40 percent of the 18-to-24 population was enrolled in college in 2008

From The New York Times: Almost 40 percent of the nation’s 18- to 24-year-olds in 2008 were enrolled in college, a record number, according to a Pew Research Center report. The rise was driven almost entirely by a surge in students attending community colleges. The previous record for college enrollment among 18- to 24-year-olds was 38.9 percent in 2005.
MORE: Read the report.