from high-income families enrolled in 4-year colleges
- Only 26% of low-income recent graduates enrolled in 4-year colleges in 2021
- LGBTQ+ students make up 20-25% of college undergraduates
- 15% of college students are parents
Demographics Interpretation
The modern campus is a portrait of both impressive progress and stubborn inequity, where women are decisively out-earning men in degrees, Hispanic enrollment is surging as Black enrollment flatlines, and the path to a bachelor's still depends alarmingly on the zip code and bank account you start with.
Enrollment
- In fall 2021, total fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions was 18.17 million students, with undergraduate enrollment at 15.05 million and graduate at 3.12 million
- Public 4-year institutions enrolled 8.0 million undergraduates in fall 2021, representing 53% of total undergraduate enrollment
- Private nonprofit 4-year institutions saw undergraduate enrollment of 3.8 million in fall 2021, accounting for 25% of total undergraduates
- From fall 2010 to fall 2021, total postsecondary enrollment decreased by 12%, from 20.7 million to 18.17 million
- In fall 2021, community colleges (public 2-year) enrolled 4.6 million undergraduates, or 31% of all undergraduates
- Female undergraduate enrollment reached 8.3 million in fall 2021, comprising 55% of total undergraduates
- Male undergraduate enrollment was 6.7 million in fall 2021, making up 45% of total undergraduates
- Enrollment in Title IV degree-granting institutions increased by 1.2% from fall 2020 to fall 2021 for undergraduates
- In 2020-21, 39% of 18- to 24-year-olds were enrolled in college, down from 41% in 2019-20
- First-time freshman enrollment in 4-year institutions dropped 6.3% in fall 2022 compared to fall 2021
- Total higher education enrollment in the US for 2023 is estimated at 18.5 million students
- Online enrollment accounted for 51% of all postsecondary students in fall 2020
- International student enrollment in US higher ed was 948,519 in 2022/23
- In fall 2022, HBCUs enrolled 277,000 undergraduates
- Enrollment at for-profit institutions fell to 0.8 million undergraduates in fall 2021
- Part-time undergraduate enrollment was 6.3 million in fall 2021, 42% of total undergraduates
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment stood at 8.7 million in fall 2021, 58% of undergraduates
- Enrollment in master's programs reached 2.5 million in fall 2021
- Doctoral enrollment was 0.6 million in fall 2021
- From 2010 to 2021, public 2-year enrollment declined by 37%, from 7.3 million to 4.6 million
- In 2021, White students comprised 52% of undergraduate enrollment at 7.8 million
- Black undergraduate enrollment was 1.8 million or 12% in fall 2021
- Hispanic undergraduate enrollment hit 3.3 million or 22% in fall 2021
- Asian undergraduate enrollment was 1.0 million or 7% in fall 2021
- Enrollment in STEM fields grew 10% from 2010 to 2020
- In fall 2023, total US college enrollment rose 1.1% to approximately 18.6 million
- Undergraduate enrollment increased 1.6% in fall 2023
- Graduate enrollment grew 2.3% in fall 2023
- Community college enrollment fell 2.5% in fall 2023
- In 2022, 62% of high school graduates enrolled in college immediately after graduation
- In 2021-22, 35% of undergraduates were first-generation college students
Enrollment Interpretation
Despite a decade-long decline in total enrollment that would make any admissions officer weep, higher education in 2023 is a story of resilient but starkly divided fortunes: graduate programs and online classes are thriving while community colleges and first-time freshmen retreat, painting a picture of an industry cautiously evolving into something more virtual, advanced, and unfortunately less accessible to traditional starters.
Faculty
- Faculty at public 4-year: 60% tenured/tenure-track in 2021
- Contingent faculty 48% of instructional staff at public 4-year in 2021
- Student-faculty ratio average 14:1 at public 4-year in 2022
- 43% of faculty full-time at all institutions in 2021
- Women faculty 45% at degree-granting institutions in 2021
- PhD holders 75% of faculty at research universities
- Average faculty salary $106,000 at public doctoral in 2022-23
- Adjunct pay averages $3,500 per course in 2023
- Minority faculty 27% at 4-year institutions in 2021
- Tenure rates declined to 24% of faculty in 2021
- Instructional staff grew 12% from 2010-2021 while tenure-track fell 5%
- Public 2-year faculty 70% part-time in 2021
- R1 universities have 1:10 student-faculty ratio average
- Female full professors 25% in 2021
- Average age of full-time faculty 49 years in 2021
- Unionized faculty 25% at public institutions
- Research expenditures per faculty $250,000 at R1 in 2021
- Non-tenure-track faculty salaries 60% of tenure-track
- Black faculty 7% at 4-year nonprofit in 2021
- Hispanic faculty 6% at 4-year in 2021
- STEM faculty 40% of total faculty in 2021
- Faculty retirements projected 15% by 2025
- Online teaching faculty grew 20% since 2019
Faculty Interpretation
The modern professor finds themself in a paradoxical world where they might be a well-compensated, tenured expert with a handful of students, or more likely, a precariously employed, underpaid adjunct teaching most of the classes while the institution's faculty increasingly resembles a gig economy with a retirement plan.
Outcomes
- Bachelor's degree holders earn median $2.8 million lifetime vs $1.6 million HS grads
- Unemployment rate for bachelor's holders: 2.2% in 2023 vs 4.0% HS grads
- 86% of college graduates employed full-time one year after graduation in 2022
- STEM graduates median salary $95,000 early career vs $70,000 non-STEM
- Average student loan debt: $37,127 per borrower in 2023
- 45 million Americans hold $1.7 trillion in student debt in 2023
- ROI positive for 4,200 colleges but negative for 530 in 2023 analysis
- Underemployment rate for recent grads: 41% in 2022
- 66% of grads find job within 6 months, 88% within year
- Graduate degree holders median earnings $2.1 million lifetime
- 12% default rate on student loans within 3 years for 2014 cohort
- Women grads earn 83 cents per dollar of male grads early career
- Black grads face 10% higher underemployment than White grads
- Liberal arts grads median salary $52,000 mid-career vs $100,000 engineering
- 76% of employers screen for bachelor's degree even if not required
- College wage premium: 84% higher earnings for bachelor's vs HS
- Net fiscal impact of bachelor's: +$428,000 lifetime taxes paid
- 56% of grads say college worth cost despite debt
- Parental income predicts 70% of earnings variance for grads
- For-profit grads have 15% lower earnings 10 years out
- Community college grads earn 20% more than HS grads
- 30% of grads work in jobs not requiring degree 10 years later
- Master's ROI averages 15% annually for top programs
- HBCU grads median earnings $45,000 early vs $55,000 non-HBCU Black
- 92% of community college transfers to 4-year graduate within 6 years
Outcomes Interpretation
While the college degree remains a powerful, if imperfect, economic engine—lifting lifetime earnings and employment odds—its benefits are unevenly distributed and come packaged with substantial debt, underemployment, and systemic inequities that the diploma alone cannot erase.
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