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Digest of Education Statistics
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Table 53. Enrollment of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in preprimary programs, by level of program, control of program, and attendance status: Selected years, 1965 through 2010
[Numbers in thousands]  
Year and age Total popula-
tion, 3 to 5 years old
Enrollment by level and control Enrollment by attendance  
Total Percent enrolled Nursery school Kindergarten Full-
day
Part-
day
Percent full-
day
 
Public Private Public Private  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11  
Total, 3 to 5
     years old
                                         
1965 12,549 (144.5) 3,407 (87.1) 27.1 (0.69) 127 (19.6) 393 (34.1) 2,291 (75.6) 596 (41.6) (†) (†) (†)  
1970 10,949 (109.4) 4,104 (71.5) 37.5 (0.65) 332 (25.3) 762 (37.6) 2,498 (62.0) 511 (31.1) 698 (36.1) 3,405 (68.3) 17.0 (0.83)  
1975 10,185 (105.8) 4,955 (71.2) 48.7 (0.70) 570 (32.7) 1,174 (45.5) 2,682 (62.7) 528 (31.6) 1,295 (47.4) 3,659 (68.3) 26.1 (0.88)  
1980 9,284 (102.6) 4,878 (68.8) 52.5 (0.74) 628 (34.6) 1,353 (48.6) 2,438 (60.6) 459 (29.9) 1,551 (51.4) 3,327 (66.1) 31.8 (0.95)  
1985 10,733 (115.6) 5,865 (77.6) 54.6 (0.72) 846 (42.0) 1,631 (56.0) 2,847 (68.8) 541 (34.1) 2,144 (62.3) 3,722 (74.2) 36.6 (0.95)  
                                           
1990 11,207 (124.2) 6,659 (82.3) 59.4 (0.73) 1,199 (51.8) 2,180 (66.4) 2,772 (72.3) 509 (34.9) 2,577 (70.6) 4,082 (80.7) 38.7 (0.95)  
19951  12,518 (131.5) 7,739 (86.6) 61.8 (0.69) 1,950 (64.6) 2,381 (69.9) 2,800 (74.2) 608 (38.3) 3,689 (81.2) 4,051 (83.4) 47.7 (0.90)  
20001  11,858 (133.0) 7,592 (86.3) 64.0 (0.70) 2,146 (69.2) 2,180 (69.7) 2,701 (75.4) 565 (38.3) 4,008 (85.1) 3,584 (82.6) 52.8 (0.95)  
20051  12,134 (144.6) 7,801 (82.7) 64.3 (0.68) 2,409 (68.8) 2,120 (65.5) 2,804 (72.7) 468 (33.2) 4,548 (83.5) 3,253 (76.4) 58.3 (0.87)  
20071  12,326 (145.7) 8,056 (82.7) 65.4 (0.67) 2,532 (70.2) 2,037 (64.6) 3,088 (75.3) 400 (30.8) 4,578 (84.0) 3,478 (78.3) 56.8 (0.86)  
                                           
20081  12,583 (147.1) 7,928 (84.8) 63.0 (0.67) 2,609 (71.2) 1,961 (63.7) 2,982 (74.7) 376 (29.9) 4,615 (84.7) 3,313 (77.4) 58.2 (0.87)  
20091  12,718 (147.8) 8,076 (85.0) 63.5 (0.67) 2,703 (72.3) 1,945 (63.6) 3,144 (76.2) 284 (26.1) 4,916 (86.0) 3,160 (76.3) 60.9 (0.85)  
20101  12,949 (80.4) 8,246 (107.3) 63.7 (0.66) 2,749 (89.3) 2,048 (69.0) 3,080 (75.6) 369 (33.2) 4,813 (98.5) 3,432 (88.5) 58.4 (0.92)  
                                           
3 years old                                          
1965 4,149 (84.9) 203 (24.3) 4.9 (0.59) 41 (11.1) 153 (21.2) 5 (3.9) 4 (3.5) (†) (†) (†)  
1970 3,516 (63.2) 454 (28.1) 12.9 (0.80) 110 (14.6) 322 (24.1) 12 (4.9) 10 (4.5) 142 (16.5) 312 (23.8) 31.3 (3.07)  
1975 3,177 (60.2) 683 (32.7) 21.5 (1.03) 179 (18.3) 474 (28.3) 11 (4.7) 18 (6.0) 259 (21.8) 423 (27.0) 37.9 (2.62)  
1980 3,143 (60.7) 857 (35.7) 27.3 (1.14) 221 (20.5) 604 (31.6) 16 (5.7) 17 (5.9) 321 (24.3) 536 (30.2) 37.5 (2.36)  
1985 3,594 (68.2) 1,035 (40.8) 28.8 (1.14) 278 (24.1) 679 (35.3) 52 (10.8) 26 (7.6) 350 (26.7) 685 (35.4) 33.8 (2.21)  
                                           
1990 3,692 (72.7) 1,205 (45.1) 32.6 (1.22) 347 (28.1) 840 (40.3) 11 (5.4) 7 (4.2) 447 (31.4) 758 (38.9) 37.1 (2.20)  
19951  4,148 (77.4) 1,489 (49.2) 35.9 (1.19) 511 (33.7) 947 (43.0) 15 (6.1) 17 (6.5) 754 (39.6) 736 (39.2) 50.6 (2.06)  
20001 3,929 (78.2) 1,541 (50.5) 39.2 (1.29) 644 (38.3) 854 (42.7) 27 (8.5) 16 (6.7) 761 (40.9) 779 (41.3) 49.4 (2.10)  
20051  4,151 (86.3) 1,715 (49.7) 41.3 (1.20) 777 (39.4) 869 (41.1) 54 (11.4) 15 (6.0) 901 (41.6) 814 (40.1) 52.5 (1.89)  
20071  4,142 (86.2) 1,717 (49.7) 41.5 (1.20) 766 (39.1) 832 (40.4) 106 (15.9) 13 (5.7) 883 (41.3) 834 (40.4) 51.4 (1.89)  
                                           
20081  4,204 (86.9) 1,655 (49.6) 39.4 (1.18) 755 (39.0) 802 (39.9) 90 (14.7) 7 (4.1) 852 (40.8) 803 (39.9) 51.5 (1.92)  
20091  4,361 (88.4) 1,776 (50.8) 40.7 (1.17) 837 (40.7) 861 (41.2) 61 (12.2) 17 (6.5) 1,024 (43.8) 752 (39.1) 57.7 (1.84)  
20101  4,492 (59.4) 1,718 (59.5) 38.2 (1.25) 824 (48.3) 818 (42.9) 54 (15.3) 22 (7.9) 861 (50.1) 857 (46.3) 50.1 (2.21)  
                                           
4 years old                                          
1965 4,238 (85.8) 683 (41.8) 16.1 (0.99) 68 (14.3) 213 (24.9) 284 (28.4) 118 (18.7) (†) (†) (†)  
1970 3,620 (64.1) 1,007 (38.0) 27.8 (1.05) 176 (18.3) 395 (26.5) 318 (24.0) 117 (15.0) 230 (20.7) 776 (34.8) 22.8 (1.87)  
1975 3,499 (63.1) 1,418 (41.0) 40.5 (1.17) 332 (24.5) 644 (32.3) 313 (23.8) 129 (15.7) 411 (26.9) 1,008 (37.8) 29.0 (1.70)  
1980 3,072 (60.0) 1,423 (39.5) 46.3 (1.29) 363 (25.6) 701 (33.3) 239 (21.2) 120 (15.4) 467 (28.5) 956 (36.7) 32.8 (1.78)  
1985 3,598 (68.2) 1,766 (45.1) 49.1 (1.25) 496 (31.1) 859 (38.5) 276 (24.0) 135 (17.1) 643 (34.6) 1,123 (41.8) 36.4 (1.72)  
                                           
1990 3,723 (73.0) 2,087 (48.0) 56.1 (1.29) 695 (37.7) 1,144 (44.6) 157 (19.4) 91 (14.9) 716 (38.1) 1,371 (46.6) 34.3 (1.65)  
19951  4,145 (77.4) 2,553 (49.9) 61.6 (1.20) 1,054 (44.6) 1,208 (46.6) 207 (22.3) 84 (14.5) 1,104 (45.3) 1,449 (48.9) 43.3 (1.56)  
20001  3,940 (78.3) 2,556 (49.5) 64.9 (1.26) 1,144 (47.0) 1,121 (46.8) 227 (24.2) 65 (13.2) 1,182 (47.5) 1,374 (49.4) 46.2 (1.63)  
20051  4,028 (85.1) 2,668 (47.0) 66.2 (1.17) 1,295 (46.4) 1,083 (44.1) 215 (22.3) 75 (13.5) 1,332 (46.8) 1,336 (46.8) 49.9 (1.52)  
20071  4,092 (85.7) 2,774 (46.8) 67.8 (1.14) 1,417 (47.7) 993 (42.9) 295 (25.9) 69 (12.9) 1,297 (46.6) 1,476 (48.1) 46.8 (1.48)  
                                           
20081  4,241 (87.2) 2,804 (48.3) 66.1 (1.14) 1,525 (48.9) 995 (43.2) 234 (23.3) 49 (10.9) 1,332 (47.3) 1,472 (48.6) 47.5 (1.48)  
20091  4,176 (86.6) 2,698 (48.4) 64.6 (1.16) 1,512 (48.6) 905 (41.7) 256 (24.3) 25 (7.8) 1,372 (47.5) 1,326 (47.1) 50.9 (1.51)  
20101  4,358 (57.7) 2,988 (67.2) 68.6 (1.25) 1,587 (67.0) 1,016 (44.8) 331 (35.5) 55 (12.1) 1,405 (55.6) 1,584 (62.1) 47.0 (1.61)  
                                           
5 years old2                                           
1965 4,162 (85.1) 2,521 (55.1) 60.6 (1.32) 18 (7.4) 27 (9.1) 2,002 (56.3) 474 (35.8) (†) (†) (†)  
1970 3,814 (65.8) 2,643 (40.2) 69.3 (1.05) 45 (9.4) 45 (9.4) 2,168 (43.2) 384 (26.2) 326 (24.4) 2,317 (42.5) 12.3 (0.90)  
1975 3,509 (63.2) 2,854 (32.6) 81.3 (0.93) 59 (10.7) 57 (10.6) 2,358 (39.2) 381 (26.0) 625 (32.0) 2,228 (40.2) 21.9 (1.09)  
1980 3,069 (60.0) 2,598 (28.6) 84.7 (0.93) 44 (9.4) 48 (9.8) 2,183 (35.9) 322 (24.3) 763 (34.2) 1,835 (38.8) 29.4 (1.28)  
1985 3,542 (67.7) 3,065 (30.6) 86.5 (0.86) 73 (12.7) 94 (14.4) 2,519 (40.6) 379 (27.7) 1,151 (41.9) 1,914 (44.6) 37.6 (1.32)  
                                           
1990 3,792 (73.7) 3,367 (30.8) 88.8 (0.81) 157 (19.4) 196 (21.6) 2,604 (45.2) 411 (30.3) 1,414 (47.2) 1,953 (48.7) 42.0 (1.35)  
19951  4,224 (78.1) 3,697 (34.2) 87.5 (0.81) 385 (29.8) 226 (23.3) 2,578 (50.5) 507 (33.7) 1,830 (51.3) 1,867 (51.4) 49.5 (1.31)  
20001  3,989 (78.7) 3,495 (34.3) 87.6 (0.86) 359 (29.8) 206 (23.1) 2,447 (50.8) 484 (34.1) 2,065 (52.1) 1,431 (50.0) 59.1 (1.37)  
20051  3,955 (84.3) 3,418 (33.7) 86.4 (0.85) 337 (27.5) 168 (19.9) 2,535 (47.3) 378 (29.0) 2,316 (48.5) 1,102 (44.2) 67.7 (1.25)  
20071  4,091 (85.7) 3,565 (33.5) 87.1 (0.82) 349 (28.0) 212 (22.2) 2,687 (47.6) 317 (26.8) 2,397 (49.3) 1,168 (45.2) 67.2 (1.23)  
                                           
20081  4,137 (86.2) 3,470 (37.1) 83.9 (0.90) 329 (27.2) 163 (19.6) 2,659 (48.3) 320 (26.9) 2,432 (49.6) 1,038 (43.7) 70.1 (1.22)  
20091  4,180 (86.6) 3,601 (35.0) 86.1 (0.84) 354 (28.2) 179 (20.5) 2,827 (47.4) 242 (23.6) 2,519 (49.6) 1,082 (44.3) 70.0 (1.20)  
20101  4,099 (57.9) 3,540 (56.2) 86.3 (0.92) 338 (28.6) 214 (23.5) 2,695 (58.4) 292 (30.3) 2,548 (60.1) 992 (44.6) 72.0 (1.20)  
—Not available.  
†Not applicable.  
1 Data collected using new procedures. Data may not be comparable with figures prior to 1994.  
2 Enrollment data include only those students in preprimary programs.  
NOTE: Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutional population. Although cells with fewer than 75,000 children are subject to wide sampling variation, they are included in the table to permit various types of aggregations. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.  
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Preprimary Enrollment, 1965, 1970, and 1975. U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1980 through 2010. (This table was prepared August 2011.)

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