Economix: College Enrollment Fell Slightly in 2010

The share of recent high school graduates enrolled in college by the October after their graduation fell slightly in 2010, according to a new report from the Labor Department.

Of the high school class of 2010, 68.1 percent of graduates were enrolled in college by October. The comparable share for the previous year’s high school class was 70.1 percent.

Both classes, however, had higher college enrollment rates than those from previous decades:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

As you can see, the portion of high school graduates who go immediately into college has been rising over the years, largely because of the influx of women into the nation’s institutions of higher learning. Last year, the college enrollment rate among women who were recent high school graduates was 74 percent, and for men it was 62.8 percent.

More temporary factors — like the business cycle or a military draft — also appear to affect young people’s decisions to go college. For example, the weak economy may help explain why a record share of high school graduates chose to enroll in college in 2009.

Last year there were again great disparities in college enrollment among the various ethnic groups. Students of Asian heritage had the highest rate of college enrollment among new high school graduates, at 85 percent. This group was followed by white students (68.6 percent), black students (61.4 percent) and Hispanic students (59.6 percent).

Among all recent high school graduates enrolled in college, the unemployment rate was 22.8 percent. The unemployment rate was higher for those who had not enrolled in college, at 33.4 percent. Remember, though, that jobless rates reflect only those people who are actively looking for work.

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