Research Review: Four-Year College Growth Has Been Steady
Four-Year College Growth Has Been Steady
Four-year colleges and universities’ fall enrollments have
experienced steady growth since 1995 according to data obtained
from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1995, 1.90 million students
arrived at four-year campuses (Chart 1). Thirteen years
later, the freshmen ranks ballooned 420 thousand (22 percent) to
register 2.32 million.
The five-year relative growth reached double digits between 1995
and 2000 and then slowed from 2000 to 2005. The pace again
picked up as the three-year expansion from 2005 to 2008 already
reached five percent.
It will be interesting to examine the fall 2009 enrollment figure when available. Will it reflect a negative impact due to scarcer family financial resources? Or will joblessness give people an opportunity or reason to go to college? One thing is for certain, the economy, like many other factors, is outside the control of college campuses. This means four-year institutions must adapt to keep up with an ever-changing landscape.
