Education & Recession: A Case Study of the 2008 Recession’s Effect on Diversity in Higher Education
Overview
Our Inspiration
As undergraduate students, we were all curious as to what factors are at play for those who choose to attend graduate school. Depending on their fields, there has been much difficulty for students attempting to enter the job market. Some students have instead opted to further their education in graduate school in order to better compete in this tough job market. With this in consideration, our team wanted to investigate the change in graduate student gender and racial demographics which emerged as a result of the 2008 Great Recession. By understanding these changes, we can make predictions regarding how graduate school student demographics may change as a result of our changing job market and nation’s economic performance.
Our Question
How did the 2008 Great Recession affect the proportion of male and female graduate students? What changes were observed amongst the underrepresented minorities enrolling in graduate school? What graduate school demographic trends do we observe from 2005 – 2020, encapsulating the time period before and after the recession?
Our Methods
Our team has analyzed past trends in graduate school enrollment by utilizing the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This database includes every university, college, and technical and vocational institution participating in federal student financial aid programs (National Center for Education Statistics, 2025). Data included graduate student enrollment by state, supplementing us with much needed geographical information. Additional information such as degree of urbanization for the college location, private vs. public status, land grants, etc. were excluded as they were not relevant to our research focus. We found another database from the IPEDS, which included the racial demographics, number of males and females, residency statuses, and employment statuses of graduate students in the United States. By factoring in information on the male to female composition, geographic location, and representation of minority groups in these institutions, we were able to visualize the demographic changes in the graduate student population that occurred after the Great Recession.