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Digest of Education Statistics
2007 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 41. 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 2006

[In thousands]
Year and age Total population, 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 (0.73) 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)
20021  11,524 (131.2) 7,697 (79.2) 66.8 (0.69) 2,376 (68.0) 2,179 (65.8) 2,621 (70.5) 521 (34.9) 4,191 (80.9) 3,507 (77.4) 54.4 (0.89)
20031  12,204 (134.8) 7,921 (82.6) 64.9 (0.68) 2,512 (70.0) 2,347 (68.2) 2,539 (70.2) 523 (35.0) 4,429 (83.2) 3,492 (78.2) 55.9 (0.87)
                                         
20041  12,362 (145.9) 7,969 (83.3) 64.5 (0.67) 2,428 (69.2) 2,243 (67.1) 2,812 (73.0) 484 (33.8) 4,507 (83.8) 3,461 (78.2) 56.6 (0.87)
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)
20061  12,186 (144.9) 8,010 (82.1) 65.7 (0.67) 2,481 (69.6) 2,156 (66.0) 2,960 (74.1) 413 (31.3) 4,723 (84.2) 3,286 (76.7) 59.0 (0.86)
                                         
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)
20021  3,831 (77.2) 1,711 (48.2) 44.7 (1.26) 779 (39.0) 864 (40.5) 45 (10.5) 24 (7.6) 937 (41.7) 775 (38.9) 54.7 (1.88)
20031  4,260 (81.3) 1,806 (50.5) 42.4 (1.19) 783 (39.6) 915 (42.0) 83 (14.1) 24 (7.7) 979 (43.0) 826 (40.4) 54.2 (1.84)
                                         
20041  4,089 (85.7) 1,583 (48.8) 38.7 (1.19) 674 (37.2) 849 (40.6) 40 (9.9) 20 (7.0) 808 (39.9) 775 (39.3) 51.0 (1.97)
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)
20061  4,043 (85.2) 1,716 (49.2) 42.4 (1.22) 733 (38.4) 912 (41.6) 54 (11.5) 17 (6.4) 884 (41.2) 833 (40.3) 51.5 (1.89)
                                         
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)
20021  3,851 (77.4) 2,615 (45.4) 67.9 (1.18) 1,198 (45.0) 1,163 (44.6) 174 (20.2) 80 (13.9) 1,259 (45.6) 1,355 (46.4) 48.2 (1.53)
20031  4,076 (79.6) 2,785 (46.5) 68.3 (1.14) 1,324 (46.8) 1,176 (45.3) 184 (20.7) 101 (15.5) 1,400 (47.5) 1,384 (47.4) 50.3 (1.48)
                                         
20041  4,339 (88.2) 2,969 (48.0) 68.4 (1.11) 1,462 (48.8) 1,213 (46.3) 208 (22.1) 85 (14.3) 1,484 (48.9) 1,485 (48.9) 50.0 (1.44)
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)
20061  4,095 (85.8) 2,817 (46.4) 68.8 (1.13) 1,401 (47.5) 1,067 (44.0) 306 (26.4) 43 (10.3) 1,418 (47.7) 1,399 (47.5) 50.3 (1.48)
                                         
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)
20021  3,841 (77.3) 3,371 (31.8) 87.8 (0.83) 399 (29.6) 153 (19.0) 2,403 (47.0) 417 (30.2) 1,994 (48.5) 1,377 (46.5) 59.2 (1.33)
20031  3,867 (77.5) 3,331 (33.7) 86.1 (0.87) 404 (29.8) 256 (24.2) 2,272 (47.9) 398 (29.6) 2,050 (48.6) 1,281 (45.8) 61.5 (1.32)
                                         
20041  3,934 (84.1) 3,417 (33.2) 86.9 (0.84) 293 (25.8) 181 (20.6) 2,564 (46.8) 380 (29.0) 2,215 (48.7) 1,201 (45.2) 64.8 (1.28)
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)
20061  4,049 (85.3) 3,476 (34.7) 85.9 (0.86) 346 (27.9) 178 (20.4) 2,599 (47.8) 353 (28.1) 2,422 (48.9) 1,054 (43.7) 69.7 (1.22)
— Not available.
† Not applicable.
1 Data collected using new procedures. 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 2006. (This table was prepared August 2007.)

2007 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest