Graduate Enrollment Across Sectors

Most 2019–20 graduate students were enrolled at either public four-year universities (46.6 percent) or private nonprofit four-year universities (43.9 percent). Only 9.5 percent of all graduate students were enrolled at for-profit institutions. However, there was considerable variation across racial and ethnic groups.  

  • Among Black or African American students, 40.8 percent were enrolled at private four-year institutions, 37.9 percent at public four-year institutions, and 21.6 percent at for-profit institutions.  
  • International students had the lowest share of enrollment at for-profit institutions (1.3 percent). 
  • The shares of students enrolled at public four-year institutions ranged from about 37 percent of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students to 50.3 percent of international students. The shares enrolled at private nonprofit four-year institutions ranged from about 36 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native students to 48.7 percent of Asian students. 
Graduate Enrollment Across Sectors, by Race and Ethnicity: 2019-20

Report Links

Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: 2024 Status Report
Chapter Three: Enrollment in Graduate Education

Chapter Three Report Download (PDF) 919 KB
Chapter Three Data Tables Download (XLSX) 144 KB

Source

Data from U.S. Department of Education, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2020.

Note:
The report used the 2018 Basic classification as that was the one available at the time of data analysis.

Data reflect graduate enrollment at public four-year, private nonprofit four-year, and for-profit institutions.Institutions were categorized into sectors based upon control of the institution and the length of the predominant award granted.Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Data for for the following should be interpreted with caution. Ratio of standard error to estimate is >30 percent but <50 percent.

  • American Indian or Alaska Native, Private Nonprofit Four-Year

  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Public Four-Year

  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Private Nonprofit Four-Year

Data for the following should be interpreted with caution. Ratio of standard error is >50 percent.

  • American Indian or Alaska Native, For-Profit

  • Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, For-Profit