Douglas Olsen
The United States boasts a diverse landscape of higher education institutions, with approximately 4000 colleges and universities spread across the country. In Fall 2024, around 19.28 million students were enrolled in undergraduate programs, with an additional 3.2 million pursuing graduate studies. This brings the total number of students pursuing higher education in the US to approximately 19 million. The majority of students are enrolled in public universities, with private institutions catering to a smaller portion of the student body. California leads the way with the highest number of enrolled college students at 2.487 million, followed by New York and Texas, which are the only other states with over a million students enrolled.
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What You'll Learn
- In 2024, 62.8% of high school graduates aged 16-24 enrolled in colleges or universities
- % of 18-24-year-old American males enrolled in college or graduate school
- % of 18-24-year-old American females enrolled in college or graduate school
- California has the highest number of enrolled college students at 2.487 million
- % of undergraduate students are aged 18-24
In 2024, 62.8% of high school graduates aged 16-24 enrolled in colleges or universities
In October 2024, 62.8% of high school graduates aged 16 to 24 enrolled in colleges or universities in the United States. This percentage translates to about 11.8 million students, a slight change from the previous year. The overall number of students enrolled in colleges and universities in the US is estimated to be around 19 million.
The number of students enrolled in colleges and universities has been declining over the past decade. However, there has been a recent positive turnaround, with a projected increase of 9% from 2021 to 2031. In 2022, about 39% of all 18-24-year-olds were enrolled in a post-secondary program, and about 62% of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college. The percentage of high school graduates attending college has decreased since its peak in 2009 (70.1%).
Among college students, full-time students are less likely to participate in the labor force than part-time students. In October 2024, 44.6% of full-time students participated in the labor force, compared to 81.6% of part-time students. Additionally, students at four-year colleges were less likely to be in the labor force than those at two-year colleges (46.6% vs. 57.4%). The labor force participation rate for youth enrolled in school was 36.9% in October 2024, with an unemployment rate of 8.3%.
The demographics of college students in the US are worth noting as well. Women have outnumbered men in college since 1979, and this trend continues. In Fall 2024, there were about 8.7 million women and 6.4 million men enrolled in undergraduate programs. The representation of female students has increased by 22.6% since 1976, and they are now 52% of college students. Additionally, 20.3% of the student population is Hispanic or Latino, a significant increase of 483% since 1976.
College enrollment rates vary across the country. California has the highest number of enrolled college students at 2.487 million, followed by New York and Texas, the only other states with over a million students. Alaska has the smallest student population with 22,152 students. Utah has seen the largest increase in enrollment rates since 2010, with a growth of 12% from 2023 to 2024.
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34.2% of 18-24-year-old American males enrolled in college or graduate school
In the United States, approximately 34.2% of American males aged 18 to 24 are enrolled in college or graduate school. This translates to around 4.1 million male students, assuming the male population in this age group is roughly half of the total population, which is 21.7 million 16- to 24-year-olds. This enrolment rate for young American men has decreased since 2012, when it was at 38%.
A variety of factors influence the decision to enrol in higher education. One key consideration is the cost of attendance, which includes tuition, room, and board. The expenses can vary significantly depending on the college and the location. For instance, in the 2021-2022 academic year, the annual expenses at Harvey Mudd College in California totalled $78,000, making it the most expensive college in the country.
The type of institution, whether public or private, also plays a role in the cost of attendance. Public colleges, funded by state governments, often offer different tuition fees for in-state and out-of-state students. On the other hand, private colleges, funded by private donors and endowments, tend to be more expensive and usually have consistent tuition fees regardless of the student's residence. Despite the costs, many students are willing to travel out of their home state for their education.
Enrolment rates also vary across different demographic groups. For example, in the Class of 2022, 57.2% of male high school graduates immediately enrolled in college, compared to 66% of female graduates. Additionally, female students were more likely to attend four-year institutions than their male counterparts. This trend is reflected in the overall college enrolment rate for 18- to 24-year-olds, which was 44% for females and 34% for males in 2022.
The distribution of enrolment rates across racial and ethnic groups is also worth noting. In 2022, Asian students had the highest enrolment rate at 61%, followed by White students at 41%. The rates for Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students ranged from 26% to 36%. Despite some fluctuations, the overall trend indicates a growing diversity in college enrolment, with an increasing percentage of students of colour enrolling in higher education institutions.
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43.8% of 18-24-year-old American females enrolled in college or graduate school
In the United States, 43.8% of American females aged 18 to 24 are enrolled in college or graduate school. This number represents a significant increase in female college attendance since 1976, when women made up only 14% of college students. Today, female representation in higher education has risen to 52.3% of the total student population. This increase in female college attendance has been accompanied by a rise in degree attainment. As of 2023, 37.4% of American females aged 25 or older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a rate 2.6% higher than that of males.
The rise in female college attendance has been accompanied by an overall increase in college enrollment rates in the US. In 2024, 62.8% of high school graduates aged 16 to 24 were enrolled in colleges or universities, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past few years. This trend is also reflected in the immediate college enrollment rate, which measures the percentage of high school graduates who enrol in two-year or four-year institutions following graduation. In the spring of 2022, 62% of high school graduates planned to pursue post-secondary education in the fall, with 45.1% enrolling in four-year institutions. Among these students, female students were 94.1% more likely to immediately matriculate, and 65% more likely to enrol in four-year institutions compared to their male peers.
While overall college enrollment rates have increased, there have been fluctuations in enrollment across different racial and ethnic groups. Between 2010 and 2021, undergraduate enrollment decreased for American Indian/Alaska Native students (by 40%), Pacific Islander students (by 29%), White students (by 28%), and Black students (by 27%). During the same period, the share of Hispanic or Latino students in the student population rose by 483%. These shifts in enrollment rates reflect broader trends in American society and the ongoing pursuit of equal access to higher education for all groups.
The growth in college enrollment rates has resulted in a substantial number of students pursuing higher education. In the fall of 2024, there were approximately 19.28 million undergraduate students enrolled nationwide, with projections indicating a slight increase to 19.57 million for the following year. Of these students, 82.9% were undergraduates, while the remaining 17.1% were enrolled in graduate programs. The large number of students opting for higher education demonstrates the value Americans place on pursuing advanced degrees and the potential benefits they bring, such as enhanced career prospects and increased earning potential.
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California has the highest number of enrolled college students at 2.487 million
California has the highest number of enrolled college students in the USA, at 2.487 million. This figure represents a 97.8% increase relative to 1970. In comparison, 45 states have seen a decline in postsecondary enrollment since 2010, with Alaska experiencing the largest increase of 112.7% relative to 1970, but with only 22,152 students enrolled. New York and Texas are the only other states with more than a million college students enrolled.
California's large student population is particularly notable given the state's declining college-age population. Since peak levels, California's college-age population has shrunk by 4.1%, or nearly 175,000 people. Despite this, UC freshman applications have continued to rise, increasing by 26% as of 2016. This suggests that California's higher education institutions are attracting a greater number of out-of-state and international students. Indeed, in 2024, students from other US states made up 6% of new UC enrollment, and international students accounted for 6% of new UC students, compared to just over 1% at CSU.
The high enrollment numbers in California are partly due to the state having the highest number of higher education institutions in the country, with around 4,000 colleges and universities. California's public high school graduates are more likely to enroll in the California Community Colleges (CCC) system than in four-year programs, with 33% enrolling in CCC, 12% in California State University (CSU), and 8% in the University of California (UC). However, UC and CSU have seen rising freshman admission rates, and UC applications reached 207,000 for fall 2024, with CSU seeing 212,000 applications.
California's large college student population reflects a broader trend of increasing college enrollment in the USA. In Fall 2024, college enrollment totaled 19.28 million undergraduate students nationwide, with projections of a slight increase for Fall 2025 to 19.57 million. This represents a shift towards higher education, with 62% of high school graduates in 2022 enrolling in college within 12 months, and 62.0% of all high school graduates pursuing postsecondary education.
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60% of undergraduate students are aged 18-24
The number of students enrolled in colleges or universities in the United States has fluctuated over the years. In 2024, 62.8% of high school graduates aged 16 to 24 were enrolled in colleges or universities, a figure that remained relatively stable since the previous year. This translates to approximately 11.8 million 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in colleges or universities in October 2024.
Among American 18- to 24-year-olds, 39% were enrolled in college or graduate school in 2022. This age group constitutes the majority of students enrolled in college. While the overall college enrollment rate for this age group has fluctuated over the last decade, it was lower in 2022 than in 2012 (39% vs. 41.2%).
When considering the breakdown of undergraduate students by age, about 65% of them are aged 18-24. This indicates that a significant proportion of undergraduate students fall within the traditional age range for college attendance. Additionally, about 10% of undergraduates are 17 or younger, and approximately 16% are aged 30 or older.
The distribution of undergraduate students across different age groups provides insights into the diverse backgrounds and life stages of those pursuing higher education in the United States. It is worth noting that graduate students tend to be older than undergraduates, with 57% of them being under 30 years old.
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Frequently asked questions
In Fall 2024, there were 19.28 million undergraduate students enrolled in US colleges and universities. This number is expected to increase to 19.57 million in Fall 2025.
In Fall 2023, 3.1 million students were enrolled in graduate programs in the US.
There are about 6.7 million part-time students in US colleges and universities. This accounts for 36% of undergraduate students and 31% of graduate students.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, there were 1.06 million international students enrolled in US colleges and universities, making up 5.69% of the total student population.
