Fast Facts

Question:
What proportion of students enrolled in postsecondary education have a disability?

Response:
Eleven percent of undergraduates reported having a disability in 2003�. Among students reporting a disability, one-fourth reported an orthopedic condition, 22 percent reported a mental illness or depression, and 17 percent reported a health impairment. Women and men differed somewhat in the types of disabilities they reported. Women were more likely than men to report mental illness/depression and health impairments, while men were more likely to report attention deficit disorders. Independent students were more likely than dependent students to report any disabilities (14 vs. 9 percent)

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003� (NCES 2006-184).

¹ Includes students who reported having a 搇ong-lasting� condition such as blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment; a condition that limits 搊ne or more of the basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying� or who responded they had any other physical, mental, or emotional condition that lasted 6 or more months and who had difficulty doing one of the following five activities: getting to school, getting around campus, learning, dressing, or working at a job.
² Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003� (NCES 2006-184).

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2006, Digest of Education Statistics 2005, Table 210. Number and percentage of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, by level, disability status, and selected student characteristics: 2003-04
  
• 2003, The Condition of Education 2003: Services and Accommodations for Students With Disabilities
  
• 2000, Percentage of graduate and first-professional students with disabilities, percentage distribution of students with disabilities according to main disability, by degree program: 1999�00
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2002, Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 1999�00
  
• 2000, Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: Enrollment, Services, and Persistence