Categories of disability
​and prevalence in higher education

​According to the U.S. Department of Education, 21% of undergraduates and 11% of graduate students have disabilities. The percentage of faculty and staff with disabilities is unknown.

The chart below shows the percentage of undergraduates with broad categories of disabilities, using categories your campus may not use.  If you would like more information about each type of disability, click on the category name.
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• ​Mental illness and depression: 40.0%
• Attention deficit disorder: 26.4%
• Other (examples: traumatic brain injuries, chronic illnesses, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, asthma): 14.7%
• Orthopedic: 5.9%
• Visual: 4.2%
• Hearing impairment: 4%
• Specific learning disabilities: 3.5%
• Speech: 1.3%

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