Colleges Likely Serving More Students With Autism Than They Realize

New estimates show that colleges are serving far more students with autism than previously thought and they may not even know it.

Between 135,400 and 286,254 students on the autism spectrum are currently enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities, according to research published recently in the journal Autism in Adulthood.

That number is substantially higher than previous estimates, which suggested that the population of college students with autism could be as low as 60,000, researchers said.

“For years, we’ve known more autistic students were going to college — we just didn’t know how many,” said Brad Cox, an associate professor at Michigan State University who led the study. “What this shows is that this is not a small or niche population. These students are already part of our campuses.”

The new figures are based on an analysis of published research, surveys of college students and codebooks from federal datasets.

Still, they are likely an undercount, researchers said. The study found that about 43% to 47% of high school students with autism go to college, but not everyone chooses to disclose their disability or request accommodations.

Cox said the findings show that colleges need to change how they identify and support students with autism. He also said that better data would help, noting that previous estimates were based on data from a sample that was over 25 years old.

“Our numbers clearly show this is a large and growing group that deserves more attention — from families, educators, policymakers and researchers alike,” Cox said. “The next step is turning that awareness into action so autistic individuals have the support they need to thrive in school, work and life.”