The U.S. College Freshman Class of 2013
Generation Y Technology, Reality TV, & 9/11 Shaped Today's Students
Aug 30, 2009 Naomi Rockler-Gladen
Another year has begun at college campuses across the United States, and another freshman class begins the annual ritual of starting classes, living with roommates, and learning all the ways that college is different than high school. So who are these fresh young faces? Here's some facts about both the traditional 18-year-old cohort, and the growing numbers of nontraditional students who are going to school.
Facts About the Freshman Class of 2013
First, there's the traditional group of mostly 18-year-old students who are coming straight out of high school. Most of these students were born in 1990 or 1991, under the (first) Bush administration, which they cannot remember.
So what are the demographics of these first year students? According to the U.S. Department of Education, there's a growing gender gap in college enrollment, and that gender gap is weighed unevenly on the female side. An estimated 57 percent of the freshman class of 2013 is female, while an estimated 43 percent of the class is male. [1]
The new freshman class also is far more diverse than college classes even ten years ago. Minorities account for almost 1 of every 3 members of the class of 2013. That's pretty impressive, considering that thirty years ago, the number was about 1 in 9. By far, the fastest growing group of new minority undergraduates are Hispanics.[2]
Of course, like all students, the class of 2013 is concerned about paying for their education. However, thanks to the recession and the rising cost of colleges and universities, this group is especially on edge. Today's freshmen are looking at an average of about $14,000 a year for a public school and $34,000 for a private school.[2]
The Class of 2013 and Generation Y
Today's college students are very much a part of Generation Y, a tech-savvy, cynical group of young people born mostly in the 1980s and 1990s. The world of the Generation Y college student is full of text messages, Facebook pages, and portable laptop computers.
As parents drop their children off at college, it's no wonder they're shaking their heads. The Baby Boomer and Generation X parents of Generation Y, who went to college in the 1970s and 1980s, lived on campuses where few students owned their own computers or had email, no one had cell phones, and no one could even imagine a concept like Facebook or Twitter. Yet to Generation Y, these are a defining part of their college experience.
Childhood Memories of the Class of 2013
Today's students have no memory of the first Gulf War, which happened around the time of their birth. If their parents weren't covering their ears, they may remember the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which happened when they were about seven. Of course, the biggest political event of their lives was 9/11, which they saw through the eyes of a ten or eleven year old child. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been going on for a large chunk of their lives. Few of them have voted in a presidential election yet.
Class of 2013 students probably have some childhood memories of grunge, and possibly spent their adolescence listening to the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Jessica Simpson. Hip hop has always been around, and they didn't get the hype about Michael Jackson. Reality TV has been around as long as they can remember, and they possibly grew up watching American Idol with their parents. As older kids, many indulged in Gossip Girl, the O.C., and the Hills.
Of course, one of the noteworthy things about the class of 2013 is the growing number of nontraditional students. About 40 percent of undergraduate students are above the age of 24, and almost 20 percent of undergraduates are over 35. These trends are expected to continue. Thanks to the growth of online education, people who do not fit into the traditional student mold are having an easier time going back to school. [2]
Nontraditional Students in the Class of 2013
Welcome to College, Class of 2013!
Times change, and the college campuses of today have changed quite a bit since the parents of the class of 2013 went to school. However, lots of things haven't changed, including the exciting and life-changing experience of starting college. Best of luck, Class of 2013!
Sources:
[1[ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Fast Facts: College Enrollment.
[2] CollegeBoard. (2009). Higher Education Landscape.
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