Total college enrolment (undergraduate & graduate students) in the United States, 1950-2023 (Millions of Students)

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Total college enrolment (undergraduate & graduate students) in the United States, 1950-2023 (Millions of Students)

10% drop in US college enrollments since 2010

Source

National Center for Education Data Statistics

Date

25 Jan 2024

Topics

Chart of the Day Education Higher Education in the US Recruitment & Admissions Student Recruitment & Admissions United States

Notes

The total college enrollment in the United States increased since 1950, reaching 21 million in 2010 from just over 2 million in 1950. Since 2010, enrollments have declined by nearly 10% to 19 million in 2023. The growing popularity of alternate educational pathways, the shrinking population of traditional college-age students, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have driven this decline.