In this article, we will look at the 15 states with the most colleges in the US. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to 5 States with the Most Colleges.
Overall Student Enrollment Rate in the US
College enrollment for undergraduate students across the United States stood at 15.44 million students in the fall of 2021, according to estimates by the National Center for Education Data Statistics. This number went down by 21% year-over-year. The total number of postsecondary students enrolled in colleges across the US reduced by 4.9% between 2019 and 2022, which was the highest reduction in the rate of enrollment since 1951. Similarly, the total postsecondary enrollment in the spring of 2022 reduced to 16.2 million, undergoing a 14.7% decline from fall 2020. The decrease in the overall undergraduate enrollment began in 2021. In fall 2021, the total enrollment was 3% lower than in fall 2020. The undergraduate enrollment rate fell by 15% in fall 2021 from fall 2010. 42% of this decline occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the total undergraduate enrollment rate is expected to increase by 9%, from 15.4 million students in 2021 to 16.8 million students in 2031.
State-Wise Breakdown of Postsecondary Education Statistics
According to National Center for Education Statistics data, the number of Title IV degree-granting institutions reduced from 4,599 in 2010-2011 to 3,931 in 2020-2021. Among these 3,931 degree-granting institutions in the United States, 1,294 were 2-year colleges. The rest, which comes up to 2,637 institutions, were 4-year colleges. Similarly, the number of Title-IV postsecondary institutions also decreased from 7,021 in 2010-2022 to 5,916 in 2020-2021. 1,892 of these were public institutions in 2020-2021, while 2,270 and 1,754 were private for-profit and private nonprofit institutions.
California had the highest number of enrolled college students in 2023, with around 2.58 million students. The state underwent an increase of about 105.2% in college enrollment rate between 1970 and 2023. New York, Florida, and Texas were the only other states with enrolled college students above one million in 2023. On the other hand, Alaska had the lowest number of students in 2023, with around 22,106 enrolled students. However, this number was still a 133.4% increase in the student enrollment rate in the state as compared to 1970. Vermont, Montana, and Wyoming also had less than 50,000 enrolled college students in 2023. Utah and New Hampshire took the lead with the largest increase in student enrollment rates since 2010.
College enrollment in New Hampshire increased by 149.6%, while that in Utah rose by 54.7%. Overall, around 45 states in the US experienced a reduction in the rate of postsecondary enrollment since 2010, with Iowa and Alaska suffering the most. Iowa’s college student enrollment rate reduced by 42.9% between 2010 and 2023, while the same in Alaska fell by 32.9%. These statistics translate to a 45.5% year-over-year reduction in the overall student population in Iowa and a 36.5% decrease in Alaska. Conversely, Utah, Idaho, Delaware, New Hampshire, Texas, and the District of Columbia all saw an increase in their enrolled students between 2010 and 2023. You can also look at 25 States with Lowest Percentage of College Graduates.
Key Companies Making Education More Accessible
Amidst the rising costs of college education, several major companies in the world are playing their role in making education accessible such as Udemy Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY) and Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR)
According to the Global Learning & Skills Trends Report by Udemy Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY), generative AI, cybersecurity, and ethical hacking ranked among the top skills attained by individuals across the globe. The company’s chatbot developmental skills grew by 56%, while LangChain grew by 109%. Udemy Inc. (NASDAQ:UDMY) also catered to the surge in people learning ChatGPT as a skill, which was the fastest-growing skill in 2023 with an increase of 4,419%. In Q4 of 2023, Udemy Inc.’s (NASDAQ:UDMY) 1,700 generative AI courses assisted 3.3 million enrolled learners.
Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) is another prominent EdTech company promoting accessible education by partnering with universities to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs), online degrees, and specializations. On May 1, Clemson University announced a partnership with Coursera, Inc. (NYSE:COUR) to offer a 100% online Master of Science degree in Computer Science. The AI-focused program is can be completed within 20-36 months, with the first courses beginning in August. Enrollment for the program is open, as of May 1. The degree will contain five AI courses to cater to the increasing demand for AI skills, along with theoretical foundations and practical skills.
Now that we have an overview of the education sector and looked at companies working to increase accessibility to education, let’s look at the 15 states with the most colleges. You can also look at 25 Best Colleges with High Acceptance Rates and 12 Best Alternatives to a 4-Year College.
15 States with the Most Colleges
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the 15 states with the most colleges in the US, we have considered the total postsecondary degree-granting educational institutions in each state as the primary and sole metric. This metric includes public 2-year and 4-year degree-granting institutes, private nonprofit 2-year and 4-year degree-granting institutes, and private for-profit 2 and 4-year degree-granting institutes. The data has been taken from the National Center for Education Statistics estimates. The most recent data is available from the academic year 2021-2022. The 15 states with the most colleges are arranged in ascending order of their total number of postsecondary degree-granting educational institutions.
15 States with the Most Colleges
15. Minnesota
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 83
Minnesota ranks 15th on our list of the 15 states with the most colleges in the US. The midwestern state borders Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba in the north, North Dakota and South Dakota to the west, Lake Superior and Wisconsin to the east, and Iowa to the south. The state is also famous for having more than 10,000 lakes. As of the academic year 2021-2022, the state has 83 postsecondary degree-granting institutes. 44 of these 83 are public institutes, which are further divided into 12 public 4-year institutes and 32 public 2-year institutes.
14. Tennessee
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 83
Tennessee is a landlocked state located in the southeastern US. It borders North Carolina to the east, Kentucky to the north, and Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi to the south. Tennessee has 23 public institutions, of which 10 are public 4-year institutes while 13 are public 2-year institutes. The state also has 43 private nonprofit colleges and 17 private for-profit institutes. It ranks 14th on our list.
13. Michigan
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 86
Located in the upper midwestern region of the United States, Michigan ranks 13th on our list of the 15 states with the most colleges. As of the academic year 2021-2022, the state has 86 postsecondary degree-granting institutes. Michigan is divided into two peninsulas.
12. Missouri
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 92
Missouri is a landlocked state located in the midwestern region of the United States. It borders Iowa to the north, Arkansas to the south, and Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma to the west. It ranks 12th on our list with 92 postsecondary degree-granting institutes as of 2021-2022.
11. Virginia
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 105
Virginia is a southeastern US state stretching from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains. With 105 postsecondary degree-granting institutes, Virginia stands right behind Massachusetts on our list. As of the academic year 2021-2022, Virginia has 40 public institutes, of which 16 are public 4-year institutions while the remaining 24 are public 2-year institutions.
10. Massachusetts
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 106
Massachusetts ranks right behind Georgia on our list with 106 postsecondary degree-granting institutes. The state is home to several renowned academic institutions, including Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University, and others. Officially known as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the state is located in the northeastern portion of the US. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine in the east.
9. Georgia
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 107
Georgia ranks ninth on our list of the 15 states with the most colleges in the US, with 107 postsecondary degree-granting institutes as of the academic year 2021-2022. 50 of these 107 institutions are public colleges. It also has 36 private nonprofit institutes and 21 private for-profit colleges. The southeastern US state is lined with mountains, beaches, and farmlands across its coast.
8. North Carolina
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 134
North Carolina stands in the northeastern region of the United States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Virginia to the north. The state has 134 postsecondary degree-granting institutes as of 2021-2022. 75 of these are public institutes, which are further categorized into 17 public 4-year institutes and 58 public 2-year institutes.
7. Illinois
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 147
The midwestern state of Illinois is popularly nicknamed “the Prairie State.” It borders the Mississippi river to the west and Indiana to the east. With 147 postsecondary degree-granting institutes, Illinois ranks seventh on our list of the 15 states with the most colleges in the US. It has 57 public colleges, 75 private nonprofit institutes, and 15 private for-profit institutes.
6. Ohio
Total Number of Postsecondary Degree-Granting Institutions between 2021-2022: 156
Located in the midwestern region of the United States, Ohio ranks sixth on our list. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Indiana to the west, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, and Kentucky to the southwest. The state had 156 postsecondary degree-granting institutes in 2021-2022.
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Disclosure: None. 15 States with the Most Colleges is published on Insider Monkey.