2023 Demographics

Distribution of Members by Gender

When AACRAO was founded in 1910, the membership was overwhelmingly comprised of men, which was a reflection of the higher education profession at the time. Much has changed since then and gender identity has become an important issue on campuses for both students and administrators. AACRAO’s membership has also evolved over time and has now been comprised of a majority women for over 20 years. Keep track of the ongoing issues with AACRAO’s Trending Topic on Gender Identity/Expression.

---

Distribution of Members by Ethnicity

While just under 60% of AACRAO members do not report on ethnicity, the data from those who do report shows that AACRAO members are a diverse group that is generally reflective of the higher education industry as a whole. How similar is AACRAO’s membership to the general trends of U.S. higher education? Check out this IPEDS report to compare for yourself.

AACRAO Committees, specifically those in Group 5, are in place to ensure that our members, and their students, get the recognition they need to succeed in their education and their careers.

---

Number of Areas of Work Assigned to Each Member

At their institutions, AACRAO members are assigned duties that reach nearly every aspect of the university. As evident from the chart above, many members have duties that fall into several categories. AACRAO offers direction on each of these categories so that we can help members perform to the best of their abilities. AACRAO publications are one of the best ways for members to access that guidance. Browse through the publications in your field and see if AACRAO can help.

---

Member Distribution by Institution Size

All AACRAO institutional members fall into one of six size codes based on a combination of their part-time and full-time enrollment. As evident from the above bar graph, most of AACRAO’s institutional members are in the smallest two size codes, which include schools with fewer than 2,500 students. However, when looking at the distribution of individuals across those size codes, a much more even distribution is clear. This means that institutions of all sizes are represented and have equal opportunity to have their voices heard within the association.

---

Distribution of Members by Control

With the steady closing of schools in recent years, particularly for-profit college systems, AACRAO has seen a small decline in the number of member schools. It’s important to also recognize that governmental regulations on higher education always vary depending on the current administration, and the shakeup in those regulations can have serious and lasting impacts on the industry. AACRAO Transcript provides members with timely court, industry, and international news as well as the latest developments in the areas of federal relations and compliance.

---

Distribution of Members by Class

---

“Until the Civil War, the American college system was based on the English model. Most colleges stood alone, rather than being part of a university and the baccalaureate was the only degree awarded. Since there was little opportunity for postbaccalaureate study in the United States, students sought higher education abroad. … Higher education based on the European model, with major emphasis on graduate programs, was achieved in America with the establishment of Johns Hopkins University in 1876.”

---

---

Institutional Members by Country, Outside the United States

AACRAO has member institutions from countries all across the globe. While most of these countries have only one or two member institutions, Canada has 79, which accounts for roughly 60% of AACRAO’s international members.

---