General Statistics about College Students with Disabilities

​National Databases with Information on College Students with Disabilities
Lauren Avellone and Sally Scott
Volume 1, Issue 1 (March, 2017)

Transition to College

Research by the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS-2) on high school students in special education transition to higher education, the types of colleges they attend, how many identify as having a disability, percentage in different disability categories

Undergraduate college students with disabilities

• "Fast Facts" from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (2015)
• "Students with Disabilities at Degree-Granting Postsecondary Institutions" report from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education (2011)
• Undergraduates with disabilities in science and engineering fields, from the National Science Foundation
• Students with disabilities in the social and behavioral sciences, from the American Psychological Association's research using federal data
• From a survey of U.S. disability services providers - Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) (2008). This information is collected on a regular basis for use by its members. Contact AHEAD for current reports.​

Graduate students with disabilities

• ​A summary of data sources from the Council of Graduate Schools (2011)
• Data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (see Table 15) (2007-2008)
• Data on graduate students in science and engineering fields from the National Science Foundation (2015)

​Data on people with disabilities in the U.S.

• Disability Statistics resource at Cornell University with data from the American Community Survey (ACS) and Current Population Survey (CPS)
• Annual Disability Statistics Compendium reports from the University of New Hampshire
• U.S. Census Bureau statistics on disability
• The LEAD Center has updated statistics on employment of people with disabilities, including state-level data​

Specific Types of Students

Reports and statistics on students with intellectual and developmental disabilities attending transition programs in higher education from Think College.

Open Doors (R) ​Statistics on U.S. College-Level Study Abroad Students with Disabilities from Mobility International USA 

"College Students Speak: A Survey Report on Mental Health" by NAMI includes statistics about how many students with mental and emotional conditions are using disability services offices