Enrollment
postsecondary_enrollment_ratePostsecondary enrollment
Share of people age 16–64 who attended college or graduate school in the past three months.
What this measure means
The weighted percentage of civilian noninstitutionalized people age 16–64 who attended an undergraduate college, graduate school, or professional school at any time in the three months before the survey response.
This measure uses the school enrollment (SCH) and grade level (SCHG) fields in the Census PUMS data dictionary.
Who is included
- Population (universe)
- Civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16–64
- Age range
- 16–64
- Measure and unit
- Rate; Percent
- Denominator
- people in universe
Supported data sources and areas
These are the combinations this definition supports. Available estimates depend on the selected release, source coverage and reporting rules. National estimates can use annual or pooled ACS data; state estimates use pooled data. Eligible PUMA estimates use annual or pooled data with the selected release's native boundaries.
Products
- ACS 1-year
- ACS 5-year
Geographies
- United States
- Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), using the selected release’s documented native boundaries
- State and District of Columbia
Compatible ACS release years
ACS 1-year: 2015 onward, excluding 2020; ACS 5-year: periods ending in 2015 onward
Analysis options defined for this measure
The explorer shows the options available in the selected release. Calculated changes between periods are currently unavailable.
Filters and breakdowns
- Age
- Race and ethnicity
- Sex reported in the ACS
- Additional disability
- Disability
Calculations
- Difference
- Percentage point difference
- Ratio
- Percent change
Uncertainty and reliability
- When results are withheld
- Results are withheld when fewer than 351 survey records are included in the denominator.
- When to use caution
- Results are marked unstable when the standard error exceeds 30% of the estimate's absolute value. This is the relative standard error (RSE). Use these estimates with caution.
Survey weights used: PWGTP and PWGTP1–PWGTP80
Version and sources
- Definition version
- ndc-definitions-2026.12
- Methodology version
- ndc-observatory-2026.3
- Change note
- Corrects the postsecondary enrollment universe to the NDC-aligned population age 16–64.