Michigan Colleges Enrollment Trends Summary (2015-2025)
- Overall Population Change:
- Total Enrollment: 348,749 students were enrolled in Michigan colleges.
- 10-Year Change: The total student population decreased by -16% compared to a decade ago.
- Student Level Trends:
- Undergraduate Growth: Undergraduate enrollment saw a decrease of -17.01% compared to a decade ago.
- Graduate Growth: Graduate enrollment saw a decrease of -9.79% compared to a decade ago.
- Gender Dynamics:
- Current Ratio: There are more women students than men, with a ratio of 1.26 women to 1 man.
- Women Enrollment: Women students total 194,255 and have decreased by -12.58% compared to a decade ago.
- Men Enrollment: Men students total 154,494 and have decreased by -19.07% compared to a decade ago.
- Online Education Growth:
- Online Exclusively: 48,955 students (14.04%) are enrolled exclusively in online programs.
- Online Growth: The number of students enrolled completely online has seen a dramatic increase of 66% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average number of students over the past 11 years is 383,149, and 348,749 students were attending the schools in the academic year 2024-2025.
Of the total students, 78.58% are undergraduate students and 21.43% are graduate students. Over the past 11, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 61,463, and the graduate student enrollment decreased by 7,986.
The women to men ratio is 1.25 to 1, meaning that there are slightly more women students enrolled in Michigan Colleges than men students.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Michigan Colleges since 2015.
| Year | Total | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 413,117 | 331,501 | 153,405 | 178,096 | 81,616 | 37,492 | 44,124 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 432,369 19,252 | 349,951 18,450 | 159,051 5,646 | 190,900 12,804 | 82,418 802 | 38,265 773 | 44,153 29 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 422,856 -9,513 | 341,405 -8,546 | 155,939 -3,112 | 185,466 -5,434 | 81,451 -967 | 37,545 -720 | 43,906 -247 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 405,240 -17,616 | 325,056 -16,349 | 149,498 -6,441 | 175,558 -9,908 | 80,184 -1,267 | 36,519 -1,026 | 43,665 -241 |
|---|
| 2018-19 | 396,251 -8,989 | 317,031 -8,025 | 145,591 -3,907 | 171,440 -4,118 | 79,220 -964 | 35,359 -1,160 | 43,861 196 |
|---|
| 2019-20 | 384,494 -11,757 | 306,901 -10,130 | 139,664 -5,927 | 167,237 -4,203 | 77,593 -1,627 | 34,097 -1,262 | 43,496 -365 |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 367,151 -17,343 | 291,822 -15,079 | 130,587 -9,077 | 161,235 -6,002 | 75,329 -2,264 | 32,388 -1,709 | 42,941 -555 |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 355,901 -11,250 | 282,019 -9,803 | 125,784 -4,803 | 156,235 -5,000 | 73,882 -1,447 | 31,823 -565 | 42,059 -882 |
|---|
| 2022-23 | 343,227 -12,674 | 270,376 -11,643 | 121,517 -4,267 | 148,859 -7,376 | 72,851 -1,031 | 31,590 -233 | 41,261 -798 |
|---|
| 2023-24 | 345,280 2,053 | 272,479 2,103 | 122,714 1,197 | 149,765 906 | 72,801 -50 | 31,578 -12 | 41,223 -38 |
|---|
| 2024-25 | 348,749 3,469 | 275,124 2,645 | 122,938 224 | 152,186 2,421 | 73,625 824 | 31,556 -22 | 42,069 846 |
|---|
| Average | 383,149 | 305,788 | 138,790 | 166,998 | 77,361 | 34,383 | 42,978 |
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the past 11 years is 305,788. Compared 11 years ago, the number of Undergraduate students decreased by 56,377 from 331,501 to 275,124.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Michigan Colleges since 2015.
| Year | Total | Fulltime | Parttime |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 331,501 | 246,839 | 116,605 | 130,234 | 84,662 | 36,800 | 47,862 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 349,951 | 254,621 | 119,101 | 135,520 | 95,330 | 39,950 | 55,380 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 341,405 | 251,536 | 117,554 | 133,982 | 89,869 | 38,385 | 51,484 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 325,056 | 243,772 | 114,577 | 129,195 | 81,284 | 34,921 | 46,363 |
|---|
| 2018-19 | 317,031 | 240,731 | 112,380 | 128,351 | 76,300 | 33,211 | 43,089 |
|---|
| 2019-20 | 306,901 | 234,719 | 108,831 | 125,888 | 72,182 | 30,833 | 41,349 |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 291,822 | 223,783 | 101,804 | 121,979 | 68,039 | 28,783 | 39,256 |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 282,019 | 215,601 | 97,979 | 117,622 | 66,418 | 27,805 | 38,613 |
|---|
| 2022-23 | 270,376 | 210,429 | 96,031 | 114,398 | 59,947 | 25,486 | 34,461 |
|---|
| 2023-24 | 272,479 | 212,964 | 97,189 | 115,775 | 59,515 | 25,525 | 33,990 |
|---|
| 2024-25 | 275,124 | 218,009 | 99,023 | 118,986 | 57,115 | 23,915 | 33,200 |
|---|
| Average | 305,788 | 305,788 | 107,370 | 124,721 | 305,788 | 31,419 | 42,277 |
|---|
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the past 11 years is 77,361. Compared 11 years ago, the number of Graduate students decreased by 7,991 from 81,616 to 73,625.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Michigan Colleges since 2015.
| Year | Total | Fulltime | Parttime |
|---|
| Total | Men | Women | Total | Men | Women |
| 2014-15 | 81,616 | 43,506 | 21,156 | 22,350 | 38,110 | 16,336 | 21,774 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 82,418 | 44,608 | 21,788 | 22,820 | 37,810 | 16,477 | 21,333 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 81,451 | 45,474 | 21,827 | 23,647 | 35,977 | 15,718 | 20,259 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 80,184 | 45,365 | 21,357 | 24,008 | 34,819 | 15,162 | 19,657 |
|---|
| 2018-19 | 79,220 | 45,922 | 20,946 | 24,976 | 33,298 | 14,413 | 18,885 |
|---|
| 2019-20 | 77,593 | 45,470 | 20,239 | 25,231 | 32,123 | 13,858 | 18,265 |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 75,329 | 45,394 | 19,699 | 25,695 | 29,935 | 12,689 | 17,246 |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 73,882 | 45,275 | 19,580 | 25,695 | 28,607 | 12,243 | 16,364 |
|---|
| 2022-23 | 72,851 | 46,027 | 20,043 | 25,984 | 26,824 | 11,547 | 15,277 |
|---|
| 2023-24 | 72,801 | 47,006 | 20,718 | 26,288 | 25,795 | 10,860 | 14,935 |
|---|
| 2024-25 | 73,625 | 47,974 | 20,810 | 27,164 | 25,651 | 10,746 | 14,905 |
|---|
| Average | 77,361 | 77,361 | 20,742 | 24,896 | 77,361 | 13,641 | 18,082 |
|---|
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 61.28%. The percentage was 66.96% 10 years ago and Michigan Colleges still has a high percentage of white students. 6.68% of enrolled students is Asian and 9.28% is black students.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Michigan Colleges over the past 11 years (2014-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|
| 2014-15 | 2,339 | 16,739 | 40,272 | 15,632 | 449 | 276,636 | 10,253 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 2,290 | 16,483 | 41,710 | 17,489 | 412 | 290,560 | 11,934 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 2,143 | 17,438 | 39,908 | 18,627 | 368 | 282,177 | 12,890 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 1,961 | 18,170 | 36,771 | 19,057 | 341 | 269,785 | 12,532 |
|---|
| 2018-19 | 1,921 | 18,915 | 35,282 | 20,068 | 323 | 262,048 | 13,019 |
|---|
| 2019-20 | 1,870 | 19,622 | 33,684 | 20,754 | 316 | 251,675 | 14,279 |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 1,747 | 20,238 | 31,803 | 21,092 | 286 | 239,877 | 14,199 |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 1,711 | 21,026 | 30,219 | 21,524 | 295 | 227,712 | 13,669 |
|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,637 | 21,632 | 28,618 | 21,263 | 273 | 214,040 | 12,789 |
|---|
| 2023-24 | 1,815 | 22,389 | 29,647 | 22,886 | 282 | 212,222 | 12,822 |
|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,924 | 22,953 | 31,905 | 24,727 | 289 | 210,600 | 13,481 |
|---|
| Average | 1,942 | 19,600 | 34,529 | 20,284 | 330 | 248,848 | 12,897 |
|---|
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
48,955 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 14% of total students. The number of online students has increased 65.54% since 2013.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Michigan Colleges from 2012 to 2025.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
| 2012-13 | 428,629 | 29,573 | 45,772 | 353,284 |
|---|
| 2013-14 | 418,756 | 29,938 | 47,476 | 341,342 |
|---|
| 2014-15 | 413,117 | 29,524 | 47,843 | 335,750 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | 432,369 | 35,468 | 53,569 | 343,332 |
|---|
| 2016-17 | 422,856 | 36,977 | 57,773 | 328,106 |
|---|
| 2017-18 | 405,240 | 35,968 | 62,468 | 306,804 |
|---|
| 2018-19 | 396,251 | 35,543 | 65,239 | 295,469 |
|---|
| 2019-20 | 384,494 | 36,370 | 68,845 | 279,279 |
|---|
| 2020-21 | 367,185 | 161,283 | 132,525 | 73,377 |
|---|
| 2021-22 | 355,901 | 64,660 | 144,237 | 147,004 |
|---|
| 2022-23 | 343,227 | 48,522 | 114,481 | 180,224 |
|---|
| 2023-24 | 345,280 | 46,772 | 113,392 | 185,116 |
|---|
| 2024-25 | 348,749 | 48,955 | 114,187 | 185,607 |
|---|
| Average | 389,389 | 49,196 | 82,139 | 258,053 |
|---|