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65.9 percent of 2013 high school graduates enrolled in college

May 08, 2014

Of the nearly 3.0 million youth age 16 to 24 who graduated from high school between January and October 2013, about 2.0 million (65.9 percent) were enrolled in college in October. The college enrollment rate of recent high school graduates in October 2013 was little different from the rate in October 2012 (66.2 percent).

Percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college during October of the year they graduated from high school
YearTotal, percent enrolled in collegeMenWomenWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino

1993

62.659.765.462.855.662.5

1994

61.960.663.263.650.948.9

1995

61.962.661.462.651.453.8

1996

65.060.169.765.855.350.7

1997

67.063.570.367.559.665.5

1998

65.662.469.165.862.147.5

1999

62.961.464.462.859.242.2

2000

63.359.966.264.056.253.0

2001(r)

61.659.763.563.154.751.2

2002

65.262.168.466.758.753.5

2003

63.961.266.565.058.384.158.6

2004

66.761.471.668.461.176.061.9

2005

68.666.570.469.456.887.554.1

2006(r)

66.065.966.166.855.682.458.1

2007

67.266.168.368.755.290.963.9

2008

68.665.971.570.854.987.563.8

2009

70.166.073.869.268.792.259.3

2010

68.162.874.068.661.484.059.6

2011

68.364.672.367.767.586.766.6

2012

66.261.371.366.658.282.270.3

2013

65.963.568.467.159.379.159.9

Footnotes:

(r) Data have been revised since original publication.

Note: Dash indicates no data. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race; estimates for the race groups include Hispanics. Data beginning in 1994, 2001, and 2012 are not strictly comparable with estimates for prior years due to the introduction of new population controls from the decennial census.

For 2013 high school graduates, the college enrollment rate was 68.4 percent for young women and 63.5 percent for young men. The college enrollment rate of Asians (79.1 percent) was higher than the rates for recent White (67.1 percent), Black (59.3 percent), and Hispanic (59.9 percent) graduates.

In October 2013, 34.1 percent of recent high school graduates who were enrolled in college participated in the labor force—that is, they were working or looking for work. The participation rates for male and female high school graduates enrolled in college were 33.7 percent and 34.5 percent, respectively.

Labor force participation rates of 16- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college during October of the year they graduated from high school
YearEnrolled in collegeEnrolled in 2-year collegeEnrolled in 4-year collegeFull-time studentsPart-time studentsMenWomenWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino ethnicity

1993

46.365.735.143.173.645.746.748.737.156.4

1994

46.461.238.742.786.947.745.248.733.953.3

1995

47.064.137.843.281.746.147.748.641.944.6

1996

46.361.737.942.886.144.747.749.440.957.4

1997

46.063.237.141.984.642.349.149.529.945.8

1998

50.164.141.846.783.251.149.151.249.463.7

1999

46.463.537.842.789.247.145.649.232.443.6

2000

46.864.537.843.878.448.745.548.936.863.3

2001(r)

46.871.635.342.987.342.650.848.440.464.1

2002

45.458.039.242.675.743.946.946.637.949.4

2003

41.757.833.540.062.342.541.042.828.342.636.4

2004

44.861.136.542.182.442.646.647.535.935.442.0

2005

47.461.339.944.379.048.446.548.840.745.7

2006(r)

44.259.435.241.280.738.949.546.038.431.745.1

2007

39.754.731.437.372.738.840.740.237.435.9

2008

41.155.931.038.575.936.046.143.632.618.344.6

2009

42.159.230.938.779.340.843.243.633.835.139.0

2010

40.052.432.036.771.341.138.942.235.119.937.6

2011

38.849.932.035.179.736.541.042.528.324.137.4

2012

38.247.930.833.969.234.441.640.732.020.036.4

2013

34.145.227.831.073.833.734.536.629.820.833.3

Footnotes:

(r) Data have been revised since original publication.

Note: Dash indicates no data. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race; estimates for the race groups include Hispanics. Data beginning in 1994, 2001, and 2012 are not strictly comparable with estimates for prior years due to the introduction of new population controls from the decennial census.

Among recent high school graduates enrolled in college in October 2013, 92.8 percent were full-time students. The labor force participation rate was 31.0 percent for full-time students, much lower than the rate of 73.8 percent for part-time students. About 6 in 10 recent high school graduates enrolled in college attended 4-year institutions. Of these students, 27.8 percent participated in the labor force, compared with 45.2 percent of recent graduates enrolled in 2-year colleges.

This information is from a supplement to the October 2013 Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that provides national labor force data. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. To learn more, see "College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2013 High School Graduates" (HTML) (PDF) news release USDL-14-0657.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 65.9 percent of 2013 high school graduates enrolled in college at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140508.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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