The Typical College Student Is Not Who You Think
"As a fight over the future of elite higher education consumes university leaders and politicians, most college students live in a very different world with very different challenges.
There are more than 19 million college students in the United States. Most are well removed from academia’s corridors of wealth and power, cavernous football stadiums and carefree nights hanging out in dorms. The war between President Trump and Harvard University barely registers to them.
Instead, many live close to home, often juggling work or taking care of children with their course load. Many are enrolled part time or in community colleges.
The American higher education system is a showcase of individual ambitions and academic variety. But many parts of that system are under strain, buffeted by budget cuts, demographic changes and even a pressure campaign from Mr. Trump. And for many college students, this strain is making the ability to earn a degree even harder.
43 percent of undergraduates attend community college
Community colleges, along with regional public universities, are the workhorses of higher education in the United States, which has roughly 4,000 degree-granting schools. Some nine million students are enrolled at community colleges, accounting for 43 percent of America’s undergraduates.
About 75 percent of community college students are enrolled part time
Many of these students — nearly three in four — are enrolled on a part-time basis, squeezing in a handful of classes for slow, sometimes unsteady progress toward a degree. They are often drawn to community colleges because of lower tuition costs, schedule flexibility, smaller classes and proximity to home.
20 percent of all undergraduate students are parents
One in five undergraduate students is a parent, balancing term papers with temper tantrums. Many children of students are in school themselves.
1.4 million undergraduate students with children are single mothers
Roughly 1.4 million undergraduate students are single mothers, making up 9 percent of America’s undergraduate population.
10.3 million students take at least some classes online
The pandemic ushered in a new era of online education that built on administrators’ realization that the internet could be a cash cow for their schools and an academic pathway for busy students. Now, a majority of students take at least some of their classes online.
And beyond the enormous range of boot camps, certifications and other credentials — many of which researchers believe are of limited quality and little long-term value — many colleges and universities offer entirely online degree programs.
26 percent of students take classes exclusively online
That is a rise from 11 percent a decade ago. Many online students will never visit the schools, or even the states, from which they earn degrees. Their loyalty to the college can be nearly nonexistent.
25 percent of all undergraduate students live with their parents
Dorm life is not the norm for most students, with only about 16 percent living on campuses.
The average student is $19,000 in debt
The cost of college has generally smoothed out in recent years. High sticker prices have flattened after a long run of growth, but the amount of outstanding student loans continues to rise.
10.8 million students owe more than $44,000
The median former college student currently owes about $19,000, up from $13,000 two decades ago, with adjustments for inflation. Students with graduate degrees are often on the hook for far more, owing an average of $69,000.
Two-thirds of student loan debt belong to women
Student debt has race and gender gaps. Black women have the highest debt load, with an average of $33,000. That is more than three times the amount that white men are carrying, and $15,000 more than what white women owe.
About a third of all undergraduate students received a Pell Grant
Most students who attend college are the recipients of some form of financial aid. Students received more than $100 billion in federal, state and local awards last year.
More than $31 billion in Pell Grants were disbursed to undergraduate students attending U.S. colleges and universities.
41 million people attended college but never graduated
At least 12 percent of the U.S. population have earned some college credits, but do not have a degree to show for it.
Sources: Department of Education, including a New York Times analysis of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study from the Department of Education and the integrated Postsecondary Education Data System from the Department of Education; Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2025 Student Loan Update; American Association of University Women; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Alan Blinder is a national correspondent for The Times, covering education.
Steven Rich is a data reporter at The Times, using data analysis to investigate major issues and contextualize current events."
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