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Undergraduate Profile

Enrollment statistics at a glance

Undergraduate enrollment increased 3 percent, or 9,787 students, from fall 2009 to fall 2010. In fall 2011 there was a 3 percent decrease, or loss of 10,212 undergraduates enrolled from the previous fall. Most of this occurred at public two-year community and technical colleges and private career schools.

Over the past decade; however, most undergraduate enrollment growth has occurred at public two-year community and technical colleges, and private career schools. One half of all undergraduates are now enrolled at these institutions compared to 4-year institutions (University of Minnesota, state universities, and private colleges).

Note: Undergraduate data in this section does not include high school students who were concurrently enrolled in high school and a postsecondary institution through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program.

Undergraduates Enrolled by Type of Minnesota Institution

*These online institutions (Capella University and Walden University) have their headquarters in Minnesota and report their nation-wide enrollment. The majority of their students are from out of state.

**Some private graduate schools offer limited undergraduate programs.

Undergraduate Enrollment at Minnesota Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 1980 to Fall 2011

Characteristics of Undergraduates, Fall 2011

• 73 percent of all students enrolled, or 316,834, were undergraduates
• 79 percent were Minnesota residents
• 11 percent, or 32,864 were new transfer students
• 17 percent, or 53,913 were new entering students and 72 percent of the new entering students were recent high school graduates

Undergraduate characteristics tend to fall into a few general patterns:

• The majority of undergraduates, 66 percent, are age 24 and younger. These traditional age students make up larger percentages of undergraduate enrollments at four-year institutions. They comprised 76 percent of undergraduate enrollments at state universities, 85 percent at private colleges, and 87 percent at the University of Minnesota. Students in this age group tend to enroll directly from high school, and 82 percent attended full-time.
• Older undergraduates, those age 25 and older, enroll in larger percentages at two-year institutions. They comprised 48 percent of enrollments at community and technical colleges and 58 percent at private career schools. Students in this age group tend to be working adults, and 61 percent attended part-time.
• Women comprised the majority of undergraduates across all race/ethnicity groups.
• Younger undergraduates (those 24 and younger) are more likely to enroll full-time. Students aged 25 and older are more likely to enroll part-time.
• The typical profile of an undergraduate as a youthful student attending full-time can still be attributed to nearly 79 percent of all undergraduates, even though there has been growth in the enrollment of nontraditional aged students over the years.

The majority of undergraduates enrolled at 4-year institutions attend full time in Fall 2011

Most undergraduate enrollment growth has occurred at 2-year institutions by students age 25 and older. Students aged 24 and younger increased 7 percent while students age 25 and older increased 40 percent from fall 2005 to fall 2011.

Two-year institutions are public community and technical colleges and private career schools.

Undergraduates aged 24 and younger tend to enroll full time, while those aged 25 and older tend to enroll part time in Fall 2011

Women comprised the majority of undergraduates among the different award levels in Fall 2011

Women comprised the majority of undergraduates across all race/ethnicity groups in Fall 2011

More Information:

• Undergraduate Enrollment by Institution Type

Related Pages

• First-generation College Students More Likely to Be Older, Independent, and Attending Part Time
• Insight: Student Borrowing Increases - Most Growth Among Higher-Income Families
• Nontraditional Students: An emerging segment of Minnesota's undergraduate population
• Residency of New Entering Students Only
• Student Employees: The majority of undergraduates work while enrolled in school