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 Fast Facts 

Click here to download the 2010 Fact Sheet. (PDF)
Data are derived from the most current information available as of December 2009.

Number and Type of Colleges

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,173

Public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987

Independent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Tribal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

 

Headcount Enrollment

Fall 2007 total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.8 million

Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.8 million*

Noncredit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 million

Enrolled full time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%

Enrolled part time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60%


Estimated enrollment increase fall 2007 - fall 2009: 6.8 million to 8 million (16.9%)**

 

Demographics

Average age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

21 or younger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46%

22–39. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%

40 or older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16%

Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56%

Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44%

Minorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%

Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14%

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15%

Asian/Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7%

Native American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1%

More than one race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2%

First generation to attend college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42%

Single parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16%

Non-U.S. citizens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7%

 

Community college students constitute the following percentages of undergraduates:

All U.S. undergraduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43%*

First-time freshmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40%

Native American . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52%

Asian/Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45%

Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45%

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53%

 

Employment Status

Full-time students employed full time . . . . . . . . . .21%

Full-time students employed part time . . . . . . . . . 59%

Part-time students employed full time . . . . . . . . . 40%

Part-time students employed part time . . . . . . . . .47%


Percentage of Federal Aid Received by Community Colleges

Pell Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30%

Campus-based aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9%

Academic competitiveness grants . . . . . . . . .14%

 

Average Annual Tuition and Fees

Community colleges (public) . . . . . . . . . $2,544

4-year colleges (public) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$7,020

 

Degrees and Certificates Awarded

Associate degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 605,267

Certificates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325,452

Bachelor’s degrees—awarded by 31 public and 52 independent colleges

 

Data are derived from the most current information available as of December 2009.
  * Most current IPEDS data (fall 2007)
** Estimate based on 2009 AACC Survey

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