What does this measure?
The change since 2002 of people enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution (college, university, community college).
Why is this important?
Higher education is associated with greater earnings and standard of living, and the rate of students pursuing further education also provides an indirect measure of the strength of the high schools.
How does our county compare?
In 2020, Lancaster County had a 4% decrease in college enrollment since 2002, enrolling over 21,500 students. This was lower than the statewide increase of 5% and national increase of 13%.
Among neighboring counties in 2020, Lebanon and York saw the largest decreases in enrollment of 36% and 39% respectively, while Dauphin (71%) was the only county to see increased enrollment since 2002. Chester County had no change since 2002.
Notes about the data
This measure includes students attending vocational schools and 2- and 4-year colleges. Data for this indicator are released annually in November.
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | N/A | 5% | 8% | 8% | 11% | 13% | 15% | 18% | 26% | 27% | 24% | 20% | 20% | 17% | 15% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 5% |
| Lancaster County | N/A | 8% | 11% | 15% | 20% | 26% | 29% | -9% | -6% | -4% | -6% | -3% | -4% | -4% | -5% | -4% | -5% | -4% | -4% |
| Berks County | N/A | 10% | 19% | 25% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 39% | 39% | 40% | 37% | 31% | 25% | 22% | 19% | 17% | 13% | 9% | -5% |
| Chester County | N/A | -2% | 2% | 12% | 14% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 19% | 17% | 14% | 12% | 8% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% | -0% | -2% |
| Cumberland County | N/A | 2% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 11% | 13% | 13% | 8% | 4% | 5% | 5% | 3% | -3% | -5% | -9% |
| Dauphin County | N/A | 8% | 14% | 19% | 22% | 23% | 24% | 100% | 126% | 130% | 121% | 114% | 105% | 109% | 107% | 113% | 118% | 111% | 71% |
| Lebanon County | N/A | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 2% | -35% | -34% | -34% | -35% | -38% | -35% | -38% | -39% | -40% | -37% | -37% | -36% |
| York County | N/A | 2% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 9% | 15% | 20% | 11% | 11% | 8% | 0% | -9% | -17% | -25% | -29% | -39% |
Notes: Rate is percentage change since 2002.
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 832,104 | 872,949 | 895,459 | 897,859 | 922,486 | 941,825 | 956,534 | 978,649 | 1,046,978 | 1,055,521 | 1,029,375 | 998,982 | 999,010 | 976,541 | 952,875 | 933,499 | 914,163 | 886,725 | 876,502 |
| Lancaster County | 22,479 | 24,363 | 24,897 | 25,856 | 27,085 | 28,357 | 29,080 | 20,457 | 21,079 | 21,469 | 21,228 | 21,700 | 21,481 | 21,535 | 21,356 | 21,666 | 21,371 | 21,531 | 21,531 |
| Berks County | 23,101 | 25,368 | 27,407 | 28,858 | 29,518 | 30,085 | 30,519 | 32,121 | 32,156 | 32,449 | 31,654 | 30,263 | 28,934 | 28,135 | 27,552 | 27,033 | 26,083 | 25,267 | 22,050 |
| Chester County | 28,608 | 28,036 | 29,132 | 31,948 | 32,669 | 32,908 | 32,936 | 32,944 | 34,119 | 33,527 | 32,701 | 31,942 | 30,833 | 29,745 | 29,409 | 29,285 | 29,067 | 28,531 | 28,085 |
| Cumberland County | 15,724 | 16,042 | 16,434 | 16,534 | 16,720 | 16,850 | 16,838 | 17,022 | 17,428 | 17,821 | 17,698 | 17,017 | 16,397 | 16,515 | 16,448 | 16,206 | 15,299 | 14,994 | 14,362 |
| Dauphin County | 18,591 | 20,097 | 21,184 | 22,054 | 22,753 | 22,841 | 23,129 | 37,117 | 41,929 | 42,716 | 41,009 | 39,866 | 38,110 | 38,801 | 38,516 | 39,566 | 40,474 | 39,155 | 31,760 |
| Lebanon County | 4,103 | 4,235 | 4,206 | 4,170 | 4,242 | 4,251 | 4,203 | 2,657 | 2,708 | 2,720 | 2,681 | 2,561 | 2,662 | 2,548 | 2,523 | 2,471 | 2,604 | 2,575 | 2,611 |
| York County | 11,630 | 11,813 | 12,445 | 12,605 | 12,406 | 12,207 | 12,350 | 12,622 | 13,360 | 14,010 | 12,950 | 12,945 | 12,539 | 11,643 | 10,584 | 9,654 | 8,757 | 8,235 | 7,052 |
| INDICATORS | TREND |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten Participation | Increasing |
| Student Performance on Grade 3 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 3 Math | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 8 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance on Grade 8 Math | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance in Grade 11 English | Not Applicable |
| Student Performance in Grade 11 Math | Decreasing |
| Per-Student Spending | Maintaining |
| Students Receiving Special Education Services | Increasing |
| Rate of Foster Care Admissions | Maintaining |
| Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
| Disengaged Youth | Maintaining |
| Plans of High School Graduates | Not Applicable |
| Enrollment in Local Colleges | Decreasing |
| College Graduation Rates | Decreasing |
| Brain Drain/Gain | Increasing |
| Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity | Not Applicable |
