Home > Research > Research News

Postsecondary Enrollment Projected to Increase; Women's Enrollment Continues to Outpace Men's

October 5, 2005

Enrollment in degree-granting institutions is projected to increase 12 percent for men and 21 percent for women by 2014, according to a new compendium of statistics published by the National Center for Education Statistics. In Projections of Education Statistics to 2014, NCES has provided statistics on elementary and secondary schools and degree-granting postsecondary institutions.  Included are projections of enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures to the year 2014.

The following are highlights from the data collected:
(Data are between 2002 and 2014 – middle alternative projections)

• The number of public high school graduates is expected to increase 9 percent, whereas private high school graduates are projected to increase by 15 percent.
  
  
• Total enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions is projected to increase 17 percent to 19.5 million.
  
  
• Enrollment is projected to increase 16 percent for undergraduate students, 21 percent for graduate students, and 32 percent for first-time professional students.
  
  
• Current-fund expenditures in constant 2002-03 dollars are projected to increase 53 percent to $223 billion for public four-year institutions and 62 percent to $50 billion dollars for public two-year institutions by 2014.