Projections of High School Graduates Through 2037
Benchmarks Sidebar
Diversification of High School Graduates and Undergraduates
High school graduating classes have become more diverse over the last decade (from 55% non-white in the Class of 2012 to a projected 62% in the Class of 2022), with Hispanic high school graduates becoming the largest share of graduates in recent years. However, Hispanic undergraduates continued to be underrepresented among the region’s postsecondary enrollments despite continued growth in undergraduate enrollment over the past decade.
Notes: High school graduates are public high school graduates, which have historically been 93% of all high school graduates in the West. High school graduate counts data are not available for the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States. “Foreign” students, “two-more races”, and “unknown” populations are disaggregated in undergraduate enrollments, but not high school graduates. Undergraduate enrollments are for undergraduates at two- and four-year degree-granting, Title IV-eligible, public and private nonprofit institutions, excluding service academies.
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Fall Enrollment Survey, 2012-2022, and WICHE, Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates, 2020.
For more information, please contact:
Colleen Falkenstern
Senior Research Analyst, Policy Analysis and Research
303.541.0313cfalkenstern@wiche.edu
Colleen Falkenstern serves as a research analyst in WICHE’s Policy Analysis and Research unit. In her role, she supports the development of WICHE’s annual data resources—Regional Fact Book for Higher Education in the West, Benchmarks (of access and success), and Tuition and Fees in Public Higher Education in the West. She also provides analytical support for WICHE’s quadrennial projections of high school graduates, Knocking at the College Door. She received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina—Columbia and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Denver.