Women are projected to make up 57 percent of undergraduate enrollment in 2008.

Total undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions has generally increased since 1970. This increase has been accompanied by changes in the proportions of students who are female, students who attend full time, students who attend 4-year institutions, and students who attend public institutions. Overall enrollment is projected to reach 15.6 million students in 2008 and 17.0 million in 2017 (see table 9-1). The number of students enrolled part and full time, the number at 2- and 4-year institutions, the number at public and private institutions, and the number of male and female undergraduates are all projected to reach a new high each year from 2007 to 2017.

From 1970 to 2006, women’s undergraduate enrollment increased over three times as fast as men’s, surpassing men’s enrollment in 1978. In this period, women’s enrollment rose from 3.2 to 8.7 million (an increase of 178 percent), while men’s rose from 4.3 to 6.5 million (an increase of 53 percent). From 2007 to 2017, both men’s and women’s undergraduate enrollments are projected to increase, with women maintaining 57 percent of total enrollment.

Though full-time enrollment was higher than part-time enrollment from 1970 to 2006, part-time enrollment increased over five times as fast as full-time enrollment in the 1970s (from 28 to 40 percent), before stabilizing from 1980 to 1999. From 2000 to 2006, full-time enrollment grew almost three times as fast as part-time enrollment, from 60 to 63 percent, where it is expected to remain from 2007 to 2017.

Undergraduate enrollment has been larger at 4-year institutions than at 2-year institutions since 1970, yet 2-year enrollment increased more rapidly than 4-year enrollment in the 1970s (from 31 to 42 percent), before leveling off from 1980 to 1999. From 2000 to 2006, 4-year enrollment grew over twice as fast as 2-year enrollment, from 55 to 57 percent, where it is expected to remain from 2007 to 2017.

Enrollment at public institutions has been higher than at private institutions from 1970 to 2006. Public enrollment increased almost four times as fast as private enrollment in the 1970s (from 76 to 80 percent), before stabilizing from 1980 to 1999. From 2000 to 2006, private enrollment grew over twice as fast as public enrollment (from 20 to 22 percent). Public enrollment is expected to remain at 78 percent from 2007 to 2017.