Trends over time

On this page

• What college costs, over time
• What workers in their late twenties and early thirties earn, by education
• How many students finish a bachelor's degree
• How many students are in college
• How many high school graduates go straight to college
• How many young adults are in college
• How many community college students finish
• How educated are young adults
• How many degrees are awarded
• How first-year students pay for college
• Who has a job, by education
• Women and men in college
• How many colleges there are
• What college faculty are paid
• Who teaches at U.S. colleges
• How education levels of U.S. adults have changed
• Unemployment, by education, since 1992
• How pay changes with age and education
• What a week of full-time work pays, by education, since 1979
• What students earn bachelor’s degrees in
• What young bachelor’s graduates earn, by field of study
• Student loans among graduate degree completers
• What associate’s degrees are awarded in
• What master’s degrees are awarded in
• How many students take courses online
• Where public colleges get their money
• Where public colleges spend their money
• Where private nonprofit colleges spend their money
• Where private nonprofit colleges get their money
• Enrollment at historically Black colleges and universities
• Enrollment at Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• Women’s colleges
• Colleges that are mostly online
• How colleges select students
• How much colleges charge: the spread
• Finishing at the college where you start: the 2014-15 entering group
• How old undergraduates are
• How old full-time and part-time students are
• Who works at colleges
• Pay of new research doctorates, by field
• Debt and years since the bachelor’s degree of new research doctorates, by field
• What new bachelor’s graduates earned a year out, by field
• Where four-year students stand six years after starting
• What students pay after grants, by family income and type of college
• The full cost of attending, by where students live
• How many first-year students come back
• Student loans among graduates
• Graduate students in science, engineering and health
• How full-time graduate students mainly pay for science, engineering and health programs

What college costs, over time

Average yearly tuition, required fees, dormitory room and board at four-year colleges, adjusted for inflation to 2023-24 dollars. Public colleges use the in-state (in-district) rate; the average is not adjusted for students who pay out-of-state prices. Years are academic years (for example 2023-24). Earlier years are shown only where the table has them.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2024, Table 330.10 (average undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board; constant 2023-24 dollars based on the Consumer Price Index; private nonprofit institutions from 1999-2000 on; earlier years combine nonprofit and for-profit colleges, so they are not shown). Board data from 1986-87 on are for 20 meals per week, so figures before and after are not entirely comparable. Amounts are published prices, not what students pay after grants. Values are copied from the table and rounded to whole dollars. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What workers in their late twenties and early thirties earn, by education

Median annual earnings of people ages 25 to 34 who work full time all year, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Years shown are those in the published table.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 502.30, from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. Survey estimates have sampling error (the table lists standard errors); use caution comparing 2019 to 2021 with earlier years, and high school completion includes equivalency credentials such as the GED. Values are copied from the table and rounded to whole dollars. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many students finish a bachelor's degree

Share of first-time, full-time students who started a bachelor's degree at a four-year college and finished at that same college within six years, by the year they entered (1996 to 2017 entry classes, the years the table has six-year figures for). Students who transfer and finish elsewhere are not counted as finishing here, so the true share who finish somewhere is higher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2024, Table 326.10 (graduation rate from first institution attended; total of all students, from the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey). The table also lists rates by race and ethnicity, which MajorPays does not chart. A national average says nothing about any one college. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many students are in college

Undergraduates enrolled in the fall at colleges and universities that grant degrees, 1970 to 2023, split into full-time and part-time students. Counts people enrolled, not people who finish.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2024, Table 303.70 (total undergraduate fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by attendance status; all levels, all institution types; from the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey). Years between 1970 and 1985 are published every five years. Enrollment counts people, and a person who transfers can be counted by more than one college over time. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many high school graduates go straight to college

Of people ages 16 to 24 who finished high school or earned an equivalency earlier in the year, the share who were enrolled in a two-year or four-year college that October, 1960 to 2022 (civilians not living in institutions). It does not count people who start college later.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 302.10, from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey October supplement. This is a survey of a sample of households, so each year’s figure has sampling error (the table lists the standard errors), and year-to-year jumps of a point or two can be noise. Enrollment in the fall is not the same as finishing a degree. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many young adults are in college

Of all people ages 18 to 24, the share enrolled in college in the fall, 1970 to 2022, and the part of that share in two-year colleges and in four-year colleges and universities (the split begins in 1973). Graduate students and part-time students are included.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 302.60, from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey October supplement (civilians not living in institutions; the table lists standard errors, since it is a sample survey and single-year changes of a point or two can be noise). MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many community college students finish

Share of first-time, full-time students who started at a two-year college and finished a certificate or associate degree at that same college within 150 percent of normal time (three years for an associate degree), by the year they entered. Students who transfer and finish elsewhere are not counted as finishing here, so the true share who finish somewhere is higher. The table reports 2000, 2005 and each year from 2008 to 2019.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 326.20 (graduation rate from first institution attended within 150 percent of normal time; all students at all two-year institutions; from the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey). Race and ethnicity columns are not charted. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How educated are young adults

Share of people ages 25 to 29 who have reached each level of education, for the years the table reports (1940 to 2023; the associate’s and master’s lines start later). Each line counts people who reached that level or higher.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 104.20, from the Census Bureau (decennial census and Current Population Survey; total of all people, both sexes; race and ethnicity columns are not used). Survey estimates have sampling error; the table lists standard errors, and definitions changed in 1992 (from years of school to credentials). The survey covers the civilian noninstitutionalized population plus, in later years, members of the military living off base. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many degrees are awarded

Degrees awarded by U.S. colleges each school year, in millions, by level, 1970 to 2022. Counts degrees, not people, and the chart stops at the last year with actual counts. The table has no rows for 1971 to 1979, so the lines join 1970 to 1980.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 318.10 (degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by level of degree; total of both sexes; projections after 2021-22 are not shown). Doctor’s degrees include research doctorates and most professional degrees (such as M.D. and law degrees). Data cover the 50 states and DC; the group of institutions reporting changed over time. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How first-year students pay for college

Of first-time, full-time students beginning a degree or certificate, the share who received any financial aid, and the share who received each kind: federal grants, state or local grants, grants from the school itself, and student loans. School years ending 2001 to the latest the table reports.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 331.20 (first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at degree-granting institutions, by aid type; all institutions; from the IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey). Data through 2009-10 are for students receiving aid, while later data are for students awarded aid, so lines can shift at that point; 2021-22 is provisional. Years shown are school years. Student loans include only loans made directly to students, not Parent PLUS loans. The kinds of aid overlap, so the lines do not add to 100%. These describe first-year students, not all students. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Who has a job, by education

Share of all people 25 and older (not only those looking for work) who are employed, by highest education, averaged over each calendar year, 1992 to 2024. It counts everyone in the group, including retirees and people not looking for work, so it moves with the age mix as well as the job market.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series LNS12327659, LNS12327660, LNS12327689 and LNS12327662 (employment-population ratio, seasonally adjusted monthly, ages 25 and over), from the BLS public data files; MajorPays averaged the 12 months of each complete calendar year. Survey estimates have sampling error. 2025 is left out because BLS did not publish October 2025. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. Rates describe groups, not any one person, and MajorPays does not provide advice.

Women and men in college

Women’s share of fall enrollment at degree-granting colleges, for all students, for undergraduates and for postbaccalaureate (graduate and professional) students, in the years the table reports. Men’s share is the remainder.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 306.10 (HEGIS and IPEDS fall enrollment surveys). Shares computed by MajorPays as female students divided by male plus female students, from the table’s counts (data through 1990 are for institutions of higher education, later data for degree-granting institutions), for the selected years the table reports (1976, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2012 and 2017 to 2022); points are joined by straight lines and the years between are not shown. The table also reports enrollment by race and ethnicity, which MajorPays does not chart here. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National shares describe groups, not any one college or person, and MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many colleges there are

Number of degree-granting colleges and universities that take part in federal student aid, including branch campuses, by school year. Counts change with openings, closures and mergers, and partly with how many branch campuses report separately.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 317.10 (IPEDS institutional characteristics; the table also gives public/private splits and counts excluding branch campuses for earlier years). Each point is labeled by the school year (for example 2022-23). The table notes that data through 1995-96 are for institutions of higher education and later data are for degree-granting institutions, so the 1996-97 jump partly reflects that change in definition, and that counts are partly affected by the number of branch campuses submitting separate data. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. Counts describe the whole country, not any one college, and MajorPays does not provide advice.

What college faculty are paid

Average salary of full-time instructional faculty on 9-month contracts at degree-granting colleges, by academic rank, adjusted for inflation to 2022-23 dollars, by school year. Faculty at medical schools are excluded, and averages mix very different kinds of colleges, so they say little about any one college.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 316.10 (HEGIS and IPEDS human resources surveys), the table’s constant 2022-23 dollar rows (adjusted by NCES with the Consumer Price Index). Each point is labeled by school year (for example 2022-23). Before 2016-17 the table combines 9- and 10-month contracts, some values are imputed, and data through 1995-96 are for institutions of higher education while later data are for degree-granting institutions, so long comparisons are approximate. Averages describe groups of faculty, not individuals; the faculty pay shown for each college on its MajorPays profile is separate. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation, and MajorPays does not provide advice.

Who teaches at U.S. colleges

Share of faculty (instructional, research and public service staff) at degree-granting colleges who work part time, and the share who are women, in the fall of each year the table reports. Part-time faculty include adjuncts; the table counts people, not courses taught.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 315.10 (HEGIS and IPEDS human resources surveys; 1970 to 1986 values are partly estimated from enrollment). Because of revised survey methods, data from 1987 on are not directly comparable with earlier years (the dashed line marks 1987); the women’s share is reported from 1987. Part-time share is 100 minus the table’s percent full-time, computed by MajorPays. Excludes graduate assistants. From 2007 the table also includes institutions with fewer than 15 full-time employees, which did not report staff data before. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National shares describe groups, not any one college, and MajorPays does not provide advice.

How education levels of U.S. adults have changed

Share of all people 25 and older who have completed high school, and who have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 1910 to 2023. Before 1992 the table counts four or more years of high school or college rather than diplomas or degrees.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 104.10, from the Census Bureau (decennial census and Current Population Survey). Definitions changed in 1992 (from years of school completed to diplomas and degrees; the dashed line marks 1992), and the 1910, 1920 and 1930 values are Census Bureau projections back from the 1940 census, not measurements. Values are copied from the table and rounded to 0.1 point. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Unemployment, by education, since 1992

Share of people 25 and older in the labor force who are out of work and looking, by highest education, averaged over each calendar year (complete years only: 2025 is left out because BLS did not publish October 2025 data). Recessions show up as the humps around 2001, 2009 and 2020.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, series LNS14027659, LNS14027660, LNS14027689 and LNS14027662 (seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rates, ages 25 and over), from the BLS public data files; MajorPays averaged the twelve months of each calendar year. Survey estimates have sampling error. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. Rates describe groups, not any one person. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How pay changes with age and education

Median yearly earnings of people who work full time all year, by highest education and age group, for income earned in 2025. Each line follows one education level across age groups (the dots sit at the middle of each age group). These are different people at each age, not the same people followed over time.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (2026), Table PINC-03, “Educational Attainment—People 18 Years Old and Over by Total Money Earnings” (worked full-time, year-round; both sexes; all races), values copied and rounded to the nearest $10. Survey estimates have sampling error (the Census tables list standard errors). MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Census Bureau has not approved or endorsed this presentation. Medians describe groups, not any one person. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What a week of full-time work pays, by education, since 1979

Median weekly earnings of people 25 and older who work full time for wages or a salary, by highest education, adjusted for inflation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to current (2025) dollars using the CPI-U-RS. The gap between a bachelor’s degree and a high school diploma was already large in 1979 (about 1.4 times as much), grew over the following decades, reaching about 1.8 times as much by 2010, and has stayed roughly that wide since (about 1.8 times as much in 2025).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Usual Weekly Earnings, constant-dollar series LEU0258182500, LEU0258182600, LEU0258182700 and LEU0258182800 (annual averages, constant dollars using the CPI-U-RS, base current year), from the BLS public data files; values copied. Survey estimates have sampling error and survey methods and education definitions changed in the early 1990s, so comparisons across those years need care. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. Medians describe groups, not any one person. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What students earn bachelor’s degrees in

Bachelor’s degrees awarded by U.S. colleges in each broad field of study, with each field’s share of all bachelor’s degrees that year, for three school years. Fields are listed alphabetically. A larger count means more degrees awarded, not a better or worse field. The government regroups fields over time, so small fields can shift between categories.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 322.10 (bachelor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, by field of study), from the IPEDS Completions survey. Counts degrees, not people: one person can earn more than one degree. Data cover the 50 states and DC and schools that take federal student aid, grouped by the 2020 classification of fields; a dash means the table reports no degrees in that group that year.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What young bachelor’s graduates earn, by field of study

For people ages 25 to 29 who hold a bachelor’s degree (some also hold advanced degrees), by the field of their first bachelor’s major: how many there are, their unemployment rate, and the median earnings of those who work full time all year, in 2022 and (in 2022 dollars) in 2012. Fields are listed alphabetically; the numbers are not a ranking and a higher median is not better advice for any one student.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 505.10, from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 1-year public use microdata, 2012 and 2022. † Interpret with caution: the estimate is less reliable (coefficient of variation between 30 and 50 percent). A dash means the estimate did not meet reporting standards. Earnings are for full-time (35 or more hours a week), year-round workers; unemployment is for the civilian labor force. The table classifies people by their first bachelor’s major even if they have advanced degrees in other fields. These are survey estimates with sampling error (the table lists standard errors), describe graduates of all schools combined, and say nothing about any one college. STEM fields are as the table defines them.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Student loans among graduate degree completers

For people who finished a graduate degree or certificate in 2019-20: the share who had student loans for graduate school, and the average amount of graduate-school loans they owed, in 2022-23 dollars, for 2007-08 and 2019-20 completers. Programs are listed alphabetically and are not ranked; borrowing reflects how long and how costly each program is, not its value.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 332.45 (National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, graduate degree completers). Amounts are averages among borrowers for graduate education (as the survey measures it, outstanding principal, excluding Parent PLUS loans and interest), and exclude any undergraduate loans; the table separately reports totals that include undergraduate loans. † Interpret with caution (the estimate is less reliable). A dash means the estimate did not meet reporting standards. Survey estimates have sampling error. Averages describe groups, not any one student.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What associate’s degrees are awarded in

Associate’s degrees awarded by U.S. colleges in each broad field of study, 2011-12 and 2021-22, with the percent change (shown only where the starting number is at least 100; percent changes in small fields can swing widely). Fields are listed alphabetically and are not ranked; a growing or shrinking number of degrees does not say whether a field is a good choice. Some changes reflect how colleges classify programs.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 321.10 (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, completions). Counts are degrees, not people, and are for colleges that grant degrees and take part in federal student aid. Sub-fields are not shown. The latest year is from provisional data.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What master’s degrees are awarded in

Master’s degrees awarded by U.S. colleges in each broad field of study, 2005-06 and 2021-22, with the percent change (shown only where the starting number is at least 100; percent changes in small fields can swing widely). Fields are listed alphabetically and are not ranked; a rise or fall in degrees does not say whether a field is a good choice, and some changes reflect how colleges classify programs.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 323.10 (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, completions). Counts are degrees, not people. Sub-fields are not shown, and a small “other and not classified” group is left out, so the fields do not add exactly to the total. The latest year is from provisional data.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many students take courses online

The share of students at degree-granting colleges who took no distance education courses, took some, or studied exclusively through distance education, in fall 2021 and fall 2022. These years follow the pandemic, when many colleges shifted online; the table does not report earlier years in this form, so it does not show a long-run trend.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 311.15 (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, fall enrollment). Percentages are computed by MajorPays from the published counts and rounded; they may not add to 100 because of rounding. Distance education is as IPEDS defines it. Fall 2022 data are provisional. Counts describe groups of students, not any one college.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Where public colleges get their money

The share of public colleges’ total revenue that comes from each source, at four-year and two-year public colleges, for 2007-08 and 2021-22 (fiscal years). Public two-year colleges rely more on government appropriations and less on tuition and hospitals. Revenue is not spending on students: it includes research and hospital income at some four-year schools.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 333.10 (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, finance component, public degree-granting institutions in the 50 states and D.C.). MajorPays combined some of the table’s published percentage columns (for example federal grants and contracts with federal nonoperating grants; the table notes that public colleges typically report Pell Grants as federal grants and as allowances that reduce tuition revenue) and rounded to whole percents (so a column can add to 99 or 101); the remainder row is computed from the unrounded figures so each column totals 100%, and includes capital appropriations, capital grants, additions to endowments and other revenue not listed. Investment return can be negative in a year when markets fall, which is why gifts and investment return can show as zero or less. 2021-22 includes federal pandemic relief. Averages describe groups of colleges, not any one college.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Where public colleges spend their money

How the total spending of public colleges and universities was divided by purpose in the 2021-22 school year, for all public colleges and separately for four-year and two-year ones. “Instruction” covers the cost of teaching; “research” is research paid for by outside agencies or set aside as its own budget; hospitals and residence halls show up because some universities run them. Shares describe whole colleges, not any one student’s bill.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 334.10 (IPEDS Finance survey; percentage distribution of total expenses, current dollars, fiscal year 2021-22; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published and add to 100 within rounding. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Where private nonprofit colleges spend their money

How the total spending of private nonprofit colleges and universities was divided by purpose in the 2021-22 school year, for all private nonprofit colleges and separately for four-year and two-year ones. “Net grant aid” is scholarship and fellowship spending after the discounts colleges give to students; “research” is research paid for by outside agencies or set aside as its own budget. Shares describe whole colleges, not any one student’s bill.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 334.30 (IPEDS Finance survey; percentage distribution of total expenses, current dollars, fiscal year 2021-22; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published and add to 100 within rounding. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Where private nonprofit colleges get their money

The share of private nonprofit colleges’ total revenue that came from each source in the 2021-22 school year, for all private nonprofit colleges and separately for four-year and two-year ones. Investment gains and losses move a lot from year to year, so one year’s shares are not a long-run pattern.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 333.40 (IPEDS Finance survey; percentage distribution of total revenue, current dollars, fiscal year 2021-22; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published and add to 100 within rounding. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Enrollment at historically Black colleges and universities

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are colleges founded before 1964 whose main mission was educating Black Americans, as defined in federal law (which allows some exceptions to the founding date). The table shows their fall enrollment in selected years, and how many of those students were Black. The last column divides the two published counts and is computed by MajorPays.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 313.20 (HEGIS and IPEDS fall enrollment; the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The table leaves out HBCUs that do not take part in federal student aid programs, and, as NCES notes, data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education while later data are for degree-granting institutions. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Enrollment at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

The U.S. Department of Education lists each year the colleges that are eligible for Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) grants. Generally, an HSI has at least 25 percent Hispanic undergraduate full-time-equivalent students and meets federal tests for the share of needy students and for spending per student. The table shows fall 2022 enrollment at colleges on that list.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 312.40 (IPEDS fall enrollment, spring 2023, provisional; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Hispanic counts and shares cover only students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, so the share is of that group, not of all students. NCES leaves out a few listed institutions (branch campuses without separate data, closed colleges and one for-profit college). MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Women’s colleges

NCES counts 31 degree-granting women’s colleges in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In fall 2022 they enrolled 67,290 students, 62,829 (93%) of them women; 48,563 were full-time and 18,727 part-time. The table also counts some male students, so not every enrollee is a woman.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 312.30 (IPEDS fall enrollment and completions, provisional data). Share of women is as published by NCES. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Colleges that are mostly online

NCES defines a “primarily online” college as one where more than 90 percent of students take only distance-education courses in the fall term. The table compares those colleges with all degree-granting institutions, and splits them by control. The share column is as published by NCES.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 311.33 (IPEDS, provisional data; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). The last three columns split the “primarily online” column by control. Colleges that offer some online courses but do not meet the 90 percent test are not counted as primarily online. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How colleges select students

Every year colleges tell the Department of Education which things they use to decide whom to admit. Open admissions is the category colleges report when they accept applicants without selection requirements. Many colleges use more than one of the other criteria, so the lines below do not add to 100. Figures are the share of colleges in each group in 2022-23; the first two lines add to nearly 100 because a very small number of colleges report no requirements, only recommendations.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 305.30 (IPEDS Admissions component; degree-granting institutions with first-time undergraduates in the 50 states and the District of Columbia; 2022-23 data are provisional). NCES lists test scores among the criteria colleges report using; a college’s own admissions page is the place to check its current policy. Admission criteria say nothing about how hard it is to be admitted. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How much colleges charge: the spread

The averages on this page hide a wide range. NCES also publishes percentiles of the yearly charges colleges set for full-time undergraduates in 2022-23: for example, the 90th percentile is the amount that 90 percent of the group’s charges fall at or below. NCES weighted each college’s charge by its number of full-time-equivalent undergraduates. These are published prices, not what students pay after grants.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.30 (IPEDS Institutional Characteristics and Fall Enrollment; the 50 states and the District of Columbia; 2022-23 data are provisional). Tuition and fees for public colleges are for in-state students (in-district where that rate exists), and charges are not adjusted for where students live. Room and board include only colleges that report them. Not every college offers on-campus housing. For small groups, such as private for-profit four-year colleges, several percentiles can be equal. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Finishing at the college where you start: the 2014-15 entering group

NCES followed the students who entered a four-year college seeking a degree or certificate in 2014-15 (leaving out those who died, became disabled or entered military service) and counted who had completed an award at the same college within 4, 6 and 8 years. Students who transferred and finished elsewhere are not counted as completers here. The groups differ in who enrolls, how much they work, and what they study, so a gap between groups is not a measure of any college’s quality.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 326.27 (IPEDS Outcome Measures component and Institutional Characteristics component; entering group 2014-15, adjusted cohort; Pell status is whether the student was paid a Pell Grant in the first year; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). The 8-year column is the total completing any award (certificate, associate’s or bachelor’s degree) at the reporting college; 4-year and 6-year columns are as published. Colleges that did not report an acceptance rate are not shown. Acceptance rate describes how many applicants a college admits; it is not a measure of quality. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How old undergraduates are

The table shows the ages of undergraduates at degree-granting colleges in fall 2021, as a share of students whose age was known. Most undergraduates at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges are 24 or younger; public two-year colleges have a larger share of students who are 25 or older and a larger share who are under 18 than those colleges do.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 303.50 (IPEDS Fall Enrollment, final data for fall 2021; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published and exclude students whose age was unknown; columns add to 100 within rounding. Private nonprofit two-year colleges are not shown separately because they are very few. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How old full-time and part-time students are

The table shows the ages of students at degree-granting colleges in fall 2021 (undergraduate and graduate), as a share of the full-time students and of the part-time students whose age was known. Full-time students are mostly 24 or younger; part-time students are spread across a much wider range of ages, with larger shares in their late twenties, thirties and forties.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 303.45 (IPEDS Fall Enrollment, final data for fall 2021; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published, exclude students whose age was unknown, and each column adds to 100 within rounding. Each column is a share of that group, so the full-time column does not show how many students are full-time. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Who works at colleges

NCES counts everyone employed at colleges that take part in federal student aid and sorts them by primary job: faculty (people whose main job is instruction, research or public service), graduate assistants, and all other staff. The last two columns show full-time-equivalent (FTE) students for each full-time-equivalent faculty member; the figure counts every kind of student and every kind of faculty member, so it is not the size of a class.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 314.10 (IPEDS Fall Enrollment and Human Resources components; fall 1999 and fall 2022, the latter provisional; the 50 states and the District of Columbia). Percentages are as published; staff shares may not add to 100 within rounding. See the guide to faculty and staffing data. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Pay of new research doctorates, by field

Each year the National Science Foundation surveys people who have just earned a research doctorate (such as a Ph.D.). The table shows the median basic annual salary reported by recipients in 2023 who had a definite plan to work in the United States, other than a postdoctoral position. Fields are listed alphabetically. A dash means NSF does not publish the figure for that field and sector.

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2023, Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities, data tables NSF 24-336, Table 6-7. Salaries are as reported by the respondents who gave one; the all-sectors column also includes recipients whose sector was other or unknown, which is not shown. They cover only research doctorates (not professional degrees such as M.D. or J.D.) and only people with definite plans, and so describe a small group at the start of a career. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Science Foundation has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Debt and years since the bachelor’s degree of new research doctorates, by field

In the same National Science Foundation survey, recipients of research doctorates (such as a Ph.D.) in 2023 reported whether they owed money for their graduate or undergraduate education. The table shows, for each field, how many answered, the share who reported no education-related debt, the published median debt, and the median number of years between their bachelor’s degree and their doctorate. Fields are listed alphabetically.

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Earned Doctorates 2023, data tables NSF 24-336, Tables 4-4 (debt) and 3-5 and 3-6 (years since the bachelor’s degree; among recipients who reported the year). Counts and medians are as published; the share with no debt divides two published counts and is computed by MajorPays. Debt covers both graduate and undergraduate education. NSF’s table does not say whether the median includes recipients with no debt; because most recipients in the all-fields row reported none, it appears to describe those who owed money. Research doctorates only; professional degrees such as M.D. or J.D. are not included. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Science Foundation has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What new bachelor’s graduates earned a year out, by field

Median annual salary of bachelor’s degree recipients who were working full time about one year after graduating, by the field they studied, for three graduating classes, in 2022 dollars. Fields are listed alphabetically and are not ranked. Salaries one year out say little about pay later in a career, and the three classes graduated in very different job markets.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 505.50 (Recent College Graduates survey and Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Studies). Only graduates employed full time are included; most educators work 9- to 10-month contracts, so the education figures are not comparable with 12-month jobs; salaries are as the graduates reported them, adjusted by NCES to 2022 dollars with the Consumer Price Index. Survey estimates have sampling error (the table lists standard errors) and fields shown are broad groups. The most recent class in this table graduated in 2015-16.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Where four-year students stand six years after starting

For first-time, full-time students who started a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college, what had happened six years later at the college where they started, by type of college, for the classes that entered in 2016 and 2011. “Transferred out” is reported only by colleges that must track it, so it is probably understated, and some students counted as no longer enrolled finished elsewhere.

Students who started in 2016

Students who started in 2011

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 326.15 (IPEDS graduation rates component; 2016 data provisional). Percentages are of each entering class and may not add to exactly 100 because of rounding. The table also reports results by sex, race and ethnicity, and how selective the college is; MajorPays shows only type of college. These are national figures for groups of colleges, not any one college.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

What students pay after grants, by family income and type of college

Average net price for one year (the published cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships) paid by first-time, full-time undergraduates who were awarded federal student aid, by family income, in 2021-22. Net price is much lower than the sticker price for lower-income families at public and private nonprofit colleges; the table does not give the number of students in each income group.

Four-year colleges

Two-year colleges

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 331.30 (IPEDS Student Financial Aid component; 2021-22 data provisional), current dollars. Net price here is for students awarded any federal (Title IV) aid, including students whose only aid was loans or work-study (students with no federal aid at all are not counted), and for the whole academic year as defined by each college. Averages describe groups, not any one college; each college’s own figures are on its MajorPays profile.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

The full cost of attending, by where students live

Average cost of attendance for one year in 2022-23 for first-time, full-time students: tuition and required fees, books, and the total including housing, food and other expenses, depending on where the student lives. This is the cost before grants and scholarships; the net price table above shows what students pay after them.

Four-year colleges

Two-year colleges

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.40 (IPEDS Institutional Characteristics; 2022-23 data are provisional), current dollars. Not all colleges offer on-campus housing, so on-campus totals describe colleges that do. Room, board and other expenses are estimates set by each college’s financial aid office, not bills. Public figures are for in-state students. Averages describe groups of colleges, not any one college.MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How many first-year students come back

Of first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduates who started in the fall, the percent who were enrolled at the same college the next fall, or who had already finished a short program there (the school years shown are the fall they started and the fall they returned). Returning is called retention; students who transferred elsewhere are counted as not retained.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 326.30 (IPEDS Fall Enrollment component, retention). Only selected years are published in this table. Rates describe groups of colleges; each college’s own retention rate is on its MajorPays profile. The table also gives part-time students and breaks four-year colleges down by how many applicants they accept; MajorPays does not show that breakdown here, nor two-year private nonprofit colleges (very few students).MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Student loans among graduates

Of people who finished an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, the share who ever borrowed to pay for school, and the average total borrowed by those who did, adjusted for inflation to 2022-23 dollars. Only four survey years exist in the published table.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 331.95, from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS: 2000, 2012, 2016, 2020); loans to students, including federal and private loans but not Parent PLUS loans; students attending institutions in Puerto Rico excluded; survey estimates have sampling error. Values are copied from the table and rounded (dollars to the nearest $10). MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Center for Education Statistics and the Census Bureau have not approved or endorsed this presentation. National averages describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Graduate students in science, engineering and health

How many students are enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs in science, engineering and health fields at U.S. colleges and universities each fall, and how many are in each broad group of fields. These are counts of students, not of degrees. Starting in 2017 most institutions reported master’s and doctoral students separately, so the table starts with 2017 and shows selected years.

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering 2024, data tables NSF 26-307, Table 1-1. Values are copied from the table. “Science” here includes fields such as the biological, computer and information, physical and social sciences; “health” covers fields such as clinical medicine and other health fields; fields outside science, engineering and health (for example business, education, humanities and the arts) are not counted. The survey covers institutions that grant research doctorates or master’s degrees in these fields. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Science Foundation has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.

How full-time graduate students mainly pay for science, engineering and health programs

For each full-time graduate student in these fields, the survey records the one source that provides the most support. The table shows the share of students whose main source is federal money (such as research grants and fellowships), the college itself (such as assistantships and fellowships it pays), other domestic sources, foreign sources, or their own resources (such as personal funds or loans). Part-time students are not included. The table shows selected years.

Source: U.S. National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering 2024, data tables NSF 26-307, Table 1-11. Percentages are as published and may not add to exactly 100 because of rounding. This is the main source for each student, so it understates all the support a student receives, and it describes these fields only. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the National Science Foundation has not approved or endorsed this presentation. National totals describe groups, not any one person or college. MajorPays does not provide advice.