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An Updated Overview of Student-Parent Characteristics Using 2020 Data
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More than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States are parents, representing nearly one in five college students. Supporting student parents promotes their academic achievement and enhances their family well-being, supports college enrollment and completion goals, and can boost state economic health. This brief uses the latest available data to summarize key characteristics of undergraduate students with dependent children.
Among all undergraduate students in the United States, nearly 1 in 5 are student parents—also known as parenting students—totaling over 3 million.
Other key takeaways on undergraduate students include:
- 36 percent of American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) students, 30 percent of Black students, 27 percent of Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (NHPI) students, 18 percent of Latine students, 17 percent of white students, 17 percent of multiracial students, and 8 percent of Asian students are parents.
- The intersectional gender-racial/ethnic groups with the highest proportion of student parents are AIAN female students (44%), Black female students (35%), NHPI female students (35%), Latina female students (23%), AIAN male students (22%), and white female students (22%).
- Among student parents themselves, nearly three-quarters are female (74%), and the majority are students of color (55%), a rate higher than the 51 percent of nonparenting undergrads of color.
- Student parents attend all types of postsecondary education institutions, but they are most concentrated at community colleges and private for-profit schools.
- On average, parenting students earn comparable grades to nonparenting peers, with an average grade point average of 3.17 compared with 3.15 among nonparenting students. Student fathers are academically stronger than nonparenting male students.
- Undergraduate student parents are more likely to delay college enrollment, are more likely to be enrolled part time, and are more likely to reenroll to continue their education after having earned a prior degree or certificate than nonparents.
