According to an analysis of U.S. Census data by Axios, white students now represent less than half of all Americans enrolled in educational institutions from nursery through graduate programs. As of October 2024, white students account for 48.8% of all enrolled students, a decline from 46.7 million in 2000 to 36.6 million in 2024. In contrast, Latino student enrollment increased from 10.2 million to 18.4 million during the same period, making up 24.4% of the student population.
Total school enrollment in 2024 was nearly 1 million below the 76.1 million enrolled in 2019 and almost 4 million below the peak of 79 million in 2011. The demographic shift is particularly evident in early childhood and K-12 education, where white non-Hispanic children constitute about 47% of nursery and kindergarten students and 48% of elementary and high school students. In higher education, white students still hold a majority at 51.1%, but this is expected to change as the more diverse K-12 population progresses to college.
The enrollment rate for Hispanic 3- and 4-year-olds in nursery school is 52.1%, the lowest among major groups, which may affect school readiness. While Hispanic students enroll in schools at high rates, college completion rates show disparities, with only 37.3% of Hispanic 20- to 21-year-olds enrolled in college, compared to 53.9% of white students and 78.6% of Asian Americans in the same age group. The U.S. has been experiencing lower fertility rates and an aging population among white Americans, while Hispanic, Asian American, and multiracial populations have grown through births and immigration.