Data on 1980-81 enrollments in U.S. four-year and two-year higher education institutions are presented and interpreted. Data from 1,818 four-year institutions in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Territories indicated a total enrollment for fall 1980 of over 7 million, of which over 5 million were full-time and slightly over 2 million were part-time. Women students comprised 49.9 percent of the population in the four-year schools. Data from 1,083 two-year colleges and proprietary schools indicated a total enrollment for fall 1980 of slightly over 4 million, of which approximately 1.5 million were full-time and about 2.5 million were part-time. Women students comprised 53.5 percent of the population in the two-year schools. Enrollments in four-year institutions increased by 3.6 percent, and full-time enrollments also increased by 3.6 percent. Almost one-fourth of the students enrolled in four-year institutions attend a school or college that is part of a statewide system. Additional findings include the following: unitary systems registered a 6.1 percent increase in full-time enrollments; public complex universities' full-time enrollments increased by 2.4 percent; private-complex universities' full-time enrollments increased by 2.6 percent; multipurpose institutions' full-time enrollments increased by 4 percent; public two-year institutions' enrollments increased by 7.8 percent; independent private two-year colleges, church affiliated, and proprietary schools' combined enrollments increased by 5.7 percent; junior colleges' enrollment increased by 8 percent; community colleges' enrollment increased by 7.8 percent; full-time entering freshmen enrollments increased; collegiate enrollment of veterans and related student groups declined by 11.3 percent; and graduate school enrollments increased by 2.5 percent. (SW)