School enrollment in the U.S. drops in 2018

The number of people enrolled in school in the United States reached 76.8 million in 2018 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is 2.2 million below the level reached in 2011, when 79 million were enrolled in school. Enrolled students make up 25% of the U.S. population age 3 and older.

The number enrolled in college in 2018 was 18.9 million, 1.5 million below 2011, when 20.4 million were enrolled. Most of the decrease is due to people age 30 and older, whose enrollment declined by 800,000 or 55% of the total decrease. While overall college enrollment has declined, enrollment in graduate school has increased. Graduate school enrollment reached 4.1 million, an increase of 300,000 from 2011.

The number of college students attending two-year institutions was 4.3 million — a decrease of 25% from 2011 when 5.7 million were enrolled.

Classrooms are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. In 2008, 59% of the enrolled population was non-Hispanic white, 18% Hispanic, 15% black alone and 5% Asian alone.

“In 2018, 52% of the population enrolled in school was non-Hispanic white,” said Kurt Bauman, chief, Education and Social Stratification Branch. “Hispanics made up 24% of the enrolled population, while the black-alone population and the Asian-alone population made up 15% and 6%, respectively.”

Among students in kindergarten through 12th grade, 51% were non-Hispanic white, 25% were Hispanic, 15% were black alone and 5% were Asian alone. Among college students, 54% were non-Hispanic white, 19% were Hispanic, 16% were black alone and 9% were Asian alone.