More Than One Quarter of U.S. College Students Have Dependent Children

A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research discusses college affordability for low-income students. One important finding in the report is that 26 percent of all U.S. college students have dependent children. Of these college students who are parents, 71 percent are women. Nearly half of all African American women college students and nearly a third of all Latinas enrolled in college have at least one dependent child.

The report also shows that 55 percent of state-operated four-year colleges and universities offer on-campus child care facilities for students. At community colleges, 47.4 percent have on-campus child care. Both percentages have declined in recent years.

The full report, College Affordability for Low-Income Adults: Improving Returns on Investment for Families and Society, may be downloaded here.