Featured Reports

First Look: Cost of Attendance, Degrees Conferred, and 12-Month Enrollment

20 November 2018 In Featured Reports

First Look: Cost of Attendance, Degrees Conferred, and 12-Month Enrollment

By MacGregor Obergfell

The National Center for Education Statistics recently released a report providing the most recent data on cost of attendance, degrees conferred, and 12-month enrollment at Title IV-eligible postsecondary institutions. Among the findings:

  • In the 2017-18 academic year, there were 6,642 Title IV institutions: 2,902 Title IV four-year institutions, 1,932 Title IV two-year institutions, and 1,808 Title IV less than two-year institutions.
  • Across Title IV four-year institutions, average tuition and fees increased in the public and private nonprofit sectors, and decreased in the for-profit sector.
    • Average tuition and fees for public institutions increased by nearly 2% for both in-state and and out-of-state students, to $8,336 and $18,674 respectively. For private nonprofit institutions, tuition rose 3.3% to $27,963.
    • Average tuition and fees for private for-profit institutions decreased 1.5% to $16,200.
  • Across Title IV two-year institutions, average tuition and fees increased in the public and private nonprofit sectors, and decreased in the for-profit sector.
    • Average tuition and fees for public two-year institutions increased 3.0% (to $3,600) for in-district students, 2.7% (to $4,235) for in-state students, and 2.1% (to $8,186) for out-of-state students. Average tuition and fees for private nonprofit institutions increased 1.2% to $14,572.
    • Average tuition and fees at for-profit institutions decreased 1.7% to $14,749.
  • Approximately 3.3 million students earned a degree or certificate at a four-year Title IV institution. 58% of these credentials were bachelor’s degrees.
    • At public four-year institutions, 64% of credential earning students earned a bachelor’s degree, compared to 53% at private non-profit institutions, and 41% at for-profit institutions.
  • Institutions awarded nearly 5.0 million degrees or credentials in 2016-2017.
    • White students were conferred 2.7 million awards, Hispanic or Latino students 717,000 awards, Black or African American students 569,000 awards, and Asian students 289,000 awards
  • Unduplicated 12-month headcount was approximately 26.7 million students, comprising of 22.9 million undergraduate students and 3.8 million graduate students.
    • Full-time-equivalent enrollment totaled 16.2 million students, of which 14.1 million were undergraduate students and 2.1 million were graduate students.