There were approximately 18.58 million college students in the U.S. in 2022, with around 13.49 million enrolled in public colleges and a further 5.09 million students enrolled in private colleges. The figures are projected to remain relatively constant over the next few years.

What is the most expensive college in the U.S.? The overall number of higher education institutions in the U.S. totals around 4,000, and California is the state with the most. One important factor that students – and their parents – must consider before choosing a college is cost. With annual expenses totaling almost 78,000 U.S. dollars, Harvey Mudd College in California was the most expensive college for the 2021-2022 academic year. There are three major costs of college: tuition, room, and board. The difference in on-campus and off-campus accommodation costs is often negligible, but they can change greatly depending on the college town.

The differences between public and private colleges Public colleges, also called state colleges, are mostly funded by state governments. Private colleges, on the other hand, are not funded by the government but by private donors and endowments. Typically, private institutions are  much more expensive. Public colleges tend to offer different tuition fees for students based on whether they live in-state or out-of-state, while private colleges have the same tuition cost for every student.

In the academic year of 2023/24, around 21 million students were enrolled for undergraduate degrees in the United States. This was a slight increase from the previous year, when 20.6 million students were enrolled as undergraduates.

Data from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities' College Enrolment Statistical Reporting system. Provides aggregated key enrolment data for college students, such as: * Fall term headcount enrolment by campus, credential pursued and level of study * Fall term headcount enrolment by program and Classification of Instructional Program * Fall term headcount enrolment by student status in Canada and country of citizenship by institution * Fall term headcount enrolment by student demographics (e.g., gender, age, first language) To protect privacy, numbers are suppressed in categories with less than 10 students. ## Related * College enrolments - 1996 to 2011 * University enrolment * Enrolment by grade in secondary schools * School enrolment by gender * Second language course enrolment * Course enrolment in secondary schools * Enrolment by grade in elementary schools

The data here is from the report entitled Trends in Enrollment, Credit Attainment, and Remediation at Connecticut Public Universities and Community Colleges: Results from P20WIN for the High School Graduating Classes of 2010 through 2016.

The report answers three questions: 1. Enrollment: What percentage of the graduating class enrolled in a Connecticut public university or community college (UCONN, the four Connecticut State Universities, and 12 Connecticut community colleges) within 16 months of graduation? 2. Credit Attainment: What percentage of those who enrolled in a Connecticut public university or community college within 16 months of graduation earned at least one year’s worth of credits (24 or more) within two years of enrollment? 3. Remediation: What percentage of those who enrolled in one of the four Connecticut State Universities or one of the 12 community colleges within 16 months of graduation took a remedial course within two years of enrollment?

Notes on the data: School Credit: % Earning 24 Credits is a subset of the % Enrolled in 16 Months. School Remediation: % Enrolled in Remediation is a subset of the % Enrolled in 16 Months.

In 2029, the projected number of White high school students enrolled in four-year colleges in the United States was around 1,913,800, a decrease when compared to 2,266,000 in 2019. For Hispanic high school students, however, the projected number of those enrolled in college in 2029 was approximately 620,000, an increase from 607,400 in 2019.

Of those aged 20 to 21 years of age in the United States, 52.8 percent were enrolled in higher education as of 2020, a considerable increase when compared to 31.9 percent in 1970. For those aged 18 to 19, 49 percent were enrolled in higher education in 2020.

University and college enrollment measures the total fall enrollment at the University of Illinois and Parkland College. Spring enrollment figures are not included in this indicator.

Enrollment at the University of Illinois has seen a steadily increasing trend since 2000, with a slight drop between 2006 and 2007, and again between 2022 and 2023. Enrollment at Parkland College has had less of a consistent trend, fluctuating between 2000 and 2011. Parkland College enrollment saw a sharp increase between 2011 and 2012, and decreased between 2012 and 2022. Parkland College enrollment increased in 2023 and 2024.

The University of Illinois and Parkland College are both important parts of the Champaign-Urbana community. Enrollment is an intuitive measure of an institution’s growth. Enrollment cannot paint a complete picture of any institution, but it is a solid starting point.

This data came from enrollment reports posted on the University of Illinois and Parkland College websites.

Sources: Parkland College. Website. Table A1: Annual Enrollment Data. FY 00 - FY 24. (Retrieved 5 December 2024).; Division of Management Information. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Website. UIUC Student Enrollment. Years 2000-2024. (Retrieved 5 December 2024).

Montgomery College Student Enrollment Data Update Frequency: Annually

The Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) series was designed to provide comprehensive information on various aspects of postsecondary education in the United States and its territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Marshall Islands) and Department of Defense schools outside the United States. Data are available for both public and private two-year and four-year institutions. The HEGIS Fall Enrollment component for 1969 sought enrollment data from 2,814 institutions of higher education. Key data elements, presented for up to five record types for each institution, include total enrollments of full-time and part-time students by class level, sex, race, and first-time enrollment status, as well as information on the institutions' type of accreditation, type of calendar system, and total number of students.

This dataset contains the total annual unduplicated enrollment headcount and percentages by race and gender for undergraduate and graduate students at public community colleges and state universities in Massachusetts since 2014.

This dataset is 1 of 2 datasets that is also published in the interactive Annual Enrollment dashboard on the Department of Higher Education Data Center:

Public Postsecondary Annual Enrollment Public Postsecondary Annual Enrollment by Race and Gender

Related datasets: Public Postsecondary Fall Enrollment Public Postsecondary Fall Enrollment by Race and Gender

Notes: - Data appear as reported to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. - Annual enrollment refers to a 12 month enrollment period over one fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). - Figures published by DHE may differ slightly from figures published by other institutions and organizations due to differences in timing of publication, data definitions, and calculation logic. - Data for the University of Massachusetts are not included due to unique reporting requirements. See Fall Enrollment for HEIRS data on UMass enrollment. -The most common measure of enrollment is headcount of enrolled students. Annual headcount enrollment is unduplicated, meaning any individual student is only counted once per institution and fiscal year, even if they are enrolled in multiple terms. Enrollment can also be measured as full-time equivalent (FTE) students, a calculation based on the sum of credits carried by all enrolled students. In a fiscal year, 30 undergraduate credits = 1 undergraduate FTE, and 24 graduate credits = 1 graduate FTE at a state university.

Massachusetts offers a variety of pathways and programs to ensure students graduate college and career ready. These include Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways. For more information about these pathways and programs, visit the Office of College, Career, and Technical Education website.

This dataset contains student enrollment data for all public and charter schools and districts since 2022. It is a wide file with three groups of columns representing the following enrollment indicators:

• Number of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways by grade, including grades 9-12 and special education beyond grade 12 (SP)
• Percent of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways by race and gender
• Number and percent of students in CTE programs, Early College, and Innovation Pathways in student groups: First Language Not English, English Learners, Students with Disabilities, High Needs, Low Income, and Economically Disadvantaged

After Dark Chapter 74 enrollment is a subset of Chapter 74 Program enrollment. Also, in 2022, some districts reported enrollment in additional Innovation Pathway sectors. This report includes only the five designated sectors.

This dataset contains the same data that is also published on our DESE Profiles site: Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Grade Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Race/Gender Pathways/Programs Enrollment by Selected Population

List of Pathways and Programs

Pathways

• After Dark
• Career Connections (Non-Chapter 74 Programs)
• Career Technical Education (Chapter 74 Programs)
• Early College
• Innovation Career Pathways

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology
• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Automotive Technology
• Carpentry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Cosmetology
• Design & Visual Communications
• Electricity
• Exploratory
• Health Assisting
• Heating - Ventilation - Air Conditioning - Refrigeration
• Horticulture
• Information Support Services & Networking
• Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies
• Plumbing

• Airplane Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician
• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Automotive Technology
• Biotechnology
• Building/Property Maintenance
• Business Technology
• Cabinetmaking
• Carpentry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Criminal Justice
• Culinary Arts
• Design & Visual Communications
• Drafting
• Early Education and Care
• Engineering Technology
• Environmental Science & Technology
• Exploratory
• Family & Consumer Studies (formerly vocational home economics)
• Fashion Technology
• Graphic Communications
• Health Assisting
• Heating - Ventilation - Air Conditioning - Refrigeration
• Hospitality Management
• Information Support Services & Networking
• Marketing/Finance
• Medical Assisting
• Programming & Web Development
• Radio & Television Broadcasting
• Robotics and Automation Technology

• Advanced Manufacturing Technology
• Agricultural Mechanics
• Animal Science
• Automotive Collision Repair & Refinishing
• Automotive Technology
• Aviation Maintenance Technology
• Biotechnology
• Building/Property Maintenance
• Business Technology
• Cabinetmaking
• Carpentry
• Construction Craft Laborer
• Cosmetology
• Criminal Justice
• Culinary Arts
• Dental Assisting
• Design & Visual Communications
• Diesel Technology
• Drafting
• Early Education and Care
• Electricity
• Electronics
• Engineering Technology
• Environmental Science & Technology
• Exploratory
• Fashion Technology
• Graphic Communications
• Health Assisting
• Heating - Ventilation - Air Conditioning - Refrigeration
• Horticulture
• Hospitality Management
• Information Support Services & Networking
• Marine Service Technology
• Marketing
• Masonry & Tile Setting
• Medical Assisting
• Metal Fabrication & Joining Technologies
• Painting & Design Technologies
• Plumbing
• Programming & Web Development
• Radio & Television Broadcasting
• Robotics and Automation Technology
• Sheet Metalworking
• Stationary Engineering

• Business and Finance
• Environmental and Life Science
• Health Care and Social Assistance
• Information
• Manufacturing

College enrolments, by detailed field of study, institution, institution type, registration status, program type, credential type, status of student in Canada and gender.

In 2020, ** percent of high school graduates from families in the lowest income quartile in the United States enrolled in college. This was a decrease of *** percent from the previous year.

Analysis of ‘College Enrollment, Credit Attainment and Remediation of High School Graduates Statewide’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/1330b4da-ad0c-4909-b8b6-47ba0fa956aa on 26 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

The data here is from the report entitled Trends in Enrollment, Credit Attainment, and Remediation at Connecticut Public Universities and Community Colleges: Results from P20WIN for the High School Graduating Classes of 2010 through 2016.

The report answers three questions: 1. Enrollment: What percentage of the graduating class enrolled in a Connecticut public university or community college (UCONN, the four Connecticut State Universities, and 12 Connecticut community colleges) within 16 months of graduation? 2. Credit Attainment: What percentage of those who enrolled in a Connecticut public university or community college within 16 months of graduation earned at least one year’s worth of credits (24 or more) within two years of enrollment? 3. Remediation: What percentage of those who enrolled in one of the four Connecticut State Universities or one of the 12 community colleges within 16 months of graduation took a remedial course within two years of enrollment?

Notes on the data: CT Remed: % Enrolled in Remediation is a subset of the % Enrolled in 16 Months.

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---

This paper examines if students' college outcomes are sensitive to access to college admissions tests. I construct a dataset of every test center location and district policy in the United States linked to the universe of individual testing records and a large sample of college enrollment records. I find evidence that SAT taking is responsive to the opening or closing of a testing center at a student's own or a neighboring high school and to policies that provide free in-school administration and default registration. Newly induced takers of high academic aptitude appear likely to attend and graduate from college. (JEL H75, I23, I28)

School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) in United States was reported at 79.36 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This dataset presents student enrollment figures at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, categorized by college, nationality (Qatari, Non-Qatari), and gender. It includes male, female, and total enrollment counts per group, offering insights into demographic and academic trends across the university’s colleges.

Data from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities' College NoName Program Enrolment Reporting system.

Provides aggregated key enrolment data for college students, like enrolment headcounts by program type, institution and campus.

Historical data ranges from 1996 to 2011-12, and is based on fall enrolment counts. To protect privacy, numbers are suppressed in categories with less than 10 students.

In 2012 a new data collection system was introduced, which collects data at the student level and includes many additional data elements which were not collected in the historical file (e.g., data was not collected on international students prior to 2013). For this reason it is not possible to report historical data in the same format as the 2012-13 and beyond data.

Related

• College enrolment
• University enrolment
• Enrolment by grade in secondary schools
• School enrolment by gender
• Second language course enrolment
• Course enrolment in secondary schools
• Enrolment by grade in elementary schools

This file includes enrollment data from 2012-13 school year. Data are disaggregated by school, district, and state levels and include counts of students by the following groups: grade level, gender, race/ethnicity, and student programs, and special characteristics. Please review the notes below for more information.

This statistic shows the total number of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in Canada in 2022, by field of study. In 2022, 100,524 university and college students were enrolled in the education field in Canada.