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Digest of Education Statistics: 2008
Digest of Education Statistics: 2008

NCES 2009-020
March 2009


Table 3. Enrollment in educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1869–70 through fall 2017

[In thousands]
Year Total enrollment, all levels Elementary and secon-dary, total Public elementary and secondary schools Private elementary and secondary schools1  Postsecondary degree-granting institutions2 
Total Prekinder- garten through grade 8 Grades 9 through 12 Total Prekinder-garten through grade 8 Grades 9 through 12 Total Public Private
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1869–70 6,872 6,792 80       52    
1879–80 9,868 9,757 110       116    
1889–90 14,491 14,334 12,723 12,520 203 1,611   1,516   95   157    
1899–1900 17,092 16,855 15,503 14,984 519 1,352   1,241   111   238    
1909–10 19,728 19,372 17,814 16,899 915 1,558   1,441   117   355    
                                 
1919–20 23,876 23,278 21,578 19,378 2,200 1,699   1,486   214   598    
1929–30 29,430 28,329 25,678 21,279 4,399 2,651   2,310   341   1,101    
1939–40 29,539 28,045 25,434 18,832 6,601 2,611   2,153   458   1,494   797   698
1949–50 31,151 28,492 25,111 19,387 5,725 3,380   2,708   672   2,659   1,355   1,304
Fall 1959 44,497 40,857 35,182 26,911 8,271 5,675   4,640   1,035   3,640   2,181   1,459
Fall 1969 59,055 51,050 45,550 32,513 13,037 5,500 3  4,200 3  1,300 3  8,005   5,897   2,108
                                 
Fall 1970 59,838 51,257 45,894 32,558 13,336 5,363   4,052   1,311   8,581   6,428   2,153
Fall 1971 60,220 51,271 46,071 32,318 13,753 5,200 3  3,900 3  1,300 3  8,949   6,804   2,144
Fall 1972 59,941 50,726 45,726 31,879 13,848 5,000 3  3,700 3  1,300 3  9,215   7,071   2,144
Fall 1973 60,047 50,445 45,445 31,401 14,044 5,000 3  3,700 3  1,300 3  9,602   7,420   2,183
Fall 1974 60,297 50,073 45,073 30,971 14,103 5,000 3  3,700 3  1,300 3  10,224   7,989   2,235
                                 
Fall 1975 61,004 49,819 44,819 30,515 14,304 5,000 3  3,700 3  1,300 3  11,185   8,835   2,350
Fall 1976 60,490 49,478 44,311 29,997 14,314 5,167   3,825   1,342   11,012   8,653   2,359
Fall 1977 60,003 48,717 43,577 29,375 14,203 5,140   3,797   1,343   11,286   8,847   2,439
Fall 1978 58,897 47,637 42,551 28,463 14,088 5,086   3,732   1,353   11,260   8,786   2,474
Fall 1979 58,221 46,651 41,651 28,034 13,616 5,000 3  3,700 3  1,300 3  11,570   9,037   2,533
                                 
Fall 1980 58,305 46,208 40,877 27,647 13,231 5,331   3,992   1,339   12,097   9,457   2,640
Fall 1981 57,916 45,544 40,044 27,280 12,764 5,500 3  4,100 3  1,400 3  12,372   9,647   2,725
Fall 1982 57,591 45,166 39,566 27,161 12,405 5,600 3  4,200 3  1,400 3  12,426   9,696   2,730
Fall 1983 57,432 44,967 39,252 26,981 12,271 5,715   4,315   1,400   12,465   9,683   2,782
Fall 1984 57,150 44,908 39,208 26,905 12,304 5,700 3  4,300 3  1,400 3  12,242   9,477   2,765
                                 
Fall 1985 57,226 44,979 39,422 27,034 12,388 5,557   4,195   1,362   12,247   9,479   2,768
Fall 1986 57,709 45,205 39,753 27,420 12,333 5,452 3  4,116 3  1,336 3  12,504   9,714   2,790
Fall 1987 58,253 45,488 40,008 27,933 12,076 5,479   4,232   1,247   12,767   9,973   2,793
Fall 1988 58,485 45,430 40,189 28,501 11,687 5,242 3  4,036 3  1,206 3  13,055   10,161   2,894
Fall 1989 59,680 46,141 40,543 29,152 11,390 5,599   4,470   1,128   13,539   10,578   2,961
                                 
Fall 1990 60,683 46,864 41,217 29,878 11,338 5,648 3  4,514 3  1,134 3  13,819   10,845   2,974
Fall 1991 62,087 47,728 42,047 30,506 11,541 5,681   4,552   1,129   14,359   11,310   3,049
Fall 1992 62,987 48,500 42,823 31,088 11,735 5,677 3  4,560 3  1,117 3  14,487   11,385   3,103
Fall 1993 63,438 49,133 43,465 31,504 11,961 5,668   4,564   1,104   14,305   11,189   3,116
Fall 1994 64,177 49,898 44,111 31,898 12,213 5,787 3  4,656 3  1,131 3  14,279   11,134   3,145
                                 
Fall 1995 65,020 50,759 44,840 32,341 12,500 5,918   4,756   1,163   14,262   11,092   3,169
Fall 1996 65,911 51,544 45,611 32,764 12,847 5,933 3  4,755 3  1,178 3  14,368   11,120   3,247
Fall 1997 66,574 52,071 46,127 33,073 13,054 5,944   4,759   1,185   14,502   11,196   3,306
Fall 1998 67,033 52,526 46,539 33,346 13,193 5,988 3  4,776 3  1,212 3  14,507   11,138   3,369
Fall 1999 67,667 52,875 46,857 33,488 13,369 6,018   4,789   1,229   14,791   11,309   3,482
                                 
Fall 2000 68,685 53,373 47,204 33,688 13,515 6,169 3  4,906 3  1,264 3  15,312   11,753   3,560
Fall 2001 69,920 53,992 47,672 33,938 13,734 6,320   5,023   1,296   15,928   12,233   3,695
Fall 2002 71,015 54,403 48,183 34,116 14,067 6,220 3  4,915 3  1,306 3  16,612   12,752   3,860
Fall 2003  71,551 54,639 48,540 34,202 14,338 6,099   4,788   1,311   16,911   12,859   4,053
Fall 2004 72,154 54,882 48,795 34,179 14,617 6,087 3  4,756 3  1,331 3  17,272   12,980   4,292
                                 
Fall 2005 72,674 55,187 49,113 34,205 14,908 6,073   4,723   1,350   17,487   13,022   4,466
Fall 2006 73,153 55,394 49,299 34,221 15,078 6,095 4  4,711 4  1,384 4  17,759   13,180   4,579
Fall 20075  73,958 55,710 49,644 34,589 15,055 6,066   4,681   1,385   18,248   13,491   4,757
Fall 20084  74,079 55,879 49,825 34,903 14,922 6,054   4,681   1,372   18,200   13,562   4,638
Fall 20094  74,532 56,116 50,067 35,240 14,826 6,049   4,695   1,355   18,416   13,748   4,668
                                 
Fall 20104  75,013 56,400 50,353 35,653 14,700 6,047   4,721   1,326   18,613   13,890   4,722
Fall 20114  75,603 56,781 50,722 36,096 14,626 6,059   4,760   1,300   18,822   14,041   4,781
Fall 20124  76,323 57,275 51,194 36,527 14,667 6,081   4,813   1,267   19,048   14,201   4,847
Fall 20134  77,116 57,817 51,701 36,972 14,729 6,116   4,879   1,237   19,299   14,380   4,919
Fall 20144  77,979 58,446 52,284 37,403 14,881 6,162   4,933   1,228   19,533   14,547   4,986
                                 
Fall 20154  78,843 59,127 52,910 37,711 15,199 6,217   4,976   1,241   19,716   14,677   5,039
Fall 20164  79,679 59,786 53,503 38,052 15,451 6,283   5,021   1,262   19,893   14,804   5,089
Fall 20174  80,523 60,443 54,087 38,399 15,689 6,356   5,066   1,290   20,080   14,942   5,138
— Not available.
1 Beginning in fall 1980, data include estimates for an expanded universe of private schools. Therefore, direct comparisons with earlier years should be avoided.
2 Data for 1869–70 through 1949–50 include resident degree-credit students enrolled at any time during the academic year. Beginning in 1959, data include all resident and extension students enrolled at the beginning of the fall term.
3 Estimated.
4 Projected.
5 Data for elementary and secondary are projected; data for degree-granting institutions are actual.
NOTE: Elementary and secondary enrollment includes students in local public school systems and in most private schools (religiously affiliated and nonsectarian), but generally excludes homeschooled children and students in subcollegiate departments of colleges and in federal schools. Based on the National Household Education Survey, the home­schooled children numbered approximately 1.5 million in 2007. Excludes preprimary pupils in private schools that do not offer kindergarten or above. Postsecondary data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for 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. (See Guide to Sources for details.) Some data have been revised from previously published figures. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1870 to 1910; Biennial Survey of Education in the United States, 1919–20 through 1949–50; Statistics of Public Elementary and Secondary School Systems, 1959 through 1980; Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary and Secondary Education," 1981–82 through 2006–07; Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES:2007); Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1989–90 through 2005–06; Projections of Education Sta­tistics to 2017; Opening (Fall) Enrollment in Higher Education, 1959; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education" surveys, 1969 through 1985; and 1986 through 2007 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:86–99), and Spring 2001 through Spring 2008. (This table was prepared October 2008.)