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- Number of New U.S Graduate Students Drops – Report
Number of New U.S Graduate Students Drops – Report
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published September 26th, 2011
- Washington File
- Unrated
New student enrollment at U.S. graduate schools fell in 2010 for the first time since the autumn of 2003, according to a new report.
The decrease came despite a more than eight percent increase in applications, said the report from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board.
The survey — conducted annually since 1986 — showed the number of first-time grad students fell 1.1 percent from autumn 2009 to fall 2010, though applications increased 8.4 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2018, 2.5 million more jobs will require advanced degrees, according to CGS President Debra Stewart.
“The decline in first-time enrollment ... is a concern given changing demographics and the need for more students from all groups to pursue graduate degrees so that America will have the talent needed to remain competitive,” Stewart said in a statement. The authors of the CGS/GRE report said last year’s decline was driven entirely by a drop in part-time graduate enrollment, which declined 8.5 percent.
Approximately 1,950 U.S. colleges and universities offer graduate programs, according to the CGS/GRE survey.
The 655 of these institutions which responded to the survey received nearly 1.77 million applications for graduate programs beginning in fall 2010.
The decrease came despite a more than eight percent increase in applications, said the report from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board.
The survey — conducted annually since 1986 — showed the number of first-time grad students fell 1.1 percent from autumn 2009 to fall 2010, though applications increased 8.4 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2018, 2.5 million more jobs will require advanced degrees, according to CGS President Debra Stewart.
“The decline in first-time enrollment ... is a concern given changing demographics and the need for more students from all groups to pursue graduate degrees so that America will have the talent needed to remain competitive,” Stewart said in a statement. The authors of the CGS/GRE report said last year’s decline was driven entirely by a drop in part-time graduate enrollment, which declined 8.5 percent.
Approximately 1,950 U.S. colleges and universities offer graduate programs, according to the CGS/GRE survey.
The 655 of these institutions which responded to the survey received nearly 1.77 million applications for graduate programs beginning in fall 2010.
