College Enrollment Rates Rise in TennesseeCollege Enrollment Rates Rise in Tennessee The Tennessee Higher Education Commission reports an increase in the percentage of Tennessee public high school graduates who directly enroll in college. The class of 2023 has a college-going rate of 56.7%, a 2.4 percentage point increase from the previous year. Steady Recovery from Pandemic Disruptions The college-going rate had fallen to 52.8% in 2021 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it has since recovered, albeit slightly short of the state’s goal of 60%. Key Findings * White women have the highest college-going rate (69.5%), followed by women of other races/ethnicities (67.4%). * Black or African American women and men have the lowest rates (54.8% and 41.8%, respectively). * Economically disadvantaged students have a college-going rate of 39.3%, an increase from 36.3% in the previous year. Factors Contributing to the Increase The report suggests that the increase is due to a statewide partnership coordinating education and job training. It also highlights the Tennessee Reconnect program, which provides scholarships to adults seeking associate degrees or technical qualifications. Persistent Disparities Despite the overall increase, race and gender disparities persist. The report notes that gains were concentrated among populations historically enrolled in college. Challenges and Future Prospects Delays in the FAFSA rollout may impact college-going rates for the class of 2024. The commission plans to complete the FAFSA for this class to maximize free financial aid. The report provides valuable data for understanding the college-going trends in Tennessee and highlights areas where further efforts are needed to ensure equitable access to higher education.
According to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the percentage of Tennessee public high school graduates who go directly to college increased from the previous year, the largest increase in nearly a decade.
The class of 2023 has a college-going rate of 56.7%, up 2.4 percentage points from the previous year. That increase is the largest since the state implemented the college-free Tennessee Promise scholarship in 2015, the commission said in a report released Tuesday. The state has steadily recovered from lows caused by disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic. The college-going rate fell to a low of 52.8% in 2021.
These are the annual rates from 2014-2023, according to the report:
- 2014: 58.6%
- 2015: 64.4%
- 2016: 63.3%
- 2017: 63.7%
- 2018: 62.5%
- 2019: 61.7%
- 2020: 56.8%
- 2021: 52.8%
- 2022: 54.3%
- 2023: 56.7%
While that falls short of the state’s goal of increasing the percentage of students who go to college to 60% by the class of 2023, it’s still something to celebrate, said commission director Steven Gentile. He called it a “momentum year” and said it reflects a statewide partnership to coordinate education and job training. Gentile also praised the work of the Tennessee Reconnect program, which provides scholarships to adults who want to earn an associate degree, technical degree or engineering diploma from a Tennessee community college or technical college.
“It is gratifying to see these efforts pay off and even more Tennessee students and adult learners can pursue their dreams and careers with a college-level degree and workforce qualifications that extend beyond high school,” Gentile said in the release.
Delays and glitches have plagued the rollout of a revamped Free Application for federal student aid this year. It’s not yet clear how that will affect college-going rates for the class of 2024. Colleges and universities across the state said they’ll have a clearer picture once the fall semester gets underway.
“We know there is still work to be done to ensure every Tennessean has the opportunity to attend college and succeed. That’s why we’re stepping up our efforts this summer to complete the FAFSA for the class of 2024 to help more students maximize their free financial aid,” Gentile said.
Below are a few more key conclusions from the committee’s report on the 2023 class and their college plans.
FAFSA Delays: Tennessee colleges uncertain about impact on enrollment, finances
Race and gender disparities persist
While the percentage of students who went to college rose across all races and genders, the increases were largest for white women, Hispanic and Latino men, and women categorized as “other” for race and ethnicity. This suggests that the gains were concentrated among populations that had historically enrolled in college, the report said.
“While this is a positive outcome, there is still scope to target access to higher education to those student groups who are less likely to attend a higher education institution,” the report said.
Below you can see the percentages by gender, race and ethnicity, ranked from highest to lowest.
Sex
Race/ethnicity
- White: 62%
- Other: 61.6%
- Black or African American: 48.5%
- Spanish/Latino: 39.4%
Race/ethnicity and gender
- White women: 69.5%
- Women of other races/ethnicities: 67.4%
- Men of other race/ethnicity: 55.1%
- Black or African American women: 54.8%
- White males: 54.7%
- Hispanic/Latino women: 45.1%
- Black or African American men: 41.8%
- Hispanic/Latino men: 33.6%
New data on economically disadvantaged students
This year’s report included socioeconomic data for the first time. By definition, the term “economically disadvantaged” includes K-12 students who are in foster care, homeless, immigrants or runaways, along with students who participate in federal or state income and nutrition programs.
Economically disadvantaged students had a college-going rate of 39.3% for the class of 2023, which is a slight increase from 36.3% the year before. Those who are not economically disadvantaged saw a rate of 65.3%, up from 63.6%.
Below you will find the tuition fee rates for these two groups for the period 2019-2023.
Economically disadvantaged
- 2019: 45.5%
- 2020: 38.8%
- 2021: 34.5%
- 2022: 36.3%
- 2023: 39.3%
Not economically disadvantaged
- 2019: 71.1%
- 2020: 67%
- 2021: 62.7%
- 2022: 63.6%
- 2023: 65.3%
View the report yourself
The full report on the Class of 2023, along with other reports and data, can be found at tn.gov/thec/research/college-going-reports.
Contact children’s journalist Rachel Wegner at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner.
