WASHINGTON -- Enrollment at the nation's colleges and universities reached an all-time high of 12.5 million students in 1986 with an increase in minority students and more women than men registered, the Department of Education said Wednesday.
In a survey report, the department's Center for Education Statistics said the 12.5 million student enrollment was a 2 percent increase over 1984. The survey was taken every other year.
Enrollment grew by 1.5 million students between 1976 and 1986, and the increase was fairly evenly distributed between public and private schools.
As for enrollment by sex, the report said there has been a complete reversal in the distribution between men and women. In 1976, men and women accounted for 53 percent and 47 percent, respectively, of enrollments in higher education. By 1986, the distribution was exactly the opposite, 53 percent female and 47 percent male.
Whites accounted for more than one-half of the growth, followed by Asians or Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, foreign students, blacks and American Indians or Alaskan natives. By 1986, minorities constituted 18 percent of the total enrollment, up from 15 percent in 1976.
Black enrollment in public institutions increased by about 25,000 students between 1976 and 1986. But when compared with total enrollment, black students declined from 9.6 percent to 8.8 percent.
Hispanics and Asians or Pacific Islanders showed large increases in enrollment and together account for about 9.4 percent of total enrollment in public institutions.
White enrollment in public institutions has increased by more than 550,000 students since 1976. The proportion of whites in public institutions to total enrollment has declined from about 82 percent to 79 percent.
Two-year institutions benefited from the enrollment increases, enjoying 2 percent more students between 1976 and 1986. Four-year institutions accounted for about 65 percent of total enrollment in 1976, while two-year institutions had about 35 percent. The 1986 percentages were 63 and 37 percent, respectively.
The report said minorities have been enrolling mainly at two-year institutions. Of the total minority enrollment in 1986, 47 percent attended two-year institutions, up from 45 percentin 1976.
The reason for the increase, the report said, is that the numerical growth in minorities has been higher in two-year institutions -- 287,000 over the past decade -- than the 264,000 increase in four-year institutions.
Black enrollment at two-year institutions increased about 9 percent; Hispanic, 64 percent; Asian or Pacific Islander, 135 percent; and American Indian, 24 percent.
Enrollment of blacks at four-year institutions has been fairly stable, ranging from 612,000 students in 1982 to 615,000 students in 1986. Between 1976 and 1986, other minority groups had higher increases: 60 percent for Hispanics, 120 percent for Asians or Pacific Islanders, 14 percent for American Indians or Alaskan Natives, and 64 percent for foreign students.