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.

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 March of 2025.

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.

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.

School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) in United States was reported at 64.54 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2021, about 1.5 million students were enrolled in private high schools or similar institutions in the United States. There were significantly more students enrolled in public high schools across the United States, at 15.4 million students.

United States US: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.313 Ratio in 1998. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.305 Ratio for 1996. United States US: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 1.135 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 1998, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.313 Ratio in 1998 and a record low of 0.690 Ratio in 1971. United States US: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Abstract (en): 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 1977 sought enrollment data from 3,130 institutions of higher education. Key data elements, presented for up to three record types for each institution, include total enrollments of full-time and part-time students by class level, sex, and race, total number of students, full-time credit hour load, and total credits enrolled. Additional data include the institutions' type of accreditation and type of calendar system. All postsecondary institutions in operation in fall 1977 in the United States, the District of Columbia, and outlying territories (American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Marshall Islands) and Department of Defense schools outside the United States. (1) The part code variable (column 79) in the data is coded exclusively as "Z", which stands for the summary of all students enrolled. (2) The HEGIS Record Layout file (Part 2) is an Excel worksheet of record layouts for all components of the HEGIS survey, including the 1977 Fall Enrollment component. (3) This collection has not been processed by ICPSR staff. ICPSR is distributing the data and documentation for this collection in essentially the same form in which they were received. When appropriate, hardcopy documentation has been converted to machine-readable form and variables have been recoded to ensure respondents' anonymity. (4) The codebook and data collection instrument are provided as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided through the ICPSR Website on the Internet.

United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross data was reported at 97.698 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 96.379 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 94.920 % from Dec 1972 (Median) to 2015, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.104 % in 1998 and a record low of 60.766 % in 1972. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Gross data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The Colleges and Universities feature class/shapefile is composed of all Post Secondary Education facilities as defined by the Integrated Post Secondary Education System (IPEDS, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, https://nces.ed.gov/), US Department of Education for the 2018-2019 school year. Included are Doctoral/Research Universities, Masters Colleges and Universities, Baccalaureate Colleges, Associates Colleges, Theological seminaries, Medical Schools and other health care professions, Schools of engineering and technology, business and management, art, music, design, Law schools, Teachers colleges, Tribal colleges, and other specialized institutions. Overall, this data layer covers all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and other assorted U.S. territories. This feature class contains all MEDS/MEDS+ as approved by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) Team. Complete field and attribute information is available in the ”Entities and Attributes” metadata section. Geographical coverage is depicted in the thumbnail above and detailed in the "Place Keyword" section of the metadata. This feature class does not have a relationship class but is related to Supplemental Colleges. Colleges and Universities that are not included in the NCES IPEDS data are added to the Supplemental Colleges feature class when found. This release includes the addition of 175 new records, the removal of 468 no longer reported by NCES, and modifications to the spatial location and/or attribution of 6682 records.

The USA: Secondary school enrollment, percent of all eligible children: The latest value from 2022 is 97.47 percent, a decline from 101.19 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 94.03 percent, based on data from 126 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1971 to 2022 is 94.64 percent. The minimum value, 82.4 percent, was reached in 1979 while the maximum of 101.19 percent was recorded in 2021.

School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) in North America was reported at 84.17 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. North America - School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

From 2010 to 2020, Alaska experienced a 35 percent decrease in full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at public, four-year higher education institutions. Almost all states saw a decrease in FTE student enrollment over that time period. In the United States as a whole, FTE enrollemtnt at public, four-year institutions decreased by eight percent between 2010 and 2020.

Graph and download economic data for Ratio of Female to Male Tertiary School Enrollment: All Income Levels for Latin America and Caribbean (SEENRTERTFMZSLCN) from 1970 to 2023 about Caribbean Economies, Latin America, enrolled, females, males, ratio, tertiary schooling, education, and income.

United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Male: % Net data was reported at 92.425 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 91.790 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Male: % Net data is updated yearly, averaging 93.015 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2015, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.628 % in 1991 and a record low of 90.756 % in 2004. United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Male: % Net data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The average for 2022 based on 11 countries was 42.75 percent. The highest value was in the USA: 79.36 percent and the lowest value was in Saint Lucia: 16.26 percent. The indicator is available from 1970 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net data was reported at 89.513 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 87.832 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net data is updated yearly, averaging 87.442 % from Dec 1987 (Median) to 2015, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 89.513 % in 2015 and a record low of 85.450 % in 2002. United States US: School Enrollment: Secondary: Male: % Net data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

As of 2020, full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment in California's public two-year institutions amounted to about 67 percent of all FTE students in the state -- the highest in the country. For the United States as a whole, FTE student enrollment in public, two-year colleges stood at 50 percent.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Enrolled in College Full Time 16-24 Yrs. (LNU04023002) from Jan 1985 to Feb 2025 about 16 to 24 years, enrolled, full-time, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

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. This survey collects data on all public and nonpublic 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education and their branches. The data contain such characteristics as type and control of institution, level of offering, type of program, status and accreditation, calendar system, names of principal officers, organizational relationships, location, telephone number, congressional district, tuition and fees, etc.