Where do the majority of college students come from?

Hi everyone. I'm a junior and I'm trying to understand the diversity and demographics in college. I wondered if many students come from out-of-state, or are they predominantly local? Does this vary a lot between colleges? Thanks!

Hi there!

The demographics and backgrounds of students on a college campus indeed vary widely from school to school. For instance, some colleges have a large proportion of in-state students, especially public institutions that provide extensive tuition discounts for residents. On the flip side, private institutions and highly selective public universities can attract a significant amount of students from out-of-state and internationally.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2020, about 17% of all students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions were nonresident students (which means they are from a different state or country).

However, this is just an average. For instance, University of California campuses draw a majority of their students from within the state due to the University of California system's commitment to service Californian students. On the other hand, a private institution like NYU has a substantial portion of students from outside of New York State due to the school's name recognition and location in a major city.

So, in essence, the proportion of students from out-of-state vs. in-state really comes down to the specific institution and its mission, prestige and the attractiveness of the location.

Keep in mind that these statistics are available on the college’s website, which you can generally find under a demographic section on the "About Us" page or something similar. Using these resources can be a great way to understand the kind of diversity you can expect at individual colleges!