What proportion of students enrolled in postsecondary education have a disability?

Eleven percent of undergraduates reported having a disability in 2003–04. Among students reporting a disability, one-fourth reported an orthopedic condition, 22 percent reported a mental illness or depression, and 17 percent reported a health impairment. Women and men differed somewhat in the types of disabilities they reported. Women were more likely than men to report mental illness/depression and health impairments, while men were more likely to report attention deficit disorders. Independent students were more likely than dependent students to report any disabilities (14 vs. 9 percent)


SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003–04 (NCES 2006-184).

Percentage of undergraduates who reported some type of disability by student characteristics: 2003–04
Student characteristic	Any disabilities1
Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico)	11.3
Gender
Male	11.2
Female	11.4
Race/ethnicity2
White	11.7
Black	10.7
Hispanic	10.9
Asian	7.1
American Indian	14.6
Pacific Islander	9.1
Multiple races	14.8
Other	15.0
Dependency status
Dependent	9.0
Independent	13.6

 
¹ Includes students who reported having a “long-lasting” condition such as blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment; a condition that limits “one or more of the basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying”; or who responded they had any other physical, mental, or emotional condition that lasted 6 or more months and who had difficulty doing one of the following five activities: getting to school, getting around campus, learning, dressing, or working at a job.
 
² Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of 

Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003–04 (NCES 2006-184).
Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 231. Number and percentage of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions, by level, disability status, and selected student characteristics: 2003–04
• 2000, Percentage of graduate and first-professional students with disabilities, percentage distribution of students with disabilities according to main disability, by degree program: 1999–2000

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2002, Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 1999–2000
• 2000, Postsecondary Students With Disabilities: Enrollment, Services, and Persistence