trends-2011-vol1-enrolment-e

Enrolment Overview
FIGURE 1: Since 1980, full-time students have driven
growth in undergraduate enrolment
Undergraduate students
There has been tremendous growth at the undergraduate level
in the last 30 years – rising from 550,000 students in 1980 to
994,000 in 2010. A growing majority of undergraduate students
were enrolled full-time. There were 338,000 full-time students
in 1980; by 2010, the undergraduate student body had more than
doubled to 755,000. By comparison, there were very different
enrolment trends for part-time students. In 1980, there were
218,000 part-time undergraduates compared to 239,000 in 2010.
Undergraduate enrolment
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010e
In 1980, approximately 76 percent of undergraduate students
were enrolled in full-time studies. Within this group, 62 percent
were under the age of 22. One-quarter of full-time undergraduate
students were between the age of 22 and 24, 11 percent were
between the ages of 25 and 34, and approximately two percent
were over the age of 35. Although the number of students in all age
groups grew significantly from 1980 to 2010, and fluctuations did
occur during this 30-year period, the share of each age group
within the full-time undergraduate student body in 1980 and 2010
were practically identical.
While the number of students in the 18-to-21 age cohort grew over
much of the 30-year period since 1980, the strongest rate of change
was from 1999 to 2005, when their numbers jumped by more than
100,000. A good portion of that growth was driven by the abolition
of Grade 13 in Ontario. The so-called double cohort of students
caused two high school graduating classes to seek university spaces
in 2003. The impact of the double cohort was expected to drive
higher undergraduate enrolment over a four- or five-year period in
Ontario, and in other provinces that attract relatively large numbers
Full-time
Part-time
Source: Statistics Canada data and AUCC estimates
of Ontario students. Strong growth in demand for university
FIGURE 2: Younger students are driving growth
education has at the seen undergraduate the numbers level of young students continue to
grow, even as the double-cohort graduated.
Full-time undergraduate enrolment
500,000
450,000
From 1980 until 1999, the share of full-time undergraduate students
400,000
between the ages of 22 and 24 increased from 24 to 28 percent,
350,000
before returning to 24 percent in 2010. The dip in their numbers
300,000
in 2006 and 2007 was caused by the earlier starting age of students
250,000
entering undergraduate programs because of the abolition of
200,000
Grade 150,000 13 in Ontario in 2003. Once again, these numbers are
rebounding and have grown in the last three years.
100,000
50,000
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010e
Under 22
25-to-34
22-to-24
35 plus
Source: Statistics Canada data and AUCC estimates
6 | Trends in Higher Education | Volume 1. Enrolment AUCC