America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2009
College Enrollment
A college education generally enhances a person's employment prospects and increases his or her earning potential.112 The percentage of high school completers who enroll in college in the fall immediately after high school is one measure of the accessibility and perceived value of a college education by high school completers.113
Indicator ED6: Percentage of high school completers who were enrolled in college the October immediately after completing high school by race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2007
NOTE: Enrollment in college as of October of each year for individuals ages 16 to 24 who completed high school during the preceding 12 months. High school completion includes GED recipients. A 3-year moving average is the average of the estimates for the year prior to the reported year, the reported year, and the following year. Thus a moving average cannot be calculated for the most recent year. For data before 2003, the 1977 OMB Standards for Data on Race and Ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four racial groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. The revised 1997 OMB standards were used for data for 2003 and later years. Persons could select one or more of five racial groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Included in the total but not shown separately are American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and "Two or more races." Beginning in 2003, those in each racial category represent those reporting only one race. Data from 2003 onward are not directly comparable with data from earlier years. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, School Enrollment Supplement.
- In 2007, 67 percent of high school completers enrolled immediately in a 2-year or 4-year college.
- Between 1980 and 2007, the rate of immediate college enrollment has trended upward from 49 percent to 67 percent; however, the rate has fluctuated from year to year.
- In 1980, 50 percent of White, non-Hispanic high school completers immediately enrolled in college; this rate increased to 69 percent by 1998 and decreased to 64 percent by 2001. Although this rate fluctuated between 2001 and 2007, the immediate college enrollment rate was higher in 2007 (70 percent) than in 2001.
- In 1980, the immediate enrollment rate for Black, non-Hispanics was 43 percent; this rate increased to 56 percent in 2007.
- For Hispanics, the immediate college enrollment rate has fluctuated greatly since 1980, very likely due to small sample sizes. For this reason, a 3-year moving average is used to measure the trend. Even so, due to large standard errors, there is no measurable difference between the moving average in 1980 (50 percent) and 2006 (59 percent).
- From 1980 to 2007, the immediate enrollment rate for male high school completers increased from 47 percent to 66 percent, while for female high school completers it increased from 52 percent to 68 percent.
- Between 1980 and 1995, there were no statistically significant differences between the immediate enrollment rates for males and females. Between 1996 and 2004, however, the female rate was significantly greater than the male rate every year except 1999 and 2001. Since 2005, there again were no statistically significant differences between the rates for males and females.
112 American Council on Education. (1994). Higher education today: Facts in brief. Washington, DC: Author.
113 "High school completer" refers to those who completed 12 years of school for survey years 1980–1991 and to those who earned a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., a General Educational Development [GED] certificate) for all years since 1992.