The number of undergraduates has increased dramatically over the past two decades, and a Pew Research Center analysis finds that the increase is mostly due to a greater number of nonwhite students and students from low-income families enrolling. During the 2015-2016 school year, 31 percent of students were in poverty, compared to 21 percent 20 years ago. The proportion of nonwhite students increased from 29 percent to 47 percent. The share of students in poverty has grown mostly at community colleges, private for-profit institutions and less selective four-year institutions, while the share of nonwhite students has increased at all types of postsecondary institutions.
