State University Enrollment Figures Across The Us

The number of students attending state universities in the United States has seen a general decline over the past decade. In 2022, there were approximately 13.49 million students enrolled in public colleges, contributing to a total of roughly 18.58 million college students in the country. This number is projected to remain constant over the next few years. In the 2023-24 academic year, the ten largest public university campuses by enrollment included Texas A&M University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Florida.

Undergraduate enrollment statistics

The downward trend in undergraduate enrollment was already evident before the coronavirus pandemic, with a 15% decrease in enrollment in fall 2021 compared to fall 2010. The pandemic further exacerbated this decline, with a 4% drop in total college enrollment (including graduate and undergraduate) from fall 2019 to fall 2023. Undergraduate enrollment specifically decreased by 5.6% during this period.

Despite these recent declines, undergraduate enrollment numbers are projected to increase by 9% between 2021 and 2031. This projected increase is also reflected in forecasts for female and male enrollment, which are both expected to rise by 9% from 2021 to 2031.

In terms of gender breakdown, women continue to outnumber men in college enrollment, a trend that has persisted since 1979. In fall 2023, over 10.1 million women were enrolled in college, compared to 7.2 million men. Women made up 55% of undergraduate students in fall 2023, a slight decrease from the previous year's figure of 58%.

Racial and ethnic demographics of undergraduate enrollment show a varied picture. Between fall 2010 and fall 2021, enrollment decreased for American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, White, and Black students. During the same period, enrollment increased for students identifying as Hispanic, Asian, and Two or more races. Despite these shifts, White students continue to be the largest racial group represented in undergraduate programs.

When considering the broader context of college enrollment in the U.S., it's worth noting that there were approximately 18.58 million college students in the country in 2022. Of these, about 13.49 million were enrolled in public colleges, and 5.09 million were enrolled in private colleges.

Looking at specific public universities, the ten largest campuses by enrollment for the 2023-24 academic year include Texas A&M University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and Ohio State University, among others. These large public university campuses cater to a significant portion of the undergraduate student population in the country.

Male vs. female enrollment statistics

In the United States, there are approximately 18 million students enrolled in colleges and universities, with around 13.49 million enrolled in public colleges and 5.09 million enrolled in private colleges.

Women outnumber men in college and have done so since 1979. In fall 2023, over 10.1 million women were enrolled in college, compared to 7.2 million men. This means that women made up around 55% of undergraduate students and nearly 60% of graduate students.

The gap between male and female enrollment is largely driven by stagnating male enrollment in 4-year colleges. In 2022, men made up 44% of young college students, down from 47% in 2011. This shift is driven by the falling share of men who are students at four-year colleges. Today, men represent only 42% of students ages 18 to 24 at four-year schools, down from 47% in 2011.

At two-year colleges, the drop in enrollment has been similar for men and women, so the gender balance has not changed much. Men represent 49% of students ages 18 to 24, up slightly from 48% in 2011.

Overall, there are now 2.4 million more female than male undergraduates on U.S. campuses. In 2021, men accounted for 42% of total undergraduate enrollment.

Women are also more likely to graduate from college than men. They are 11 percentage points more likely to graduate from a four-year institution in four years and 7 percentage points more likely to graduate within six years. In 2022, the four-year graduation rate at four-year institutions was 54% for female students, compared to 43% for male students.

The gender gap in college enrollment and graduation rates is reflected in high school graduation rates and the percentage of high school graduates who go on to attend college. In 2021, the graduation rate for the 30 states with data broken out by gender was 89.1% for girls and 82.9% for boys. Of the 3.1 million individuals ages 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2023, 65.3% of female graduates and 57.6% of male graduates enrolled in colleges or universities in October of that year.

Enrollment by race and ethnicity statistics

In 2022, there were approximately 107,700 students with American Indian or Alaskan Native heritage enrolled at US universities, a slight increase from the previous year.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there is no one racial majority in undergraduate college admissions. However, white students are the largest racial group represented in undergraduate programs. In 2021, 53% of undergraduate and graduate students were white.

The rate of enrollment of students of color has increased from 15.36% in 1976 to 45.23% in 2022, an absolute increase of 29.87%.

In 2022, 21.46% of the college student population identified as Hispanic or Latino, an increase of 884% relative to 1976. 80.4% of students in this demographic attend public institutions, and 66.1% enroll in four-year colleges.

Postsecondary attendance among Black or African American students was on the rise until 2010; since then, it has been in decline. 13.2% of students identify as Black or African American, and this demographic has increased by 124.9% relative to 1976. 67.58% attend public institutions, and 71.88% enroll in four-year colleges.

Postsecondary attendance among Asian or Asian American students has steadily grown since 2010. 7.39% of students identify as Asian or Asian American, an increase of 12.6% relative to 2010. 74.3% attend public institutions, and 78.77% enroll in four-year colleges.

American Indian or Alaska Native students made up 0.69% of students in 2022, a 56.1% increase relative to 1976. 77.37% attend public institutions, and 64.74% enroll in four-year colleges.

Students who identify as two or more races are categorized as multiracial. 4.34% of the college student population identifies as multiracial, a 135% increase relative to 2010. 74.3% attend public institutions, and 74.8% enroll in four-year colleges.

Enrollment by degree statistics

Undergraduate Enrollment

In fall 2021, there were 15.4 million undergraduate students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the US. This number decreased by 3% from fall 2020 and continued the downward trend observed before the coronavirus pandemic. Undergraduate enrollment was 15% lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010, with 42% of this decline occurring during the pandemic.

However, between 2021 and 2031, undergraduate enrollment is projected to increase by 9%. In fall 2023, about 15.2 million students were enrolled in an undergraduate program.

Racial Breakdown of Undergraduate Enrollment

In fall 2021, of the 15.4 million undergraduate students:

• 7.8 million were White
• 3.3 million were Hispanic
• 1.9 million were Black
• 1.1 million were Asian
• 663,100 were of Two or more races
• 107,000 were American Indian/Alaska Native
• 41,000 were Pacific Islander

Postbaccalaureate Enrollment

In fall 2021, about 3.2 million students were enrolled at the postbaccalaureate level in degree-granting institutions in the US. Postbaccalaureate degree programs include master's and doctoral programs as well as professional doctoral programs such as law, medicine, and dentistry.

Between 2010 and 2019, total postbaccalaureate enrollment increased by 5%, and this trend continued during the coronavirus pandemic, increasing to 3.2 million in 2021. By 2031, postbaccalaureate enrollment is projected to increase by 6%.

Racial Breakdown of Postbaccalaureate Enrollment

In fall 2021, of the U.S. resident postbaccalaureate students:

• 1.7 million were White
• 358,200 were Hispanic
• 95,400 were of Two or more races
• 14,100 were American Indian/Alaska Native
• 6,200 were Pacific Islander

Enrollment by state statistics

California

California has the highest number of enrolled college students at 2.487 million, a 97.8% increase relative to 1970.

New York and Texas

New York and Texas are the only other states with more than a million college students enrolled.

Alaska

Alaska has the smallest student population with 22,152 students enrolled; a 112.7% increase relative to 1970.

Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont

Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont all have fewer than 50,000 enrolled college students.

New Hampshire, Utah, and Idaho

New Hampshire, Utah, and Idaho have seen the largest increases in enrollment rates relative to 2010 at 184.01%, 56.94%, and 47% respectively.

Declines in Enrollment

45 states have seen a decline in postsecondary enrollment since 2010.

Iowa and Alaska

Iowa and Alaska saw the largest declines in enrollment since 2010, losing 47% and 42.1% of their respective student populations.

Increases in Enrollment

The only jurisdictions to see an increase in the number of students enrolled since 2010 are New Hampshire, Utah, Idaho, Delaware, and Texas, as well as the District of Columbia.

New Hampshire and Utah

New Hampshire and Utah had the largest YoY student population growth at 8.1% and 2.87%, respectively.

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