The National Student Clearinghouse recently published the latest installment in their biannual report series, Current Term Enrollment Estimates (CTEE). Published every December and May, this series provides the most recent national postsecondary enrollment estimates by institutional sector, enrollment intensity, age group, gender, and major field, as well as state-level enrollment estimates. As of Fall 2018, the postsecondary institutions actively submitting enrollment data to the Clearinghouse account for 97 percent of the total enrollments at Title IV, degree-granting institutions in the U.S. This Fall 2020 CTEE provides estimated postsecondary enrollment numbers that are based on the Clearinghouse universe of institutions, after accounting for data coverage rates. Recent trends are highlighted below.
- Overall, postsecondary enrollments declined 2.5 percent in fall 2020. This rate is nearly twice the rate of enrollment decline reported in fall 2019. The primary driver for this decline is undergraduate enrollment which has decreased 3.6 percent from 2019.
- The public two-year sector suffered the most from enrollment decline this fall while all other major institutional sectors had more positive enrollment outcomes. Public two-year institutions recorded enrollment losses of over 10.1% over last year.
- In fall 2020, graduate enrollment increased by over 98,800 students, or 3.6 percent from the previous fall. These graduate enrollment increases were evident across all institutional sectors, with the largest increase being recorded at public four-year institutions (4.6% increase).
- Private nonprofit four-year institutions saw slight declines of approximately 3,400 students (or 0.1%).
- Public four-year institutions saw enrollment increases of 0.2 percent, an increase of 14,300 students from last fall. This increase is driven by the growth in graduate enrollment and undergraduate-level certificate or other non-degree enrollments.
- Private for-profit four-year institutions grew by 5.3 percent over the last year and was the only sector that demonstrated an enrollment growth at both the undergraduate and graduate degree levels.
- First-time student enrollment rates have declined by 13.1 percent, overall. The sharp declines at public two-year institutions (21% decrease) were a main contributor to the decline. Private nonprofit four-year colleges also saw declines of first-time student enrollment in the double-digits (10.5% decrease). Public four-year institutions saw first-time student enrollment decreases of 8.1%. Private for-profit institutions showed an increase in first-time student enrollment of 9.5%.
- Unlike spring 2020, when dual enrollments grew by 6.9 percent, fall 2020 saw a decrease in the growth rate of dual enrollees by 0.8%. Public four-year institutions compromised 30.5 percent of all dual enrollments in fall 2020.
