“First Look (Preliminary Data)”
After years of expansion, overall college enrollment dropped slightly in fall 2011, according to new numbers posted by the federal government this month.
According to the report, which is based on preliminary data for 7,400 higher education institutions, nearly 18.62 million undergraduates were enrolled in college in the fall of last year, compared with 18.65 million the previous year.
While enrollment at four-year colleges grew by 1.2 percent, to 13.5 million, it fell at two-year schools by 2.4 percent, to 7.7 million.
Private nonprofit schools gained about 2 percent, rising to nearly 4 million students in fall 2011. For-profits lost nearly 3 percent, with 2.4 million attending those institutions.
