America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007
College Enrollment
A college education generally enhances a person's employment prospects and increases his or her earning potential.110 The percentage of high school completers who enroll in college in the fall immediately after high school is one measure of the accessibility of and value placed on a college education by high school completers.111
Indicator ED6: Percentage of high school completers who were enrolled in college the October immediately after completing high school, by race and Hispanic origin, 1980–2005
NOTE: 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.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October Supplement (1980–2005).
- In 2005, 69 percent of high school completers enrolled immediately in a 2-year or 4-year college.111
- Between 1980 and 2005, the rate of immediate college enrollment has trended upward from 49 percent to 69 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, but decreased to 64 percent by 2001 before increasing again to 73 percent by 2005.
- In 1980, the immediate enrollment rate for Black, non-Hispanics was 43 percent; this rate increased to 56 percent in 2005.
- 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 2004 (58 percent).
- From 1980 to 2005, the immediate enrollment rate for male high school completers increased from 47 percent to 67 percent, while for female high school completers it increased from 52 percent to 70 percent.
- Between 1980 and 1990, there were no statistically significant differences between the immediate enrollment rates for males and females. Starting in 1996, however, the female rate has been significantly greater than the male rate every year except 1999, 2001, and 2005, when apparent differences were not statistically significant.
110 American Council on Education. (1994). Higher education today: Facts in brief. Washington, DC: Author.
111 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.