The following interesting facts consist of a data collected
from demographic and economic subject areas from the U.S.
Census Bureau.
Students
More than 1-in-4
Ratio of US household residents age 3 and over enrolled in
schools—from nursery schools to colleges. That amounts
to 74.6 million students in all.
Read more >
55%
Percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school, up from
20% in 1970.
Read more >
53.8 million
The number of students projected to enroll in the nation's
elementary and high schools (grades K-12) this fall. That
number exceeds the total in 1969 (51.6 million) when the last
of the "baby boom" children expanded school enrollments.
Read more >
274,000
The decrease in elementary school-age children between 2000
and 2003. Only 14 states experienced increases in the population
of this age group. Texas (125,000), Florida (88,000) and Arizona
(66,000)—the latter two, usually known for their older
populations—led the way. North Carolina (36,000) and
Nevada (35,000) followed.
Read
more >
429,000
The increase in the nation's high school-age population between
2000 and 2003. More than half the states experienced an increase
in this age group over the period, led by California (97,000),
Florida (81,000), Texas (46,000), North Carolina (37,000)
and New Jersey (34,000).
Read more >
11%
Projected percentage of elementary and high school students
enrolled in private schools this fall.
Read more >
21%
Percentage of elementary and high school students with at
least one foreign-born parent.
Read more >
9.8 million
Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who speak a language
other than English at home. These children make up nearly
1-in-5 in this age group. Most of them (6.9 million) speak
Spanish at home.
Read more >
72%
Percentage of children 12-to-17 years old who are academically
on track for their age. The rate is higher for girls than
for boys (79% versus 69%).
Read more >
22%
Percentage of children 12 to 17 enrolled in special classes
for gifted students. The corresponding rate for those who
are 6 to 11 is 13%.
Read more >.
40%
Percentage of children ages 12 to 17 who have changed schools
at some time in their educational careers. For children ages
6 to 11, the corresponding rate is 23%. This does not include
students who graduated from one scholastic level to the next,
e.g., from elementary to middle school.
Read more >
59%
Percentage of children 6 to 17 who participate in at least
one of three types of extracurricular activities—sports,
clubs or lessons.
Read more >
22%
Percentage of high school students ages 15 to 17 who are holding
down a full- or part-time job.
Read more >
15.9 million
The projected number of students enrolled in the nation's
colleges and universities this fall.
Read
more >
back to top ^
Teachers
6.2 million
Number of teachers in the United States. About half (3.1 million)
teach at the elementary and middle school level.
Read
more >
$54,300
Average annual salary of public elementary and secondary school
teachers in California in 2002—highest of any state
in the nation. Teachers in South Dakota received the lowest
pay—$31,300. The national average was $44,700.
Read
more >
back to top ^
Technology in Schools
14.1 million
Number of computers available for classroom use in the nation's
114,000 elementary and secondary schools; that works out to
one computer for every four students. (From upcoming Statistical
Abstract of the United States: 2004.)
99%
Percentage of public schools with Internet access. There are
five students for every instructional computer connected to
the Internet. As recently as 1995, the proportion was 50 percent.
Read more >
back to top ^
Rising Cost of College
$9,953
Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at
the nation's four-year public colleges and universities for
an entire academic year; that is up 87% from 1990.
Read more >
$29,119
Average tuition, room and board at the nation's four-year
private colleges and universities for one complete academic
year; that is up 93% from 1990.
Read more >
back to top ^
Rewards of Staying in School
$4.4 million
The estimated lifetime earnings of professional (i.e., medical,
law, dentistry and veterinary medicine) degree-holders. This
compares with $3.4 million for those with Ph Ds, $2.5 million
for master's degree-holders, $2.1 million for those with bachelor's
degrees, $1.2 million for high school graduates and $1.0 million
for high school dropouts.
Read more >
$55,987
Average starting salary offer to bachelor's degree candidates
in petroleum engineering, among the highest of any field of
study. At the other end of the spectrum were those majoring
in the social sciences; they were offered an average of $29,098.
(From upcoming Statistical
Abstract of the United States: 2004.)
back to top ^
Graduation
2.9 million
Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded
this school year.
Read more >
2.5 million
Number of college diplomas expected to be conferred this school
year.
Read more >
back to top ^
Government Spending on Education
$13,187
The per-pupil expenditure on elementary and secondary education
in the nation-leading District of Columbia in 2002. New York,
at $11,546; New Jersey, $11,436; Connecticut, $10,001; and
Massachusetts, $9,856, followed.
Read
more >
back to top ^
Back-to-School
$5.6 billion
The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August
2003. Only in November and December—the holiday shopping
season—were sales higher. Similarly, bookstore sales
in August 2003 totaled $2.2 billion, an amount approached
only by sales in December and January. (The dollar volume
estimates have not been adjusted for seasonal variations,
holiday or trading day differences or price changes.)
Read more >
back to top ^
Schools
1,010
The number of public charter schools nationwide. These schools,
granted a charter exempting them from selected state and local
rules and regulations, enrolled 267,000 students.
Read
more >
92,012
Number of public elementary and secondary schools that children
will report to on the first day of school this year. The corresponding
number of private elementary and secondary schools is 27,223.
Read more >
4,084
Number of institutions of higher learning that grant college
degrees.
Read more >
40
Percentage of children ages 12 to 17 who have changed schools
at some time in their educational careers. For children ages
6 to 11, the corresponding rate is 23%. This does not include
the normal progression and graduation from elementary and
middle schools.
Read more >
back to top ^
Information provided by the U.S.
Census Bureau.
Editor's note: Some of the preceding data
were collected in surveys and, therefore, are subject to sampling
error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census
Bureau's Public Information Office.
