University Freshman: Enrollment Trends And Statistics

The number of students entering first-year university has been a topic of interest in recent years, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In fall 2022, nearly 2.34 million freshmen enrolled in a college or university, a 4.3% increase from fall 2021. This positive trend continued into fall 2024, with freshmen enrollment increasing by 5.5% from the previous year. Despite these recent increases, the number of first-year students enrolling in university remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Undergraduate enrollment statistics

In fall 2023, there were 8.5 million students pursuing bachelor's degrees and 4.4 million students pursuing associate degrees. This is a shift from fall 2024, where enrollment in bachelor's degree programs decreased while enrollment in associate degree programs increased. Undergraduate certificate programs also saw an increase in enrollment for the fourth consecutive year in fall 2024, with a 9.9% increase from the previous year.

First-year enrollment, or freshman enrollment, saw an increase in fall 2022 for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 2.34 million freshmen enrolled in a college or university, representing a 4.3% increase from fall 2021. This increase was driven largely by community colleges, which gained 42,000 first-year students, a 6.1% increase.

First-year enrollment demographics

Among first-time, first-year college students in the US, 82.68% are full-time students. In terms of demographics, 52.3% of college students are White/Caucasian, with an absolute increase in enrollment of White students of 29.87% since 1976. The enrollment of Hispanic and Latino students has also increased significantly, now making up 20.35% of the student population, an 884% increase from 1976.

The gender breakdown of first-year students shows that women continue to outnumber men in college enrollment, with 39% of graduate students being men, and 42.7% of undergraduate students. Additionally, among first-time, full-time bachelor's degree-seekers, females are 32.3% more likely to complete their degrees at their first institution within six years compared to men.

Age-wise, most college students first enroll in their late teens as full-time students. Part-time students tend to be older. In spring 2023, the average age of full-time undergraduate students was about 22.5 years.

College enrollment trends

Historical Overview

College enrollment in the US has generally been on a downward trajectory over the past decade. After a continuous rise since the 1970s, college enrollment began to decline in 2010. The total number of enrolled students in 2010 was 21.02 million, and since then, there has been an 11.61% decline in enrollment.

Recent Trends

The downward trend in college enrollment continued in 2022, with a total of 15.397 million undergraduate students nationwide, a 7% decline from 2019. The number of total enrolled postsecondary students also declined by 0.4% from 2021 to 2022.

First-Year Enrollment

Despite the overall decline in college enrollment, there is a glimmer of improvement in first-year enrollment. For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, first-year enrollment increased from the previous year, with nearly 2.34 million freshmen enrolled in a college or university in the fall of 2022. This positive development is not yet a stable trend, but it is a promising sign for higher education.

Demographic Factors

Several demographic factors influence college enrollment trends. Women continue to outnumber men in college enrollment, a pattern that has persisted since 1979. In terms of race and ethnicity, the enrollment of Hispanic or Latino students has skyrocketed in the last 50 years and continues to grow annually. In contrast, Black or African American student enrollment has been on the rise until 2010 but has declined since then.

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted college enrollment. From fall 2019 to fall 2023, total college enrollment (graduate and undergraduate) fell by 4%. Undergraduate enrollment decreased by 5.6% during this period, while enrollment at community colleges dropped by 12%. However, graduate enrollment increased by 4.8%.

Geographic Variations

Geographically, different regions of the country experienced varying enrollment trends. The Northeast, Midwest, South, and West saw small increases in enrollment, with the South and West performing slightly better with a 0.5% and 0.2% increase, respectively.

Academic Fields

The choice of academic fields also plays a role in enrollment trends. Among the top five majors, business was the only one to see increases in enrollment, while health professions, liberal arts, biological and biomedical sciences, and engineering all continued to drop. On the other hand, computer science, construction, culinary services, and mechanics experienced notable growth.

Enrollment by degree type

In fall 2023, about 8.5 million students were pursuing a bachelor's degree, while 4.4 million were getting associate degrees. There were approximately 3.1 million students enrolled in graduate programs such as master's programs, doctoral degrees, professional studies, and other graduate-level certificate programs.

Bachelor's degrees are more popular than associate programs, with 8.5 million students enrolled in bachelor's programs compared to 4.4 million in associate programs.

In fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment neared 16 million, just 1% below 2019 levels. Enrollment in bachelor's degree programs increased by 2.9% in fall 2024 compared to the previous year, while associate degree programs saw a 6.3% increase.

Enrollment by institution type

In the US, most postsecondary students attend degree-granting four-year public institutions. Among new high school graduates, 16.9% enrol in two-year colleges, while 45.1% enrol in four-year programs.

In total, 13.92 million (74.93%) of all college students attend four-year institutions, while 4.66 million (25.07%) attend two-year institutions.

Among the 5.08 million (27.25%) of postsecondary students who attend private institutions, 80.77% attend nonprofit schools, while 19.23% attend for-profit institutions.

In fall 2023, about 7.6 million college students (43%) were enrolled in four-year public institutions.

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