Enrollment Change From Previous Year, by Sector, Fall 2017 to Spring 2019

The four-year private nonprofit sector showed enrollment gains in the past year, bucking a downward trend. The increase, however, can largely be attributed to the conversion of Grand Canyon University from for-profit to nonprofit status in 2018. By contrast, enrollment in the shrinking four-year for-profit sector fell even more sharply in the fall of 2018 and the spring of 2019 than it had in the previous fall and spring.

Note: The chart shows the 12-month percentage change (fall to fall and spring to spring) for each term over the past two years. Data are limited to degree-granting institutions in the United States that are eligible to participate in Title IV federal student-aid programs. Two-year private nonprofit and two-year for-profit institutions are not shown separately because of small counts, but enrollment for those sectors is included in the overall total. Ninety-seven percent of the enrollment covered in this chart was drawn from figures submitted by institutions; the remainder was estimated. International students were excluded. More enrollment data can be found here. Questions or comments on Almanac should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, “Current Term Enrollment Estimates: Spring 2019"

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