Fast Facts

Question:
How many educational institutions exist in the United States?

Response:

During most of the last century, the trend to consolidate small schools brought declines in the total number of public schools in the United States. In 1929-30, there were approximately 248,000 public schools, compared with about 99,000 in 2006-07. But this number has been increasing in recent years; between 1996-97 and 2006-07, there was an increase of approximately 10,600 schools.

The shift in structure of public school systems toward middle schools (grade spans beginning with 4, 5, or 6 and ending with 6, 7, or 8) since the early 1970s has continued. The number of all elementary schools (beginning in grade 6 or below, with no grade higher than grade 8) rose by 12 percent to 68,990 between 1996-97 and 2006-07, and the subset of middle schools rose by 22 percent during the same time period. Meanwhile, the number of junior high schools (grades 7 and 8 or 7 to 9) declined by 16 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 (NCES 2009-020), Chapter 2.

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¹ Data for 1980-81 and 1990-91 include schools with first or higher grades. Data for 1995-96 and later years include schools with kindergarten or higher grades.
² Postsecondary data through 1990-91 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for Title IV degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate's or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 (NCES 2009-020), Table 5.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 100. Public secondary schools, by grade span, average school size, and state or jurisdiction: 2006-07
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 265. Degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Selected years, 1949–50 through 2007–08
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 58. Private elementary and secondary enrollment, teachers, and schools, by orientation of school and selected school characteristics: Fall 2005
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 62. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 1997 through 2005
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 87. Number of public school districts and public and private elementary and secondary schools: Selected years, 1869-70 through 2006-07
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 94. Public elementary and secondary schools, by type of school: Selected years, 1967-68 through 2006-07
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 95. Number and percentage distribution of public elementary and secondary schools and enrollment, by type and enrollment size of school: 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 98. Public elementary and secondary schools, by type and state or jurisdiction: 1990-91, 2000-01, and 2006-07
  
• 2009, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, Table 99. Public elementary schools, by grade span, average school size, and state or jurisdiction: 2006-07
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2009, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) compendium tables site. This site provides links to data tables including counts of postsecondary institutions.
  
• 2009, IPEDS College Navigator
  
• 2009, Private School Universe Survey (PSS) Homepage. This site provides access to information on the PSS as well as links to reports and data tables using PSS data.
  
• 2009, School and Agency Reports: This site provides annual reports describing public schools and their characteristics (Type; Magnet, Charter, and Title I status; Urbanicity; Size) and counts of students.
  
• 2009, Search for Private Schools - PSS School Locator
  
• 2009, Search for Public Schools - CCD School Locator