ABSTRACT
Since early in the development of the United States, widespread access to education and knowledge has been a cherished goal of the American society. The United States has led the world in creating a universally available elementary and secondary school system. In the second half of the 20th century, access to postsecondary education was greatly expanded. This chapter tries to bring together information from a variety of sources to answer the question of who will be seeking to enter the higher education system during the early years of the 21st century. The chapter concludes by examining a number of factors that may impact the projected numbers of those seeking higher education.
