The trend toward continuous expansion of U.S. post-secondary enrollments was reversed in the 2010s. Using pooled state-level data in between-within models, we examine public higher education enrollment trends during the 2009-2019 period. We emphasize variation in the net associations of covariates by tiers. State economic conditions showed…

The world is rapidly becoming more educated at higher education level. In nearly all countries with per capita GDP of more than about $5,000 per annum there is a long-term tendency to growth of participation. The worldwide Gross Tertiary Enrollment Ratio (GTER) increased from 10% in 1972 to 32% in 2012, and is now rising by 1% a year. By 2012 the…

Several wealthy colleges and universities have recently begun removing all loans from low-income students' financial aid packages. This article reports on a study that found that the introduction of "no-loan" policies has positively impacted low-income enrollments, suggesting that this aid strategy may be an effective, though limited,…

In today's increasingly diverse society, the legitimacy and strength of the democratic form of government depends on equitable access to graduate and professional education for individuals from all races and ethnicities. Yet, despite recent increases in enrollment, students of color remain severely underrepresented in graduate and professional…

Reviews recent empirical evidence on the impact of price changes on individual demand for higher education. The evidence suggests that both low tuition and student grants do stimulate increases in enrollment. However, the student aid induced enrollment response is relatively low and the cost peradditional student may be very high. (Editor/JT)

Analysis of national data on intended majors and degrees received and four major longitudinal studies of freshmen indicates a modest decline in segregation of the sexes in academic specialization during the college years, despite attrition of women from mathematics and science, partially reflecting social trends. (Author/MSE)

Three enrollment patterns are identified from longitudinal data: (1) high school cohort enrollment rates have stabilized but differ by race, sex, and institution type; (2) a reported talent loss of high-ability males is not confirmed; and (3) colleges, especially four-year, help to equalize access to education. (Author/MSE)

Transfer rates from community colleges to four-year colleges, based on two nationally representative longitudinal studies, reveal transfer has declined substantially for all student groups. Because there are many different explanations for the trend, current efforts to improve articulation between the sectors neglect several important causes of…

A study investigated the determinants affecting the number of out-of-state students coming to New York colleges and universities. The analysis, based on 1986 New York migration data, provides evidence that student migrants' home state characteristics (education policies, test scores, per capita income, admission rate, age cohort size, geographic…

Data from a national higher-education database were used to analyze gender inequality among bachelor's-degree recipients. Women continue to receive degrees from institutions that fall below average on several criteria. However, gender differences are small and accounted for by women's relative absence from selective engineering programs and…