Postsecondary Enrollment Before, During, 

and Since the Great Recession

Population Characteristics

April 2018

P20-580

By Erik P. Schmidt

Current Population Reports

Education is highly valued in the United States as 

a means to acquire skills and experience that allow 

individuals to realize greater earnings over the course 

of their working lives. The value placed on education 

is evidenced by the fact that 89 percent of people 25 

years and older have completed high school, and 60 

percent have studied beyond the high school level.1

The value placed on education is also seen in the 

increase in college enrollment over time, from 2.4 million students in 1955 to 19.1 million students in 2015.2

While enrollment has increased over the long run, 

enrollment has increased and decreased within this 

long-term increase. This report provides an overview 

of postsecondary enrollment during one of these periods, covering the years preceding and since the Great 

Recession of 2007 to 2009, using data collected in 

the Current Population Survey (CPS). It examines the 

postsecondary enrollment of the adult population by 

demographic and social characteristics, such as age, 

sex, and race and Hispanic origin. 

1

 “Table 1. Educational Attainment of the Population 18 Years and 

Over, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 2016,” March 2017, 

<www.census.gov/data/tables/2016/demo/education-attainment

/cps-detailed-tables.html>, accessed on January 24, 2018. 2 “CPS Historical Time Series Tables on School Enrollment, 

Table A-1. School Enrollment of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, 

by Level and Control of School, Race, and Hispanic Origin: October 

1955 to 2015,” August 23, 2017, <www.census.gov/data/tables

/time-series/demo/school-enrollment/cps-historical-time-series

.html>, accessed on January 24, 2018.

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Total postsecondary enrollment increased from 

17.2 million students in 2006 to 20.4 million students in 2011, and subsequently decreased to 19.1 

million students in 2015.

• Change in enrollment occurred overwhelmingly 

at the undergraduate level, and the 2011 to 2015 

decrease in enrollment was concentrated in 2-year 

colleges. 

• Students not enrolled in any school in the prior 

year were a major contributor to the increase in 

college enrollment during the recession.

• The proportions of non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, 

and Hispanics 15 to 34 years old who were enrolled 

in college increased from the prerecession to the 

recession period. 

• In 2015, greater percentages of Blacks, Hispanics, 

and Asians were enrolled in college than 

prerecession.

• Hispanic undergraduate enrollment increased 

greatly, as the percentage of 15- to 34-year-olds 

enrolled in undergraduate college increased from 

11.5 percent in 2000 to 18.4 percent in 2015. 
2 U.S. Census Bureau

INTRODUCTION

At least since the mid-twentieth 

century, postsecondary enrollment 

has increased during recessionary 

periods as labor market conditions 

degrade.3 Recent research indicates that postsecondary enrollment was similarly counter-cyclical 

during the Great Recession.4 One 

focus of this report is to document the change in postsecondary 

enrollment across this period in 

more detail, examining the components of change in postsecondary enrollment before, during, 

and since the Great Recession to 

determine how the enrollment of 

different population subgroups 

contributed to the broader 

changes in postsecondary enrollment. A second focus of this report 

is to consider change in the types 

of students who entered college 

in terms of their precollege roles, 

examining change in the number of 

college students who were previously enrolled in high school or 

college, or who were not enrolled 

in school in the prior year. In this 

report, the “prerecession,” “recession,” and “postrecession” periods 

refer to the 2000 to 2007, 2008 

to 2011, and 2012 to 2015 periods, 

respectively. These labels do not 

neatly correspond to the Great 

Recession, but do cover periods 

of relatively lower unemployment 

before the beginning of the recession, higher unemployment during 

and shortly after the recession, and 

moderate and declining unemployment in more recent years. 

3 For example, see Harris Dellas and 

Plutarchos Sakellaris, “On the Cyclicality of 

Schooling: Theory and Evidence,” Oxford 

Economic Papers, 55, 2003, pp. 148–72. 

J. Peter Mattila, “Determinants of Male 

School Enrollments: A Time-Series 

Analysis,” Review of Economics and 

Statistics, 64, 1982, pp. 242–51. 4 For example, see Lisa Barrow and 

Jonathan Davis, “The Upside of Down: 

Postsecondary Enrollment in the Great 

Recession,” Economic Perspectives, 36(4), 

2012, pp. 117–29. 

POSTSECONDARY 

ENROLLMENT

The Great Recession began in 

December 2007 and ended in 

June 2009.5 Recessions are periods lasting a few months or longer 

during which activity across 

the national economy declines.6

The determination of recessions 

relies on many measures of broad 

economic activity; because of 

this, some noticeable impacts 

of recessions may not perfectly 

correspond to the recognized 

beginning or end of a recession. For example, the seasonally 

adjusted unemployment rate was 

5.0 percent at the beginning of 

the Great Recession (December 

2007), and was 9.5 percent at the 

end of the recession (June 2009), 

but continued to increase to reach 

10.0 percent a few months later 

(October 2009) before starting to 

decline.7

Enrollment in college increased 

from 17.2 million students in 2006 

through the Great Recession and 

the years after the end of the 

recession, to reach 20.4 million 

postsecondary students enrolled 

5 Recessions are determined by the 

National Bureau of Economic Research’s 

Business Cycle Dating Committee, see 

<http://nber.org/cycles/>. 6 For more information on the National 

Bureau of Economic Research’s Business 

Cycle Dating Committee’s determination of 

recessionary periods, see <www.nber.org

/cycles/recessions.html>. 7 “Labor Force Statistics from the Current 

Population Survey, Seasonally Adjusted 

Unemployment Rate,” <http://data.bls.gov

/timeseries/LNS14000000>, accessed on 

January 24, 2018.

in 2011 (Figure 1). College enrollment decreased after 2011 and 

numbered 19.1 million students 

in 2015. Enrollment in college 

includes enrollment at both 

undergraduate and graduate 

levels. The former includes enrollment at 2-year or 4-year schools 

below and leading up to an 

associate’s degree or bachelor’s 

degree. Graduate enrollment is 

enrollment leading to advanced 

degrees, such as master’s 

degrees, professional degrees, 

and doctoral degrees.8 Table 1 

shows estimated total college 

enrollment, enrollment in 2-year 

and 4-year undergraduate college, 

total undergraduate enrollment, 

and college enrollment at the 

graduate level for the years 2000 

through 2015. 

Change in undergraduate enrollment accounted for most of the 

change in postsecondary enrollment between 2006 and 2015. It 

accounted for 2.8 million students 

of the 3.2-million student increase 

in total postsecondary enrollment between 2006 and 2011. 

From 2011 to 2015, undergraduate enrollment accounted for 1.2 

million students of the 1.3 millionstudent decrease in total college 

enrollment. 

While enrollment in 2-year institutions accounted for less than onethird of undergraduate enrollment 

in 2006, increase in enrollment 

8 Students may be enrolled at a level 

without pursuing a particular degree.

Data

School enrollment estimates come from the School Enrollment 

Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is administered in October and includes 20 questions on school enrollment 

and recent degree completion. The CPS samples approximately 

57,000 households in October and has collected data on school 

enrollment since 1945.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Figure 1.

College Enrollment and Unemployment Rate: 2000 to 2015

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from 

the Current Population Survey, Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate, January 2000–December 2015; and National Bureau of Economic 

Research, U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions.

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

College enrollment

Enrollment (thousands) Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (percent)

Unemployment rate

Recession

0

3

6

9

12

15

Table 1. 

College Enrollment by Level of Enrollment: 2000 to 2015

(Numbers in thousands)

Year Total college 

enrollment

Undergraduate college enrollment Graduate and 

professional school 

enrollment

Total 

undergraduate

2-year

 college

4-year 

college

2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,314 12,401 3,881 8,520 2,913 

2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,873 12,552 4,159 8,393 3,321 

2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,498 13,426 4,378 9,047 3,072 

2003. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,638 13,370 4,384 8,985 3,268 

2004. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,383 14,004 4,340 9,664 3,378 

2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,473 14,169 4,327 9,841 3,304 

2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,232 13,854 4,294 9,560 3,378 

2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,956 14,365 4,814 9,551 3,591 

2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,632 14,955 5,345 9,610 3,676 

2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,764 16,012 5,551 10,461 3,752 

2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,275 16,354 5,904 10,450 3,921 

2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,397 16,625 5,705 10,920 3,773 

2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,930 16,170 5,830 10,340 3,760 

2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,467 15,738 5,270 10,468 3,729 

2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,175 15,498 4,841 10,656 3,677 

2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,101 15,433 4,717 10,716 3,668 

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.
4 U.S. Census Bureau

at 2-year institutions accounted 

for approximately one-half of 

the 2.8 million-student increase 

in undergraduate enrollment 

between 2006 and 2011 (Figure 

2). From 2011 to 2015, enrollment 

in 2-year institutions accounted 

for 1.0 million students of the 1.2 

million-student decrease in undergraduate enrollment. Enrollment in 

4-year institutions decreased from 

10.9 million students in 2011 to 

10.3 million students in 2012, and 

increased to 10.7 million students 

in 2015. In contrast, 2-year enrollment decreased after 2012, declining from 5.8 million students in 

2012 to 4.7 million students in 2015.

From the outset, we see that the 

change in college enrollment during the Great Recession had two 

important aspects: first, a large 

increase in enrollment during 

the time when the impact of the 

recession was felt and, second, 

a concentration of the impact 

in 2-year undergraduate college 

enrollment.

ENROLLMENT BY SEX, RACE 

AND HISPANIC ORIGIN, AND 

AGE

Enrollment by sex. Male unemployment increased more than 

female unemployment during the 

Great Recession and remained 

higher in the months and years 

after the recession.9 During the 

recession, males increased their 

9 “Labor Force Statistics from the 

Current Population Survey, Seasonally 

Adjusted Unemployment Rate, Men 20 

Years and Over,” <http://data.bls.gov

/timeseries/LNS14000025>, accessed on 

January 24, 2018; “Labor Force Statistics 

from the Current Population Survey, 

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate, 

Women 20 Years and Over,” <http://data.bls

.gov/timeseries/LNS14000026>.

enrollment in college at all levels 

relative to earlier years (Table 

2). The percentage of students 

enrolled in all levels of college 

who were female, while higher 

than the percentage male, was 

lower during the recession than it 

was prior to the recession. 

Enrollment by age. The number 

of students enrolled in college 

increased across all age groups 

from the prerecession period to 

the recession period, but change 

from the recession to the postrecession period differed by age. 

After the recession, the number 

of students enrolled in college 

increased only for those 20 to 24 

years old. Enrollment was greater 

in the postrecession period for 

those under the age of 30 than it 

was in the prerecession period. 

For the population aged 20 to 24, 

Figure 2.

Undergraduate Enrollment in 2-Year and 4-Year Colleges: 2000 to 2015

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

4-year college

Enrollment (thousands)

2-year college
U.S. Census Bureau

5

Table 2. Average Annual College Enrollment by Level of Enrollment, Race and Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Age: 2000 to 2015(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Total college enrollment Undergraduate college enrollment Graduate and professional school enrollment Total undergraduate 2-year college 4-year college 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

   TOTAL . . . . . . 16,803 19,767 19,418 13,529 15,987 15,710 4,323 5,626 5,165 9,206 10,360 10,545 3,273 3,781 3,708 Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,324 8,773 8,563 5,976 7,168 7,069 1,824 2,460 2,270 4,151 4,708 4,800 1,348 1,605 1,493 Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,479 10,994 10,855 7,554 8,818 8,640 2,499 3,166 2,895 5,055 5,652 5,745 1,925 2,176 2,215 White alone, 

 not Hispanic . . . . 11,340 12,617 11,242 9,047 10,042 8,981 2,692 3,207 2,628 6,355 6,835 6,353 2,293 2,575 2,261 

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,041 5,679 5,026 4,088 4,582 4,115 1,164 1,416 1,157 2,923 3,166 2,958 954 1,097 911 Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,299 6,938 6,217 4,959 5,460 4,866 1,527 1,523 1,791 3,432 3,669 3,395 1,340 1,478 1,350 Black alone, 

 not Hispanic . . . . 2,223 2,811 2,752 1,866 2,354 2,253 651 923 830 1,215 1,431 1,423 357 457 499 

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824 1,061 1,082 716 911 914 238 336 330 478 576 584 108 150 168 Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,399 1,750 1,670 1,150 1,443 1,339 413 587 500 737 855 839 249 307 331 Asian alone, 

 not Hispanic . . . . 1,148 1,244 1,545 786 862 1,059 228 256 271 557 606 787 362 383 486 

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585 598 759 401 418 528 113 121 127 288 298 400 184 180 232 Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 563 646 786 385 443 531 115 135 144 269 308 387 178 202 255 

Hispanic, 

 of any race . . . . . . 1,785 2,598 3,287 1,565 2,308 2,915 647 1,093 1,271 918 1,216 1,644 220 290 372 

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744 1,204 1,447 658 1,063 1,297 267 517 579 391 546 718 86 141 149 Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,041 1,394 1,840 906 1,245 1,618 379 576 692 527 308 387 135 149 222 15 to 19 years old. . . . 3,863 4,475 4,253 3,836 4,448 4,213 515 1,679 1,498 2,556 2,768 2,715 27 27 40 20 to 21 years old. . . 3,610 4,190 4,403 3,530 4,105 4,256 332 1,095 1,113 2,744 3,010 3,143 80 85 147 22 to 24 years old. . . 3,057 3,635 3,838 2,410 2,780 2,957 768 805 799 1,767 1,975 2,158 647 855 880 25 to 29 years old. . . 2,219 2,871 2,765 1,353 1,791 1,733 7,253 764 683 838 1,027 1,050 866 1,080 1,032 30 to 34 years old. . . 1,308 1,516 1,376 768 983 864 7,755 417 341 436 566 523 539 533 512 

35 years and over. . . 2,747 3,080 2,783 1,633 1,879 1,686 11,782 867 731 865 1,013 956 1,114 1,201 1,097 

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

total enrollment increased from 

before the recession to the recession, and again from the recession 

to the postrecession period. For 

those 30 years and older, the number enrolled in the postrecession 

period was not statistically different from the prerecession period.

Change in the percentage of age 

groups’ members enrolled in college was similar to the change in 

the number of enrollees (Table 

3), as the percentage of all age 

groups’ members enrolled in college increased from the prerecession period to the recession period. 

Moving from the prerecession 

period into the recession period, 

all groups had an increase in the 

portion enrolled, followed by a 

decrease for all but those between 

20 and 24 years old—for whom the 

percentage enrolled was not statistically different in the recession 

and postrecession periods. In the 

end, a larger proportion of each 

age category below the age of 30 

enrolled after the recession than in 

the prerecession period, and the 

increase was 3 percentage points 

or higher for those under 25 years. 

Enrollment by race and Hispanic 

origin. As college enrollment 

increased from 2000 to 2011 and 

declined in the postrecession 

period, changes in enrollment 

were not uniform across race 

and Hispanic origin groups.10 The 

number of non-Hispanic Whites 

enrolled in college increased from 

the prerecession to the recession 

period and decreased from the 

recession to the postrecession 

period, such that the number of 

non-Hispanic Whites enrolled in 

the postrecession period was not 

statistically different from the 

number enrolled in the prerecession period (Table 2). Similar 

changes held in terms of percentages at the undergraduate level 

(Table 3). These changes occurred 

for non-Hispanic White enrollment in 2-year colleges and 4-year 

colleges.

The number of Blacks enrolled 

in college increased from the 

prerecession period to the recession period, but did not change 

significantly from the recession 

to the postrecession period. As 

a result, about 0.5 million more 

Blacks were enrolled in college 

after the recession than before 

the recession. The proportion of 

Blacks enrolled in college similarly increased from the prerecession to the recession period 

and, despite a reduction from the 

recession period to the postrecession period, remained higher 

10 Federal surveys now give respondents 

the option to report more than one race. 

Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race 

group are possible. A group such as Asian 

may be defined as those who reported 

Asian and no other race (the race alone 

or single race concept), or as those who 

reported Asian, regardless of whether they 

also reported another race (the race-aloneor-in-combination concept). The body of 

this report (text, figures, and tables) shows 

data for people who reported they were the 

single race White and non-Hispanic, people 

who reported the single race Black and 

non-Hispanic, and people who reported the 

single race Asian and non-Hispanic. Use of 

the single-race populations does not imply 

that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. Data for those who 

report two or more races, the American 

Indian and Alaska Native, and the Native 

Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander populations are not shown in this report because 

of their small sample size in the CPS.

after the recession than before the 

recession. 

The number of Hispanics enrolled 

in college increased by 0.8 million from the prerecession to the 

recession period and increased 

again by 0.7 million in the postrecession period, resulting in 

an overall gain of 1.5 million—an 

approximate doubling (184.0 

percent of the prerecession level). 

The percentage of Hispanics 

enrolled at all levels was greater 

after the recession than it was 

before. Before the recession, 13.2 

percent of Hispanics 15 to 34 years 

old enrolled in college, compared 

to 23.2 percent of non-Hispanic 

Whites, while after the recession 

20.2 percent of Hispanics enrolled 

in college and 23.7 percent of 

non-Hispanic Whites enrolled in 

college. 

As with Hispanics, the total 

number of Asians enrolled in college increased across all three 

periods and was higher in the 

postrecession period than before 

the recession. Similarly, a greater 

percentage of Asians enrolled in 

4-year college after the recession than before. Before, during, 

and after the recession, Asians 

enrolled in college at higher percentages than any other group.

The results show that the number 

of students enrolled in college 

increased for all groups during the 

Great Recession and the period of 

high unemployment that immediately followed. The number and 

percentage of non-Hispanic Whites 

enrolled in college increased 

during the recession, as did the 

number and percentage of Blacks 

and Hispanics enrolled in college, 

before decreasing to approximate 

prerecession levels. The numbers 

of Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics 

enrolled in college remained higher 
U.S. Census Bureau

7

Table 3. Average Annual Percentage of People 15 to 34 Years Old Enrolled in College by Level of Enrollment, Race and Hispanic Origin, Sex, and Age: 2000 to 2015

Characteristic

Total college enrollment Undergraduate college enrollment Graduate and professional school enrollment Total undergraduate 2-year college 4-year college 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

 2000–

2007 

 2008–

2011 

 2012–

2015 

   TOTAL . . . . . . 21.5 24.2 23.4 18.2 20.5 19.7 5.4 6.9 6.2 12.8 13.6 13.5 3.3 3.7 3.7Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.6 22.3 21.5 16.7 19.0 18.4 4.8 6.4 5.7 11.9 12.6 12.7 2.9 3.3 3.1

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.4 26.1 25.3 19.7 21.9 21.1 6.0 7.4 6.8 13.7 14.5 14.3 3.7 4.2 4.2

White alone, 

not Hispanic . . . . . 23.2 25.7 23.7 19.6 21.5 19.8 5.4 6.5 5.5 14.2 15.0 14.3 3.6 4.2 3.9

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6 24.1 22.0 18.4 20.3 18.7 4.9 6.1 5.0 13.5 14.3 13.7 3.2 3.8 3.3

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.8 27.3 25.3 20.8 22.6 20.8 5.9 6.9 6.0 15.0 15.8 14.8 4.0 4.7 4.5

Black alone, 

not Hispanic . . . . . 21.1 24.6 23.5 18.5 21.6 20.3 6.1 8.3 7.2 12.5 13.3 13.1 2.6 3.0 3.2

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.9 21.4 20.9 16.2 19.2 18.3 5.1 7.0 6.5 11.1 12.2 11.9 1.7 2.3 2.5Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.8 27.4 25.8 20.5 23.8 22.1 6.9 9.5 7.9 13.6 14.3 14.2 3.4 3.7 3.7Asian alone, 

not Hispanic . . . . . 30.4 31.8 31.5 21.8 23.2 22.5 5.9 6.6 5.4 15.8 16.6 17.1 8.7 8.7 9.1

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.1 31.9 32.8 23.0 23.0 23.4 6.0 6.5 5.3 16.9 16.5 18.2 9.1 8.9 9.4

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.8 31.8 30.3 20.6 23.3 21.5 5.9 6.7 5.5 14.7 16.6 16.0 8.2 8.5 8.8

Hispanic, 

of any race . . . . . . . 13.2 17.1 20.2 11.9 15.6 18.4 4.8 7.3 8.0 7.1 8.3 10.5 1.3 1.5 1.8

Male. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.7 15.1 17.3 9.7 13.7 16.1 3.9 6.8 7.2 5.8 7.0 8.9 1.0 1.3 1.2Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.1 19.5 23.3 14.4 17.8 20.9 5.7 8.0 8.7 8.6 9.9 12.2 1.7 1.7 2.4

15 to 19 years old. . . . . 53.3 59.1 57.0 52.9 58.7 56.5 17.6 22.2 20.1 35.3 36.6 36.4 0.4 0.4 0.5

20 to 21 years old. . . 46.5 50.8 51.9 45.5 49.8 50.1 10.1 13.3 13.1 35.4 36.6 37.0 1.0 1.0 1.722 to 24 years old. . . 25.9 29.2 29.1 20.4 22.3 22.4 5.4 6.5 6.1 15.0 15.9 16.4 5.5 6.9 6.725 to 29 years old. . . 11.7 13.7 13.1 7.1 8.6 8.2 2.7 3.6 3.2 4.4 4.9 5.0 4.6 5.2 4.930 to 34 years old. . . 6.7 7.7 6.6 3.9 5.0 4.2 1.7 2.1 1.6 2.2 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.5

Note: Populations for which percentages are determined do not include people enrolled in school at levels below college (e.g., high school).Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.
8 U.S. Census Bureau

after the recession than they were 

before, and the percentages of 

Black and Hispanics enrolled were 

higher after the recession than 

before.

Undergraduate enrollment by 

race among the college-aged. 

Considering undergraduate enrollment in particular, Figure 3 depicts 

the percentage of the population 15 to 34 years old enrolled at 

the undergraduate level by race 

and Hispanic origin from 2000 to 

2015.11 For non-Hispanic Whites, 

Blacks, and Hispanics, the percentage of the population enrolled at 

the undergraduate level reached 

new highs between 2009 and 

11 The 15- to 34-year-old age group 

accounted for 89.9 percent of undergraduate 

enrollees in 2015.

2012.12 Between 2011 and 2015, 

the percentage of non-Hispanic 

Whites and Blacks enrolled in 

undergraduate college decreased 

to approximate 2007 levels for 

Blacks and to levels lower than 

2007 for Whites in 2015. In 2015, 

the percentage of Hispanics 

enrolled in college was not statistically different from the apparent 

high point reached in 2012, and 

the percentage of Asians enrolled 

was not statistically different from 

the apparent high point of 2010.13

12 Non-Hispanic White enrollment 

reached 21.9 percent in 2009 and was 

not statistically different in 2010 or 2011, 

when enrollment was 21.2 and 21.8 percent, 

respectively. Black enrollment reached 

21.5 percent in 2009 and was not statistically different in 2010, 2011, or 2012, when 

enrollment was 22.3, 22.9, and 22.5 percent, 

respectively. Hispanic enrollment reached 

19.5 percent in 2012. 13 Asian enrollment in 2010 was not statistically different from other years between 

2008 and 2015.

Change in enrollment among the 

Hispanic population was most 

marked, rising from 11.9 percent in 

2006 to 18.4 percent in 2015 and 

reducing the difference between 

the percentage of non-Hispanic 

Whites and Hispanics enrolled in 

college from 8.1 percentage points 

to the point that, in 2015, the percentage of Hispanics enrolled was 

not statistically different from nonHispanic Whites and Blacks.

In summary, the proportion of 

non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, 

and Hispanics enrolled in college increased to reach new highs 

during the high-unemployment 

years of 2008 to 2011, but groups 

differed in how much of those 

Figure 3.

Percentage of People 15 to 34 Years Old Enrolled in Undergraduate College by Race and 

Hispanic Origin 

Note: Denominators for percentage enrolled in undergraduate college do not include age group members enrolled below the college level.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.

White alone, not Hispanic

Black alone, not Hispanic

Hispanic, of any race

Asian alone, not Hispanic

Percent

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
U.S. Census Bureau 9

gains remained through 2015. 14

Blacks maintained some gains, 

reaching parity with non-Hispanic 

Whites in the percentage of the 

15- to 34-year-old group enrolled 

in college in 2015. Hispanics made 

large gains across the period, closing much of the enrollment gap 

between themselves and other 

groups, such that the percentage 

of non-Hispanic Whites, Blacks, 

and Hispanics 15 to 34 years old 

enrolled in college was not statistically different in 2015.

ENROLLMENT BY PRIOR YEAR 

STATUS

Enrollment in college is often 

thought of as a transition that 

occurs immediately after high 

school, after which enrollment is 

maintained from one year to the 

next until a student completes the 

14 Non-Hispanic White enrollment 

reached 21.9 percent in 2009 and was 

not statistically different in 2010 or 2011, 

when enrollment was 21.2 and 21.8 percent, 

respectively. Black enrollment reached 

21.5 percent in 2009 and was not statistically different in 2010, 2011, or 2012, when 

enrollment was 22.3, 22.9, and 22.5 percent, 

respectively. Hispanic enrollment reached 

19.5 percent in 2012.

education that he or she desires. 

Many students do enroll in college 

directly from high school; however, every year a large number of 

students who were not enrolled in 

school at any level during the prior 

year enroll in college. In all years 

across the 2000 to 2015 period, 

more students who were not 

enrolled in school in the prior year 

enrolled in undergraduate college 

(2- and 4-year students combined) than students who were 

enrolled in high school in the prior 

year (Table 4). Some students not 

enrolled in the prior year had previously taken college coursework 

and returned to get more education, and others enrolled without 

prior college experience.

The combined number of people 

who enrolled in college from 

high school and from being not 

enrolled in school during the 

previous year increased to reach 

new highs in 2009 and 2010 

before decreasing through 2015 

(Table 4).15 The number of people 

enrolled in college from high 

school was greater in 2015 than in 

2000, while the number of people 

enrolled in college from being not 

enrolled was not statistically different in 2000 and 2015. In 2015, 

of students who had not been 

enrolled in college the year before, 

39.5 percent were enrolled in 

high school in the prior year, 12.8 

percent were between high school 

and college in other pursuits, and 

47.6 percent had attended college 

at some point in the past but were 

not enrolled in the previous year.16

Table 5 shows enrollment by prior 

year status in percentage terms. 

In 2000, 56.9 percent of people 

who were enrolled in high school 

in the previous year enrolled in 

15 The number of students enrolling in 

undergraduate college from high school or 

not enrolled in school in the previous year 

was not statistically different in 2009 at 5.8 

million and in 2010 at 6.1 million. 16 The focus of this discussion is the 

students who enrolled in college from high 

school compared to students who were not 

enrolled in the previous year, regardless of 

whether they entered college for the first 

time or returned to college after time in 

other pursuits.

Table 4. 

College Enrollment by Level of Enrollment and Prior Year Enrollment Status: 2000 to 2015 

(Numbers in thousands)

Year

 2-year college enrollment 4-year college enrollment Graduate and professional 

school enrollment

High 

school

Not 

enrolled

 Continuing High 

school

Not 

enrolled

 Continuing UndergraduateNot 

enrolled

 Continuing 

2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . 696 1,173 2,012 1,246 1,311 5,962 383 869 1,647 

2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . 574 1,434 2,152 1,210 1,309 5,874 540 1,098 1,675 

2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . 647 1,548 2,189 1,266 1,440 6,431 358 1,074 1,595 

2003. . . . . . . . . . . . . 634 1,352 2,398 1,233 1,362 6,390 491 1,058 1,714 

2004. . . . . . . . . . . . . 682 1,400 2,258 1,369 1,329 6,965 510 994 1,859 

2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . 763 1,281 2,283 1,401 1,390 7,051 433 908 1,963 

2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . 799 1,205 2,290 1,308 1,298 6,953 466 1,078 1,834 

2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . 863 1,445 2,505 1,532 1,380 6,638 551 1,033 2,001 

2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . 955 1,480 2,910 1,407 1,497 6,706 503 1,184 1,983 

2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . 960 1,741 2,850 1,480 1,629 7,353 620 1,093 2,033 

2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,042 1,801 3,061 1,487 1,723 7,241 663 1,142 2,115 

2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . 911 1,526 3,268 1,501 1,428 7,990 715 1,022 2,025 

2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,003 1,674 3,153 1,357 1,507 7,476 704 937 2,111 

2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . 873 1,400 2,997 1,415 1,355 7,698 715 936 2,063 

2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . 831 1,392 2,619 1,441 1,455 7,760 754 996 1,919 

2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . 915 1,156 2,646 1,389 1,483 7,843 653 913 2,085 

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.
10 U.S. Census Bureau

college. The proportion of this 

group that enrolled in college 

increased to reach 65.3 percent 

in 2009 before decreasing to 61.3 

percent in 2015, which was higher 

than the percentage that enrolled 

in 2000.17 Although college 

students who were not enrolled 

in the previous year outnumber 

those enrolled in high school in 

the previous year, their rate of college enrollment is smaller given 

that there are many more people 

who were not in school than who 

recently completed high school.18

The rate of college enrollment 

for people not enrolled in the 

17 Not statistically different from the 65.3 

percent who enrolled in 2009, 65.2 percent 

of people who were enrolled in high school 

in the previous year enrolled in college in 

2010. 18 For example, in 2015, 52.6 million 

people were not enrolled in college in 

the previous year and 2.7 million of those 

people had enrolled in college, while 3.8 

million people were enrolled in high school 

in the previous year and 2.3 million of those 

people had enrolled in college. The much 

larger percentage of high school students 

who enroll in college, relative to those who 

were not enrolled in school, largely follows 

from the relative population size of the two 

groups.

previous year was 4.8 percent in 

2000 and increased to 5.9 percent in 2002. This was a period 

when the unemployment rate was 

increasing, corresponding to the 

2001 recession (Figure 4). From 

2002 to 2006, the proportion of 

the nonenrolled who enrolled in 

college decreased to 5.0 percent, approximating 2000 levels, and then increased to reach 

6.8 percent in 2010. Also during 

this period, the unemployment 

rate increased during the Great 

Recession. From 2010 to 2015, the 

percentage of the nonenrolled 

entering college declined to levels 

comparable with years (2004, 

2005, and 2006) prior to the 

recession.

The total number of students 

that entered undergraduate college (from high school and from 

nonenrollment) increased from 

4.4 million in 2000 to 6.1 million in 

2010, before falling to 4.9 million 

in 2015. This increase in enrollment resulted in more students 

who were in a position to continue their studies. In contrast to 

those previously enrolled in high 

school and those previously not 

enrolled in school, the percentage of people enrolled in college 

who remained enrolled from one 

year to the next fluctuated within 

the range of 71.1 percent to 76.6 

percent across the period.

Here the data show that students 

previously enrolled in high school 

and those who were not enrolled 

in school entered college in 

greater numbers during the recession and were a major contributor 

to the increase in total college 

enrollment. After the recession, 

students continued to enroll in 

college immediately after high 

school in great numbers. By contrast, fewer of those who were not 

enrolled in school entered college 

in the years after the effects of the 

recession were felt, contributing 

to the decrease in total college 

enrollment. 

COLLEGE-LEAVING

Thus far, this report has examined 

college enrollment during a period 

of high unemployment. In theory, 

when labor market conditions are 

poor, a lack of opportunity may 

motivate some people to enroll 

in college, affecting total college 

enrollment. This portion of the 

report focuses on the other factor 

that affects the number of people 

enrolled in college—whether 

people remain enrolled from one 

year to the next. If more or fewer 

people leave college in a given 

year, total college enrollment 

can decrease or increase from 

one year to the next. In addition 

to college-leaving, this section 

examines the conditions under 

which individuals leave college—

particularly whether they hold 

Table 5. 

Percentage of People 15 to 34 Years Old in Prior Year 

Enrollment Status Groups Who Enrolled in College:

2000 to 2015

Year Prior year enrollment status

High school Not enrolled College

2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56.9 4.8 71.1

2001. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.7 5.5 74.3

2002. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.8 5.9 74.3

2003. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.4 5.4 73.9

2004. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.4 5.3 72.2

2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.8 5.1 74.1

2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59.9 5.0 72.3

2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64.5 5.5 75.6

2008. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.8 5.9 74.8

2009. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.3 6.5 76.6

2010. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.2 6.8 74.0

2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.5 5.7 75.8

2012. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.4 6.0 75.5

2013. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60.3 5.3 75.5

2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.3 5.5 73.5

2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61.3 5.0 74.9

Note: The denominator for the high school group is people who were enrolled in high 

school the previous year and not enrolled in high school in the current year. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.
U.S. Census Bureau 11

degrees—and the labor market 

outcomes experienced by those 

who leave college.

Following from the previous 

discussion of enrollment by prior 

year status, as the percentage of 

students who remained enrolled 

in college from one year to the 

next fluctuated across 2000 to 

2015, so too did the percentage of students who left college 

across the period. The percentage of students who left college 

was statistically different from the 

25.7 percent who left college in 

2001 in only 5 of the 16 years in 

the 2000 through 2015 period.19

Even if the proportion of students 

who left college fluctuated across 

the 2000 to 2015 period, the 

19 In 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011, 

the percentage of students who left college 

was statistically different from 2001.

characteristics of students who 

left college may have changed 

systematically across the period.

Degree completion. The School 

Enrollment Supplement to the CPS 

asks people less than 30 years old 

who have an associate’s degree 

or higher to identify the year in 

which they completed their most 

recent degree. This makes it possible to identify which individuals 

completed a degree among those 

enrolled in college in the previous 

year and no longer enrolled. From 

2000 to 2005, about 70 percent 

of students who left college had 

not completed a degree in the previous year (Figure 5). From 2005 

to 2006, the proportion of students who left college and had not 

completed a degree in the previous year declined to 65.5 percent. 

In all but one year since 2006, the 

percentage of students who left 

college and had not completed a 

degree in the previous year was 

not statistically different from 

2006.

Unemployment of collegeleavers. The percentage of all 

students who left college that 

were unemployed increased 

between the prerecession period 

and the recession period (Figure 

6). This was true for those with 

a bachelor’s degree, those with 

an advanced degree, and those 

who had not completed a college 

degree. Comparing prerecession 

and postrecession periods, 

college-leavers with degrees 

(associate’s, bachelor’s, or 

advanced) were unemployed at 

higher rates in 2012 to 2015 than 

in 2000 to 2007. A similar percentage of those who left college 

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from 

the Current Population Survey, Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate, January 2000–December 2015; and National Bureau of 

Economic Research, U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions.

Figure 4.

Percentage of People 15 to 34 Years Old Not Enrolled in College in the Prior Year Enrolled 

in College

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Not enrolled last year

Enrolled (percent) Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (percent)

Unemployment rate

Recession

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16
12 U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 5.

Percentage of College-Leavers 15 to 29 Years Old Without a New Degree

Note: The Current Population Survey collects recent degree completion information for only those under 30 years of age.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Force Statistics from 

the Current Population Survey, Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate ,January 2000–December 2015; and National Bureau of 

Economic Research, U.S. Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions. 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No new degree

Without new degree (percent) Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (percent)

Unemployment rate

Recession

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Figure 6.

Percentage of Unemployed College-Leavers 18 to 34 Years Old by 

Educational Attainment 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, October 2000–2015.

Percent

0

3

6

9

12

15

Total Some college Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Advanced degree

2000–2007

2008–2011

2012–2015
U.S. Census Bureau 13

without completing a degree 

were unemployed in the prerecession and postrecession periods. 

Regardless of whether they had 

completed a degree or which 

degree they completed, similar 

proportions of people who left 

college were unemployed in the 

postrecession period.

This examination of collegeleaving from 2000 to 2015 shows 

five things. First, the proportion of 

students who left college fluctuated across the period. Second, 

the percentage of students 

leaving college without a newly 

completed degree declined and 

largely remained at a lower level 

from 2006 to the present. Third, a 

larger percentage of people who 

left college during the recession 

period were unemployed than 

were before the recession. Fourth, 

after the recession, only students 

who left college without completing a degree were unemployed at 

prerecession levels, while other 

groups were unemployed at levels 

higher than they were before 

the recession. Finally, after the 

recession, those who left college were unemployed at similar 

rates, regardless of whether or 

which degree they had completed. That all college-leavers 

were unemployed at similar rates, 

suggests that the labor market 

was slower to absorb the larger 

number of people who left college 

with degrees. The increase in the 

number of people who left college 

with degrees followed from the 

increase in college enrollment, and 

the decrease in the proportion of 

people who left college without 

having completed a degree.

CONCLUSION

This report examines change in 

college enrollment for various 

subgroups in the population and 

highlights the components of the 

change in enrollment observed 

before, during, and since the Great 

Recession. Enrollment in postsecondary education increased 

from 2006 through the recession 

and after to peak in 2011, and 

decreased in recent years but 

maintained gains relative to 2006 

enrollment. There are three major 

themes in the data reported here 

to highlight. 

The first major theme observed is 

that changes in college enrollment 

during the Great Recession were 

consistent with research showing 

that economic contractions lead 

individuals to enroll in school to 

obtain additional training. During 

economic contractions, attending 

college becomes a more attractive option for some people as the 

worsening labor market reduces 

the amount of potential earnings foregone in order to obtain 

additional education. Among 

those not enrolled in school in 

the prior year, and therefore likely 

engaged in the labor market, 

there was an increase in enrollment during the recession and a 

return to prerecession levels of 

enrollment by 2015. High school 

students were similarly more likely 

to enroll in college during the 

recession than before, but after 

the recession they enrolled at 

rates that exceeded prerecession 

levels. Additionally, while enrollment increased and subsequently 

decreased in both 2-year and 

4-year colleges, the change was 

concentrated in 2-year colleges. 

After the recession, 2-year college enrollment returned to 

prerecession levels, while 4-year 

college enrollment was higher 

than it was before the recession. 

Two-year colleges generally have 

lower tuition and fees than 4-year 

institutions, and they may be more 

appropriate for those who seek to 

gain new skills quickly. 

Secondly, Hispanic college enrollment increased markedly across 

the 2000 to 2015 period. Prior 

to the recession, the percentage 

of Hispanics 18 to 34 years old 

enrolled in college was lower than 

the percentages of other groups 

enrolled in college. By 2015, the 

percentage of Hispanics enrolled 

in college was comparable to 

the percentages of non-Hispanic 

White and Black peers enrolled in 

college. Additionally, the percentage of Blacks 18 to 34 years old 

enrolled in college increased to 

reach parity with non-Hispanic 

Whites by 2015.

Third, a greater percentage of students who left college during the 

recession were unemployed than 

were before the recession. Those 

who left college having completed 

degrees were unemployed at 

higher rates after the recession 

than they were before, as the 

labor market may have been slow 

to absorb the increased supply of 

degree-holders that resulted from 

the increase in college enrollment 

and the increase in the proportion 

of students leaving college who 

had completed degrees.
14 U.S. Census Bureau

SOURCES OF THE DATA

Estimates in this report are from 

the 2000 to 2015 October supplements to the Current Population 

Survey (CPS). The population 

represented (the population universe) in the School Enrollment 

Supplement to the October 2000 

to 2015 CPS is the civilian noninstitutionalized population living in 

the United States. The institutionalized population, which is excluded 

from the population universe, is 

composed primarily of the population in correctional institutions and 

nursing homes (91 percent of the 

4.1 million institutionalized people 

in Census 2000). 

ACCURACY OF THE 

ESTIMATES

Statistics from sample surveys 

are subject to sampling error and 

nonsampling error. All comparisons presented in this report take 

sampling error into account and 

are significant at the 90 percent 

confidence level. This means the 

90 percent confidence interval 

for the difference between estimates being compared does not 

include zero. Nonsampling error 

in surveys may be attributed to 

a variety of sources, such as how 

the survey was designed, how 

respondents interpret questions, 

how able and willing respondents 

are to provide correct answers, 

and how accurate answers are 

coded and classified. To minimize 

these errors, the Census Bureau 

employs quality control procedures in sample selection, the 

wording of questions, interviewing, coding, data processing, and 

data analysis. 

The final CPS population estimates 

are adjusted in the weighting 

procedure using ratio estimation, 

whereby sample estimates are 

adjusted to independent estimates 

of the national population by age, 

sex, and race and Hispanic origin. 

This weighting partially corrects 

for bias due to undercoverage, but 

biases may still be present when 

people who are missed by the 

survey differ from those interviewed in ways other than age, sex, 

and race and Hispanic origin. How 

this weighting procedure affects 

other variables in the survey is 

not precisely known. All of these 

considerations affect comparisons 

across different surveys or data 

sources. Further information on the 

source of the data and accuracy of 

the estimates, including standard 

errors and confidence intervals, 

can be found at <www2.census

.gov/programs-surveys/cps

/techdocs/cpsoct15.pdf> or by 

contacting the Demographic 

Statistical Methods Division via 

e-mail at <dsmd.source.and

.accuracy@census.gov>. 

MORE INFORMATION

Detailed tabulations, related information, and historic data are 

available on the Internet at the 

School Enrollment page on the 

Census Bureau’s Web site at 

<www.census.gov/topics

/education/school-enrollment

.html>. 

Suggested Citation

Schmidt, Erik, “Postsecondary 

Enrollment Before, During, and 

Since the Great Recession,” P20-

580, Current Population Reports, 

U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, 

DC, 2018.

CONTACTS

Contact the U.S. Census Bureau 

Customer Services Center at 

800-923-8282 (toll-free) or visit 

<ask.census.gov> for further 

information.

For additional questions or comments, contact:

Erik Schmidt 

<erik.schmidt@census.gov>

Education and Social Stratification 

Branch 

301-763-2464.