Population Characteristics

Transcription

1 CURRENT POPULATION REPORTS Population Characteristics P by Rosalind R. Bruno and Andrea Curry U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

2 Acknowledgments This report was prepared in the Education and Social Stratification Branch of the Population Division, under the general direction of Jennifer C. Day, Chief. Overall direction was provided by Robert A. Kominski, Assistant Chief, Population Division. Data collection was conducted by Bureau of the Census field representatives, under the overall direction of Marvin D. Raines, Acting Chief, Field Division, Survey operations and data processing were coordinated by Ronald R. Tucker and James H. Warden, and programming of tabulations was performed by Randy J. Gardner, Demographic Surveys Division. D. Darcel Carter assisted with table and manuscript preparation. Arlene Saluter, Population Division, reviewed the contents of the report. Statistical review and appendix C were provided by G. Machell Town, Statistical Methods Division. The staff of the Administrative and Cusmer Services Division, Walter C. Odom, Chief, performed publication planning, design, composition, edirial review, and printing planning and procurement. Nelsa D. Brown provided publication coordination and editing.

3 CURRENT POPULATION REPORTS Population Characteristics P Issued September 1996 by Rosalind R. Bruno and Andrea Curry U.S. Department of Commerce Michael Kanr, Secretary Economics and Statistics Administration Everett M. Ehrlich, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs BUREAU OF THE CENSUS Martha Farnsworth Riche, Direcr

4 ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS ADMINISTRATION Economics and Statistics Administration Everett M. Ehrlich, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs BUREAU OF THE CENSUS Martha Farnsworth Riche, Direcr Bryant Benn, Deputy Direcr Paula J. Schneider, Principal Associate Direcr for Programs Nancy M. Gordon, Associate Direcr for Demographic Programs POPULATION DIVISION Louisa F. Miller, Acting Chief SUGGESTED CITATION Bruno, Rosalind R. and Andrea Curry, School Enrollment Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: Ocber 1994, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, P20 487, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washingn, DC, For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washingn, DC

5 iii Contents Page Highlights... School Enrollment in 1994: The Nation s Students... Preprimary Enrollment... Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment... High School Graduation and Access College... College Enrollment... Enrollment Figures Affected by Change in Census Base and Changes in Survey Instrument... Data Files Available... vii vii viii ix xii xiii xiii xvi FIGURES 1. School Enrollment by Level 1964, 1974, 1984, viii Year Old High School Graduates, Dropouts, and Students: xi 3. College Enrollment by Age and Type of College: xiv TEXT TABLES A. School Enrollment by Level: 1994, 1984, 1974 and viii B. Nursery School Enrollment, by Full-day and Public School Attendance, Race, and Hispanic Origin for Children 3 and 4 Years Old: 1994, 1984, and ix C. Elementary and High School Enrollment by Type of School and Ethnicity: 1994, 1984, 1974, and x D. Annual High School Dropout Rates: Ocber x E. Persons Years Old by High School Graduate Status, College Enrollment, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: 1994, 1984, and xii F. College Enrollment by Ethnicity: 1994 and xiii G. Characteristics of the College Population: Ocber xiv H. Full-time Enrollment by Age and Type of College: Ocber xv I. Enrollment by Age and Level: 1994, 1993 r, 1993 (Transition adjusted census base)... xv DETAILED TABLES 1. Enrollment Status of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Selected Educational Characteristics: Ocber Enrollment Status of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, by Age, Metropolitan Status, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Selected Educational Characteristics: Ocber Single Grade of Enrollment and High School Graduation Status for Persons 3 Years Old and Over, by Age (Single Years for 3 24 Years), Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber

6 iv 4. Preprimary School Enrollment of Persons 3 6 Years Old, by Residence, Mother s Labor Force Status and Education, Family Income, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Level of Enrollment Below College for Persons 3 24 Years Old, by Control of School, Metropolitan Status, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Enrollment Status of Primary Family Members 3 17 Years Old, by Family Income, Level of Enrollment, Control of School, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Enrollment Status of Primary Family Members 3 17 Years Old, by Educational Attainment of Family Householder, Level of Enrollment, Control of School, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Persons Years Old Enrolled in Secondary School in Previous Year by Current Enrollment Status, Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Family Income (for Dependent Family Members): Ocber College Enrollment of the Population 15 Years Old and Over, by Attendance Status, Type and Control of School, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Attendance Status of College Students 15 Years Old and Over, by Sex, Age, Year and Type of College, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Employment Status of High School and College Students 15 Years Old and Over, by Level of School, Type of College, Attendance Status, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Population 15 Years Old and Over Enrolled in Vocational Courses, by Employment Status, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Level of Enrollment of the Population 15 Years Old and Over, by Type of School, Attendance Status, Age, Sex, Marital Status, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Enrollment and Employment Status of Recent High School Graduates Years Old, by Type of School, Year of School, Attainment Level for Persons Not Enrolled, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Enrollment Status of Primary Family Members Years Old, by Family Income, Level of Enrollment, Type and Control of School, Attendance Status, Sex, Family Status, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Families by Full-Time College Enrollment of Dependent Members Years Old, by Family Income, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber Enrollment Status of Dependent Family Members Years Old, by Educational Attainment of Family Householder, Level of Enrollment, Attendance Status, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber College Enrollment This Year, by Enrollment Status Last Year, Attendance Status, Years of School Completed, Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for High School Graduates: Ocber Families With Children 5 17 Years Old by Enrollment Status in Kindergarten High School, by Control of School, Family Income, Metropolitan Status, Region, Type of Family, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber APPENDIXES A. Supplementary Tables... A-1 B. Definitions and Explanations... B-1 C. Source and Accuracy of the Estimates... C-1 APPENDIX TABLES A-1. A-2. School Enrollment of Persons 3 34 Years Old, by Level and Control of School, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber A-2 Percentage of Persons 3 34 Years Old Enrolled in School, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber A-7

7 v A-3. Persons 6 17 Years Old Enrolled Below Modal Grade: A-19 A-4. Annual High School Dropout Rates by Sex, Race, Grade, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber A-25 A-5. Persons Years Old by High School Graduate Status, College Enrollment, Attainment, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: Ocber A-29 A-6. Age Distribution of College Students 14 Years Old and Over, by Sex: Ocber A-37 A-7. College Enrollment of Students Years Old, by Type of College, Attendance Status, Age, and Sex: Ocber A-41 C-1. Description of the Current Population Survey... C-1 C-2. CPS Coverage Ratios... C-2 C Standard Errors of Estimated Numbers: or White... C-5 C Standard Errors of Estimated Numbers: Black or Other Races and Hispanic... C-6 C Standard Errors of Estimated Percentages... C-7 C Standard Error Parameters and Facrs for School Enrollment Ocber C-8 C-7. Facrs Calculate b Parameters Prior C-8 C-8. Regional Facrs Apply 1994 b Parameters... C-8

8 vii School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: Ocber 1994 (NOTE: The estimates for 1994 in this report are inflated national population controls by age, race, sex, and Hispanic origin. The population controls are based on results of the 1990 census and adjustment for undercount carried forward The 1994 data are not strictly comparable data for 1993 and earlier for two reasons: x The introduction of population controls based on the 1990 census, adjusted for the estimated undercount of 1.6 percent, had a pronounced effect on population levels in some age groups. Data for 1993 and previous were inflated population controls based on the 1980 census, without adjustments for undercount. x A major redesign of the CPS was implemented in January 1994, when the new electronic survey instrument in which all responses are entered directly in the computer by interviewers was introduced. Improved questioning using the computer may have contributed the increase in enrollment at some levels. Comparison of two sets of estimates for 1993 shown in the Appendix tables gives reason believe that the change in the survey instrument and the new population controls both contributed the higher estimated enrollment levels. All demographic surveys, including the CPS, suffer from undercoverage of the population, which results from missed housing units and missed persons within sample households. The overall CPS undercoverage is about 7 percent. Undercoverage varies with age, sex, and race. For some groups, such as year old Black males, the undercoverage is as high as about 35 percent. The weighting procedures used by the Census Bureau partially correct for the bias due undercoverage. However, its final impact on estimates is unknown. For details, see appendix C. Information on the Hispanic population shown in this report was collected in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, and therefore, does not include residents of Puer Rico.) HIGHLIGHTS (Figures shown in parentheses define 90 percent confidence intervals. For details of calculation, see Appendix C, Source and Accuracy of the Estimates. ) x In Ocber 1994, 69.3 (±.6) million persons were enrolled in regular school - nursery school through college. About 45.1 (±.1) million of those enrolled were between the traditional elementary and secondary school ages of 6 and 17. x About 8.1 (±.2) million children were enrolled in nursery school or kindergarten in 1994, (4.3 (±.2) million in nursery school and 3.9 (±.2) million in kindergarten) which was statistically different from the 7.2 (±.2) 1 million reported enrolled in the fall of x Elementary school enrollment (grades 1-8) sod at 31.5 (±.2) million persons, which was statistically different from the 30.6 (±.3) million reported one year earlier data are those reported in the previous report in this series, Current Population Report, Series P20-479, and are not adjusted for undercount. x High school enrollment talled 14.6 (±.2) million persons, up significantly from the 13.7 (±.2) million enrolled in the fall of x The annual high school dropout rate (from grades 10-12) for 1994 was statistically different from the 1993 figure: 5.0 (±.6) vs. 4.2 (±.6) percent. x The dropout pool (persons not enrolled and not a high school graduate) of young adults ages talled 3.4 (±.1) million or 13.3 (±.6) percent of this age group. This was different, numerically but not proportionately, from the 1993 values of 3.1 (±.1) million and 12.7 (±.5) percent. x The number of persons enrolled in college talled 15.0 (±.3) million, which was significantly different from the 13.9 (±.3) million enrolled one year before. About 6.1 (±.2) million college students, or 41 (±.1) percent, were 25 and over. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN 1994 This report presents detailed tabulations of data on school enrollment of the civilian noninstitutional population in Ocber It also presents summary time

9 viii Table A. School Enrollment by Level: 1994, 1984, 1974 and 1964 [Numbers in thousands] Level All students... 69,272 58,881 61,360 52,490 Nursery school... 4,259 2,354 1, Kindergarten... 3,863 3,484 3,252 2,830 Elementary... 31,512 26,838 31,126 31,734 High school... 14,616 13,900 15,522 12,812 College... 15,022 12,304 9,854 4,643 Note: For persons 3 old and over, except in 1964, for persons series data collected since the beginning of the survey. The data are from the Ocber school enrollment supplement the Current Population Survey (CPS). Data on school enrollment have been collected annually in the CPS since 1946 and reported in this publication series. The data cover enrollment in regular school, which includes nursery school, kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and college and professional school. Data are shown by the following characteristics: age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, family status, family income, education of the householder, labor force status, metropolitan residence, region, and mother s labor force status and education (for preprimary enrollment). The following enrollment characteristics are shown: level and grade of school, public/private school, full-time and part-time attendance, and two-year/four-year college. Vocational school enrollment is shown separately. The Nation s Students In Ocber 1994, 69.3 million people were enrolled in regular schools throughout the United States. This tal included 4.3 million children in nursery school and 3.9 million in kindergarten, 31.5 million in elementary school, 14.6 million people in high school, and 15.0 million in college. While elementary and high school are largely affected by population trends, preprimary and college enrollments are affected by changes in enrollment rates as well as by population trends. Nursery school increased 8 fold from , as shown in Table A and Figure 1. While the size of the eligible age group was not different in those two, the enrollment rate of 3 and 4 year olds rose from 9.5 percent 47.3 percent. Enrollment at the college level tripled in that period, caused by both increases in the eligible population and higher enrollment rates. Preprimary Enrollment About 61.0 percent (7,514,000) of children ages 3 5 old were enrolled in preprimary school in the fall of 1994 (Table 4). Among children 3 and 4 old 47.3

10 ix Table B. Nursery School Enrollment, by Full-day and Public School Attendance, Race, and Hispanic Origin, for Children 3 and 4 Years Old: 1994, 1984, 1974 [Numbers in thousands] Characteristic All races... 8,284 7,188 6,966 Enrolled nursery... 3,608 2,188 1,515 Percent enrolled Full-day... 1, Percent full-day Public school... 1, Percent public White... 6,509 5,782 5,804 Enrolled nursery... 2,881 1,777 1,273 Percent enrolled Full-day... 1, Percent full-day Public school... 1, Percent public Black... 1,343 1,131 1,029 Enrolled nursery Percent enrolled Full-day Percent full-day Public school Percent public Hispanic... 1, Enrolled nursery NA Percent enrolled NA Full-day NA Percent full-day NA Public school NA Percent public NA Note: Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. percent were enrolled. There was only a slight difference in enrollment rates for White 3- and 4-year-olds (47.0) and Black 3- and-4-year-olds (52.0 percent). The level for Hispanic children (who may be of any race) was significantly lower (30.8 percent). Given the availability of public kindergarten in all states, the vast majority of 5-year-olds were enrolled in school (95.0 percent). Nursery and preschool programs help young children become ready learn when they enter kindergarten and first grade. Since schooling at this level is not part of the regular public school system in most areas, it is not available all children because of the cost of attending privately operated schools. Although Head Start and other locally funded preschool programs are available children in low-income families, nursery school attendance is still linked income. About 57.0 percent of 3-and 4-year-olds from families with incomes of $40,000 or more attended nursery school in 1994 compared with 35.6 percent of those from families with incomes less than $20,000 (Table 4). Three-fourths of these lower-income nursery school students attended public schools compared with one-fifth of the higher-income students. Nursery school enrollment is also related the education and labor force participation of a child s mother. Children of mothers who were college graduates were substantially more likely than others attend 62.3 percent compared with 26.8 percent of children whose mothers did not finish high school. Children of mothers in the labor force were more likely attend nursery school than those whose mothers were not in the labor force (47.8 percent compared with 37.7 percent). Nursery school may provide child care for some families. Although the majority of nursery students attend part day, among children whose mothers worked full time, 60.1 percent attended full-time compared with 34.2 percent of those with mothers not in the labor force. Although Black and White children 3 and 4 old were not different in proportions attending nursery school (about 44 percent), Black children were more likely be in public programs two-thirds compared with one-third of Whites (Table B). Black children were also more likely than White children be enrolled full day. About 25.6 percent of Hispanic 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in nursery school and two-thirds of them attended public school. Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment About 31.5 million children were enrolled in elementary school (grades 1 through 8) in the fall of 1994 and about 14.6 million were enrolled at the high school level(grades 9 through 12) in Although both of these estimates were substantially above the reported 1993 figures, a significant proportion of the change was due revisions in the population base (Table I), particularly for elementary school, for which there was not a significant difference between the 1994 estimate and the revised 1993 estimate. enrollment in grades 1 12 was only slightly different in 1994 from enrollment thirty before 46.1 million students (3 34 old), compared with 44.5 (Table C). In the intervening period, tal enrollments had been both higher and lower. In 1970 as many as 48.7 million students were enrolled, whereas in 1984 the figure was only 40.6 million. Table A-1 shows single year estimates at all levels. Since change in elementary and high school enrollment is primarily a result of changes in births in earlier, the fluctuations in tal enrollment mask more significant changes at each level, as larger and smaller cohorts progress through the 12 of schooling. Given the nearly universal nature of schooling for young persons, the number of persons enrolled in elementary school closely parallels the size of the population 6 13 of age. Consequently, during the 1970 s and early 1980 s, elementary school enrollments declined from the 1964 level before rising again in the late 1980 s and 1990 s (Figure 1). While elementary school enrollment peaked around 1970, high school

11 x Table C. Elementary and High School Enrollment by Type of School and Ethnicity: 1994, 1984, 1974, and 1964 [Numbers in thousands. Persons 3 34 old] Race and ethnic group Elementary and high school Percent of tal enrolled All groups... 46,008 40,615 46,573 44, White, nonhispanic... 30,138 29,620 36,168 38, Black... 7,477 6,184 6,710 6, Hispanic... 6,004 3,350 2,956 NA NA Other races... 2,389 1, NA NA Note: White nonhispanic was derived by subtracting Hispanic population from White. See text. For 1964 the data are for tal White population and for the Black and other races population. enrollment reached its peak a few later. High school enrollment was higher in 1994 than in 1984 and 1964 but lower than in During the late 1970 s and 1980 s, the number of students in high school fell as the size of the population ages declined. Enrollment began rise again in the 1990 s. The general entrance and exit of the Baby-boom cohorts (born between 1946 and 1964) from the school age population had the greatest effect on enrollment numbers. The earliest of the group entered elementary school in about 1952, so their effect on intermediate grades and high school did not occur until several later. The cohorts of the baby-boom began entering high school around As they moved through the system, they were followed by cohorts from lower birth, sometimes referred as the Baby-bust. By the mid 1980 s those born in the early of the Echo-boom entered school. 2 Elementary enrollment peaked in the period , then declined a low in After that, enrollment began grow. High school enrollment experienced peaks and valleys a few later peaking in and reaching a trough in As of 1994, both levels were increasing slowly. This trend is expected continued for both groups in the near-term. The current projection of children ages 6 13 for the year 2000 is 32.1 million. 3 If enrollment rates for this age group remain stable, there will be at least a million more elementary students in 2000 than in Projections of year olds indicate that high school enrollments will continue rise throughout this decade, if enrollment rates remain the same. Public and Private School Enrollment. In the period, public and private enrollments followed different paths. While tal enrollment grew by only The echo boom is defined by the large increase in births beginning around 1977, which was due primarily the entrance of baby boom women (born ) in their prime childbearing. 3 Current Population Reports, Series P , Population Projections of the United States, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: percent, private school enrollment dropped 29.8 percent and public school enrollment grew 8.8 percent. In 1994, 10.7 percent of elementary students and 7.4 percent of high school students were enrolled in private school. Thirty before, 15.5 percent of elementary students and 11.0 percent of high school students attended private schools. Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Student Population. As Table C shows, in 1994 slightly less than two-thirds of elementary and high school enrollment was composed of White nonhispanic students 4 compared with slightly more than three-fourths twenty earlier. From , Black students rose from percent of all elementary and high school enrollment and students of other races from percent. Hispanic students rose from percent of all elementary and high school students. minority enrollment (persons other than White nonhispanic) rose from percent of all students. 4 White nonhispanic was estimated by subtracting the Hispanic origin population from the White population. In this survey over 95 percent of persons of Hispanic origin are also classified as White. Table D. Annual High School Dropout Rates: Ocber 1994 Characteristic Percent Male Female White Black Hispanic origin Family income Less than $20, $20,000 39, $40,000 and over th grade th grade th grade Note: Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

12 xi Modal Grade. Data on the modal grade of enrollment provide information on the proportion of children who are retained in grade (or held back) over their school career. There will always be some children enrolled below modal grade for their age, because children do not all start school at the same age. State laws differ on minimum enrollment age and some parents choose start their children later. State laws have also been changing in recent move the cut-off date forward in many States. This is seen in the youngest age group where about 18.9 percent of children 6 8 old were enrolled below the modal grade at the survey date, compared with 11.1 percent in 1971 (table A-3). In 1994, 30.9 percent of year-olds were enrolled below the modal grade for their age. That same cohort was 6 8 old in 1985, when 17.9 percent of them were below modal grade. Therefore, 13.0 percent were retained in grade between 1985 and Most retentions appeared have occurred early in elementary school; the largest increase occurred by ages 9 11, when 28.4 percent were enrolled below the mode. Over the shown in table A-3, from , the proportion below modal grade has increased for each age group. Boys have been starting school a little later than girls. More male children than female were below mode at age percent vs percent in Boys also have a significantly higher rate of retention as they age. By age in 1994, 35.7 percent of them, compared with 24.8 percent of girls, were below modal grade. White, Black, and Hispanic students were not significantly different in the proportion of the youngest cohort below the modal grade in Of yearold students, however, 29.6 percent of Whites, 37.7 percent of Blacks, and 39.9 percent of Hispanics were enrolled below the mode. (The latter two were not significantly different from each other.) High School Dropouts. During the one-year period from Ocber 1993 Ocber 1994, about 382,000, or 5.0 percent, of all students in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade dropped out of high school. 5 While this overall national dropout rate is considerably lower than the level of 6.7 percent just twenty earlier (see Table A-3), variations among different subpopulations continue. The data in Table D show that for 1994 the high school dropout rate of 4.7 percent for Whites is not statistically different from the Black rate of 6.2 percent, but is different from the Hispanic rate of 9.2 percent. 5 The annual high school dropout rate was first presented in Current Population Reports, Series P20-413, School Enrollment Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: Ocber Details of its calculation are presented in that report, as well as in Appendix B, Definitions and Explanations, of this report.

13 xii (The Black and Hispanic rates are not statistically different from each other.) The rates for men and women, at 4.9 and 5.1 percent, respectively, are not statistically different from each other. Across family income groups there were differences in dropout rates. While 8.4 percent of high school students in families with incomes below $20,000 dropped out of high school in the past year, just 1.4 percent of those in families with incomes of $40,000 or more left school before graduation. A different measure of high school dropouts is the proportion of persons who are no longer enrolled and have not completed high school. This dropout pool measure is some extent a summary of the year-year dropout rates (and re-enrollments) over the life of a cohort. Data from Table A-5 show that among persons ages old in 1994, 3.4 million (13.3 percent) were high school dropouts; this is a significant decrease from the level of twenty earlier when 4.1 million (15.9 percent) were dropouts. Men and women were different in their proportions of dropouts (14.4 vs percent). While Blacks had a somewhat higher proportion of dropouts than Whites in 1994 (15.5 vs percent), the level for Hispanics remained highest at 34.7 percent. High School Graduation and Access College One of the goals of the education community is access higher education for all persons. The first step in meeting this goal is similarity in high school graduation rates for different groups. Tables E and A-5 show the proportions of young adults who have completed high school and the proportions of those high school graduates who go on college. In the 20 these data have been available for all groups, the proportion of year-olds who were high school graduates did not change, but the proportion of those graduates enrolled in college increased significantly. In 1994, 81.5 percent of all year-olds were high school graduates and 42.4 percent of those graduates were enrolled in college (Figure 2). In 1974, the comparable figures were 80.7 percent and 30.5 percent respectively. Over the past two decades, the proportion of Black year-olds who were high school graduates increased significantly from 67.1 percent in percent in There was no change for Whites (82.6 percent in 1994). Thus the gap between the two groups was cut significantly, from 15.6 percentage points in percentage points in For Hispanics there was not a statistically significant improvement. Their high school completion rate remained far below the other groups at 56.6 percent. The proportion of persons in this age group who were high school dropouts improved from 25.1 percent 15.5 percent for Blacks and from 14.5 percent 12.7 percent for Whites over the twenty year period. Although differences remained, the gap between Blacks and Whites had narrowed. Among Hispanics, 34.7 percent were dropouts in 1994, not different from 20 earlier. In 1994, men and women were not significantly different in the proportion of high school graduates who were enrolled in college (41.6 vs.43.1 percent respectively). Twenty earlier enrollment rates were lower for both groups (34.7 vs percent) and women were much less likely than men continue their education in college. Table E. Persons Years Old by High School Graduate Status, College Enrollment, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: 1994, 1984, and 1974 [Numbers in thousands] Race and year All persons Percent Percent of highschool graduates enrolled in college High school graduates Dropouts Male Female All races , , , White , , , Black , , , Hispanic origin , , , Note: Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

14 xiii Table F. College Enrollment by Ethnicity: 1994 and 1974 [Numbers in thousands] Year, race, and ethnicity In the twenty-year period, college enrollment rates increased for both genders and both races. However, while the difference in enrollment rates between women and men disappeared, the difference between races remained (Table E). In 1994, 42.7 percent of White high school graduates and 35.5 percent of Black high school graduates were enrolled in college. For the Hispanic origin population, there has not been significant change (33.2 percent in 1994). College Enrollment Persons old All persons Enrolled college college enrollment 1994 Number... 25,254 8,729 15,022 Percent White-nonHispanic Black Hispanic origin Other Number... 25,670 6,316 9,852 Percent White-nonHispanic Black Hispanic origin Other Note: White-nonHispanic was derived by subtracting Hispanic origin from White. In Ocber 1994, 15.0 million persons were enrolled in colleges across the nation; this was statistically different from the 13.9 million who were enrolled in the fall of A significant portion (up half) of the increase, particularly for students under 25 old, can be attributed the revision in population estimates based on the 1990 census take account of the undercount (Table I). The transition estimates based on the adjusted 1990 census did not affect enrollment figures for older students, but part of the approximately 562,000 student increase may be attributed improved interviewing techniques. While the traditional college age population (persons ages 18 24) has declined since the early 1980 s (with a tal decline of 3.7 million between 1980 and 1994), the tal number of college students rose by 3.6 million, largely reflecting the increase in college enrollment by persons ages 25 and older. Although the college enrollment rates of the White nonhispanic population of traditional college age has remained higher than for other groups (table A-5), the proportion of all college students who are minorities (not White nonhispanic) increased from 15.4 percent 26.5 percent between 1974 and 1994 (Table F). This result reflects the increased proportion of the college age population that is minority, from 19.6 percent 34.1 percent of year-olds. About half of the increase in college enrollment has been among minorities. Figure 3 and Table G detail some of the basic characteristics of college students in 1994, illustrating the diverse nature of this population. About 40.9 percent of all college students were age 25 or older, including 33.1 percent of undergraduates and 77.8 percent of graduate students. In 1974, students 35 old and above were just 10.4 percent of all college students; by 1994 they represented 18.1 percent. Women accounted for 55 percent of all college students in 1994, continuing the majority role they have occupied since Just twenty ago, women constituted only 45.2 percent of all college students. The age and gender data in Table A-6 illustrate the fact that much of the older student enrollment is also enrollment by women. In 1994, among students 35 and over, 64.8 percent were women, compared with 53.4 percent in Among all college students, women were more likely than men be enrolled in two-year colleges, and be enrolled part time. Finally, 62.9 percent of all college students were employed either full- or part-time. With 12.4 million students enrolled at the undergraduate level, 66.1 percent were enrolled in four-year institutions. The majority of students (63.7 percent) were enrolled full-time, and 77.8 percent were enrolled in a public college or university. For many persons, college enrollment must be negotiated not only with respect financial cost, but among many life-cycle facrs as well, such as marriage, building a family, and establishing a career. Table H shows the proportion of students attending full-time at two-year and four-year institutions, by the age of the student. In general, a much larger proportion of students at fouryear schools attend full-time, but there is also a strong relationship between age and full-time attendance. While 88.6 percent of traditional age college students in fouryear schools are attending full-time, just 28.8 percent of persons age 35 or older in two-year schools are full-time students. Enrollment Figures Affected by Change in Census Base and Change in Survey Instrument. Two changes occurred between the 1993 and 1994 data collections that may affect comparability of the data changing the survey weights be based on the 1990 census, including an adjustment for undercount, rather than on the 1980 census, as enumerated, (used from ), and moving from a paper and pencil

15 xiv Table G. Characteristics of the College Population: Ocber 1994 [Number in thousands] Characteristics population Enrolled in college Type of college Percent employed 2 year college 4 year college Graduate school Percent enrolled full-time Percent in public school Full-time Part-time ,148 15,022 4,208 8,202 2, Male... 96,565 6,764 1,704 3,823 1, Female ,582 8,258 2,504 4,379 1, White ,874 12,222 3,368 6,680 2, Black... 23,594 1, , Hispanic origin... 18,751 1, old... 17,971 3,201 1,063 2, and 21 old... 6,981 3, , old... 11,327 2, , old... 41,117 3,419 1,011 1,270 1, old and over ,752 2, Note: Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. survey a computer assisted survey. The new interviewing mode allowed for fewer errors by interviewers, improved questionnaire completion, and it probably enhanced the quality of the data. The differences between 1993 and 1994 enrollment figures reflect the more recent census base, the new instrument, and real change. Table I shows 1994 and 1993 data as reported, and 1993 data that were retabulated using the new 1990 census based population controls used in inflating ( weighting ) the survey results national tals. These bridge data illustrate the impact of the introduction of the new weights on enrollment estimates. Columns 4 and 6 show change in reported data for 1993 and Columns 5 and 7 eliminate the effect due revisions in censusbased estimates and show change due instrument change and real change.

16 xv Table H. Full-time Enrollment by Age and Type of College: Ocber 1994 [Numbers in thousands] Age All colleges 2-year college 4-year college Graduate school students Percent full-time students Percent full-time students Percent full-time students Percent full-time... 15, , , , old... 8, , , old... 3, , , , old and over... 2, Table I. Enrollment by Age and Level: 1994, 1993 r, 1993 (Transition adjusted census base) [Numbers in thousands] Characteristics Number Change Percent change r r r -94 POPULATION 3 and over , , ,232 5,054 2, and ,284 8,253 8, and ,017 7,802 7, ,944 26,770 26, ,919 14,296 13,837 1, ,254 25,522 24,100 1,154 (268) ,117 41,550 41, (433) and over , , ,206 1,546 2, ENROLLED 3 and over... 69,272 67,055 65,363 3,909 2, and ,917 3,307 3, and ,752 7,438 7, ,768 26,635 26, ,414 13,782 13,350 1, ,037 9,958 9, ,538 3,293 3, and over... 2,845 2,642 2, LEVEL (3 34 old) All enrolled... 66,427 64,414 62,730 3,697 2, Nursery school... 4,259 3,032 3,018 1,241 1, Kindergarten... 3,863 4,275 4,180 (317) (412) Elementary... 31,487 31,219 30, High school... 14,521 13,989 13, College (15 )... 15,022 14,394 13,898 1, ,879 8,760 8, and over... 6,144 5,633 5, Below college (3 34 old) White... 42,528 41,354 40,620 1,908 1, Black... 8,860 8,480 8, Hispanic... 7,003 6,619 5,822 1, College (15 old and over) White... 12,222 11,735 11, Black... 1,800 1,599 1, Hispanic... 1,187 1, Note: Columns designated 1993r contain data collected in Ocber 1993, reprocessed using 1990 census based weights, including adjustment for undercount. Table I reveals that the shift controls based on the 1990 census and adjustment caused a substantial increase in the population under age 25, which, in turn, is reflected in increased enrollment in elementary school, high school, and college. The increased specificity of the basic enrollment question for 3--5-year-olds on the computer assisted questionnaire may have contributed the largest singleyear change for that question in the hisry of this survey. Reported nursery school enrollment increased 40 percent from The enrollment rate of 3

17 xvi and 4 year olds also increased significantly (from 40.4 percent enrolled 47.3 percent). Beginning in 1994 (on the computer assisted questionnaire), the question for children 3 5 old was Is...attending or enrolled in nursery school, kindergarten or elementary school? In the surveys conducted before 1994, the question for all children 3 14 old was Is... attending or enrolled in school? The interviewer could explain that school includes nursery school, kindergarten, elementary school, and high school, but that information was not on the questionnaire. The 1994 question for older children was the same as in earlier. A significant proportion of the increase in college enrollment was due the change in population controls, primarily an increased number of students under 25 old. The remainder was due an increased enrollment rate among older students, which may have been influenced by improved questioning of older persons in the computer assisted interview, but such an effect cannot be quantified. DATA FILES AVAILABLE The time series tabulations of enrollment shown in tables A1 through A7 in appendix A are now available on floppy disk for $20 from the Statistical Information Office, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Washingn, DC ( ). The package is also available on the INTERNET ( Click on Subjects A Z, then School Enrollment for a table of contents listing hisrical tables and recent data. Tables may be transferred from the Census Bureau FTP area.

18 Table 1. Enrollment Status of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Selected Educational Characteristics: Ocber Enrolled in school Not enrolled in school Age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin Below college level 1 In college High school graduate Not high school graduate Population Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent ALL RACES Both sexes, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over Male, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over Female, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over WHITE Both sexes, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over Male, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over See footnotes at end of table. TIPSII [UPF] TIP774 DSOCT / 24/ 96 1:16 PM MACHINE: D DATA:DSOCT94*PUBIDB. 05/ 31/ 96 09:14:58 TAPE: NONE FRAME: 1

19 2 Table 1. Enrollment Status of the Population 3 Years Old and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, Hispanic Origin, and Selected Educational Characteristics: Ocber 1994 Con. Enrolled in school Not enrolled in school Age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin Below college level 1 In college High school graduate Not high school graduate Population Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent WHITE Con. Female, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over BLACK Both sexes, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over Male, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over Female, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over HISPANIC ORIGIN 2 Both sexes, 3 old and over old and 4 old and 6 old old old and 15 old and 17 old and 19 old and 21 old old old old old and over old old old and over See footnotes at end of table. TIPSII [UPF] TIP774 DSOCT / 24/ 96 1:16 PM MACHINE: D DATA:DSOCT94*PUBIDB. 05/ 31/ 96 09:14:58 TAPE: NONE FRAME: 2