CIC has added new charts to the Making the Case website that show that comparatively speaking, small and mid-sized private colleges and universities do a better job at enrolling lower-income students than do the larger public universities. Moreover, the public universities enroll a higher proportion of students from wealthier families. Much attention has been given recently to the lack of access of lower-income students to higher education. Many in the public, including policymakers, are surprised to learn of these facts, which are supported by data released last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These charts are on the “Access and Success for Diverse Students” section of the website.

Enrollment of Low-Income Students (Pell Grant Recipients)

Students receiving Pell Grants make up a larger proportion of the student bodies at small and mid-sized independent colleges and universities than at other types of four-year institutions. The percentage of Pell Grant recipients in 2003–2004 at smaller (non-doctoral) independent colleges was 31 percent compared with 24 percent at public research (doctoral) universities.


Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 2003-04 (NPSAS:04). Analysis by the Council of Independent Colleges.

View the above chart on the Making the Case website.

Over an eight-year period, the increase in the percentage of students who received Pell Grants at the smaller privates was twice that of the larger public universities.


Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, 1995-1996 (NPSAS:96), 1999-2000 (NPSAS:00), and 2003-04 (NPSAS:04). Analysis by the Council of Independent Colleges.

View the above chart on the Making the Case website.

In addition, the new data show that independent colleges and universities enroll students from all income levels in similar proportions to public institutions, with two notable exceptions at the ends of the income scale. At the lower end, smaller (non-doctoral) independent colleges enroll a greater proportion of low-income students—those with parental incomes of less than $20,000—than do the large public research (doctoral) universities (12 percent versus 10 percent). At the upper end, the larger publics enroll a greater proportion of higher income students, whose parents earn $100,000 or more (25 percent versus 22 percent).