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Racial and Ethnic Distribution of Students Among Higher-Education Sectors, Fall 2016

Almanac 2018
August 19, 2018

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and black college students in the fall of 2016 were more likely to attend four-year for-profit institutions than were other racial and ethnic groups. Nearly 43 percent of all Hispanic college students were enrolled in two-year public institutions, and nearly as large a percentage attended four-year public institutions. While more than 20 percent of students over all attended four-year private nonprofit institutions, Hispanics were underrepresented there, with less than 12 percent of all Hispanic students enrolled in that sector. American Indians were also less likely than other students to be enrolled at four-year private nonprofit institutions.

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Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and black college students in the fall of 2016 were more likely to attend four-year for-profit institutions than were other racial and ethnic groups. Nearly 43 percent of all Hispanic college students were enrolled in two-year public institutions, and nearly as large a percentage attended four-year public institutions. While more than 20 percent of students over all attended four-year private nonprofit institutions, Hispanics were underrepresented there, with less than 12 percent of all Hispanic students enrolled in that sector. American Indians were also less likely than other students to be enrolled at four-year private nonprofit institutions.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


Number enrolled in each sector

Racial, ethnic,
or other group
Total4-year
public
4-year
private
nonprofit
4-year
for-profit
2-year
public
2-year
private
nonprofit
2-year
for-profit
All 19,840,765 8,741,896 4,027,240 981,633 5,841,076 50,308 198,612
Nonresident alien 996,311 542,056 339,676 20,851 90,623 997 2,108
American Indian 135,790 53,589 18,293 7,372 53,308 1,154 2,074
Asian 1,197,810 584,005 234,794 30,825 339,990 1,274 6,922
Black 2,437,046 921,688 441,724 238,497 762,579 16,596 55,962
Hispanic 3,272,883 1,334,235 377,450 114,825 1,393,804 6,265 46,304
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 50,098 17,978 9,639 5,436 15,721 266 1,058
White 10,141,348 4,708,411 2,210,516 359,441 2,775,351 21,067 66,562
2 or more races 635,992 301,779 116,695 24,052 187,036 1,293 5,137

Distribution of enrollment by sector

Racial, ethnic,
or other group
4-year
public
4-year
private
nonprofit
4-year
for-profit
2-year
public
2-year
private
nonprofit
2-year
for-profit
All 44.1% 20.3% 4.9% 29.4% 0.3% 1.0%
Nonresident alien 54.4% 34.1% 2.1% 9.1% 0.1% 0.2%
American Indian 39.5% 13.5% 5.4% 39.3% 0.8% 1.5%
Asian 48.8% 19.6% 2.6% 28.4% 0.1% 0.6%
Black 37.8% 18.1% 9.8% 31.3% 0.7% 2.3%
Hispanic 40.8% 11.5% 3.5% 42.6% 0.2% 1.4%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 35.9% 19.2% 10.9% 31.4% 0.5% 2.1%
White 46.4% 21.8% 3.5% 27.4% 0.2% 0.7%
2 or more races 47.5% 18.3% 3.8% 29.4% 0.2% 0.8%

Note: All racial/ethnic categories are mutually exclusive; the Department of Education counts Hispanic and nonresident alien students as part of distinct racial or ethnic categories. The 973,487 students whose race was unknown are not shown in the table, but they are included in the total figures. “Nonresident alien” is the U.S. government’s term for non-U.S. citizens, or foreign nationals, without permanent-resident status to live in the United States. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data

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A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in this Students: Almanac 2018 package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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