In the academic year 2022-2023, a total of 14,146,834 students have enrolled in four-years colleges including undergraduate and graduate programs.

Compared to the population of 10 years ago, the the number of students increased by 6.67% from 13,262,402 to 14,146,834. The undergraduate population increased by 4.23% and the graduate population increased by 15.81% in last 10 years at U.S. colleges.

By gender, there are 8,191,565 women students and 5,955,269 men students enrolled in the schools. The women students increased by 10.67% and men students increased by 1.61% in that period.

Student Population Changes

The average number of students over the past 10 years is 13,826,509, and 14,146,834 students were attending the schools in the academic year 2022-2023.

Of the total students, 77.53% are undergraduate students and 22.47% are graduate students. Over the past 10, the number of undergraduate students increased by 550,094, and the graduate student enrollment increased by 398,154.

The women to men ratio is 1.38 to 1, meaning that there are more women students enrolled in U.S. colleges than men students.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at U.S. colleges since 2014.

YearTotalUndergraduateGraduate
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2013-1413,262,40210,467,0444,692,1185,774,9262,795,3581,168,5701,626,788
2014-1513,615,040
352,638		10,743,870
276,826		4,794,179
102,061		5,949,691
174,765		2,871,170
75,812		1,199,319
30,749		1,671,851
45,063
2015-1613,747,419
132,379		10,835,581
91,711		4,828,983
34,804		6,006,598
56,907		2,911,838
40,668		1,214,832
15,513		1,697,006
25,155
2016-1713,837,904
90,485		10,881,788
46,207		4,834,380
5,397		6,047,408
40,810		2,956,116
44,278		1,219,705
4,873		1,736,411
39,405
2017-1813,860,971
23,067		10,867,805
-13,983		4,814,722
-19,658		6,053,083
5,675		2,993,166
37,050		1,219,494
-211		1,773,672
37,261
2018-1913,923,416
62,445		10,881,192
13,387		4,783,853
-30,869		6,097,339
44,256		3,042,224
49,058		1,221,943
2,449		1,820,281
46,609
2019-2013,973,803
50,387		10,879,885
-1,307		4,737,214
-46,639		6,142,671
45,332		3,093,918
51,694		1,224,843
2,900		1,869,075
48,794
2020-2114,002,715
28,912		10,805,175
-74,710		4,633,916
-103,298		6,171,259
28,588		3,197,540
103,622		1,245,078
20,235		1,952,462
83,387
2021-2213,894,590
-108,125		10,619,461
-185,714		4,554,972
-78,944		6,064,489
-106,770		3,275,129
77,589		1,272,543
27,465		2,002,586
50,124
2022-2314,146,834
252,244		10,909,499
290,038		4,689,203
134,231		6,220,296
155,807		3,237,335
-37,794		1,266,066
-6,477		1,971,269
-31,317
Average13,826,50910,789,1304,736,3546,052,7763,037,3791,225,2391,812,140
U.S. colleges Student Population Trends Chart

Undergraduate Enrollment Changes

The average number of Undergraduate students over the past 10 years is 10,789,130. Compared 10 years ago, the number of Undergraduate students increased by 442,455 from 10,467,044 to 10,909,499.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at U.S. colleges since 2014.

YearTotalFulltimeParttime
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2013-1410,467,0447,852,9523,585,7654,267,1872,614,0921,106,3531,507,739
2014-1510,743,8708,082,7633,664,2044,418,5592,661,1071,129,9751,531,132
2015-1610,835,5818,137,0663,685,5494,451,5172,698,5151,143,4341,555,081
2016-1710,881,7888,143,7463,678,8084,464,9382,738,0421,155,5721,582,470
2017-1810,867,8058,146,8143,671,2164,475,5982,720,9911,143,5061,577,485
2018-1910,881,1928,169,0253,651,7074,517,3182,712,1671,132,1461,580,021
2019-2010,879,8858,136,3423,606,6434,529,6992,743,5431,130,5711,612,972
2020-2110,805,1758,027,0193,498,6554,528,3642,778,1561,135,2611,642,895
2021-2210,619,4617,881,4263,435,3394,446,0872,738,0351,119,6331,618,402
2022-2310,909,4997,927,0473,468,4404,458,6072,982,4521,220,7631,761,689
Average10,789,13010,789,1303,594,6334,455,78710,789,1301,141,7211,596,989
U.S. colleges Undergraduate Enrollment Trends Chart

Graduate Enrollment Changes

The average number of Graduate students over the past 10 years is 3,037,379. Compared 10 years ago, the number of Graduate students increased by 441,977 from 2,795,358 to 3,237,335.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at U.S. colleges since 2014.

YearTotalFulltimeParttime
TotalMenWomenTotalMenWomen
2013-142,795,3581,578,978707,315871,6631,216,380461,255755,125
2014-152,871,1701,647,027735,616911,4111,224,143463,703760,440
2015-162,911,8381,670,004745,817924,1871,241,834469,015772,819
2016-172,956,1161,691,127747,364943,7631,264,989472,341792,648
2017-182,993,1661,707,931742,704965,2271,285,235476,790808,445
2018-193,042,2241,734,645740,758993,8871,307,579481,185826,394
2019-203,093,9181,763,723740,0151,023,7081,330,195484,828845,367
2020-213,197,5401,796,802733,9391,062,8631,400,738511,139889,599
2021-223,275,1291,870,200763,1921,107,0081,404,929509,351895,578
2022-233,237,3351,897,740780,3581,117,3821,339,595485,708853,887
Average3,037,3793,037,379743,708992,1103,037,379481,532820,030
U.S. colleges Graduate Enrollment Trends Chart

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes

The percentage of white students is 47.48% and the percentage of black students is 11.10% at U.S. colleges. 7.32% of enrolled students is Asian.

The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at U.S. colleges over the past 10 years (2013-2023).

YearAmerican Indian or Native AmericanAsianBlackHispanicNative Hawaiian or Other Pacific IslanderWhiteTwo or More Races
2013-1483,543775,9001,515,8111,732,52037,5897,290,875352,751
2014-1581,606803,4911,559,8521,839,78538,8507,283,657408,407
2015-1679,708826,6861,564,0831,937,52537,1217,239,863429,297
2016-1779,464852,9931,559,2812,030,76936,5917,205,789441,938
2017-1877,618876,3311,561,5122,118,68536,6257,152,690466,702
2018-1976,343903,0931,565,3152,196,61336,2507,097,157488,221
2019-2075,427928,6511,568,6442,271,61936,2007,040,731510,317
2020-2173,912973,3031,578,6282,341,87535,9517,008,546530,001
2021-2273,8511,003,2991,541,4722,345,59835,4096,829,275532,139
2022-2375,1291,040,4851,576,9062,541,65736,6086,747,514548,249
Average77,660898,4231,559,1502,135,66536,7197,089,610470,802
U.S. colleges Student Population by Race Trends Chart

Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes

3,517,737 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2022-2023, which is 25% of total students. The number of online students has increased 132.33% since 2013.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at U.S. colleges from 2012 to 2023.

YearTotal EnrollmentOnline CompletelyEnrolled in Some Online CoursesNot Enrolled in Online Courses
2012-1313,168,4041,514,1301,587,03210,067,242
2013-1413,262,4021,661,6671,678,8409,921,895
2014-1513,615,0402,004,2461,782,4879,828,307
2015-1613,747,4192,082,5601,980,5539,684,306
2016-1713,837,9042,193,4482,185,1069,459,350
2017-1813,860,9712,282,6652,379,3969,198,910
2018-1913,923,4162,415,1912,500,2479,007,978
2019-2013,973,8032,586,4112,628,2958,759,097
2020-2114,002,7366,388,1354,302,9173,311,684
2021-2213,894,5903,775,3194,351,3705,767,901
2022-2314,146,8343,517,7373,992,2616,636,836
Average13,766,6842,765,5922,669,8648,331,228