Fast Facts provide users with concise information on a range of educational issues, from early childhood to adult learning. Fast Facts draw from various published sources and are updated as new data become available.

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Back-to-School Fast Facts

In fall 2021, about 49.5 million students were enrolled in public schools in prekindergarten through grade 12, compared to 49.4 million in fall 2020.

Estimated $682 billion in current expenditures for public PK–12 schools in 2019–20

19.4 million students attended postsecondary institutions in fall 2020

Fast Facts by Topic

Additional references on each of these topics are highlighted within each fact.

 Assessments

ACT scores  New!

Adult literacy

Advanced mathematics and science courses

Arts

International comparisons of achievement

Long-term trends in reading and mathematics achievement

Mathematics  New!

Reading  New!

SAT scores  New!

Science

State-by-state rankings

 Early Childhood

Child care

Early literacy activities

Knowledge and skills of young children

Preprimary education enrollment

 Elementary and Secondary

Access to the internet

Bullying

Career and technical education

Charter schools

Closed schools

Condition of public school facilities

Distance learning

Dropout rates

Educational institutions  New!

English learners

Enrollment trends

Expenditures

High school graduation rates

Homeschooling

Knowledge and skills at kindergarten

Libraries

Mental health services in public schools

NCES surveys on students and teachers

Public and private school comparison

Public school choice programs

Public school students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch

School crime

School ID codes and searches

School safety and security measures

School uniforms

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, by gender

State-level statistics

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities, inclusion of

Sustainable Development Goals

Teacher characteristics and trends

Teacher qualifications

Title I

Transportation

Violence prevention

Written plans for emergency scenarios

 Postsecondary and Beyond

Adult learning

Adult skills in an international context

College crime

Degrees conferred by race/ethnicity and sex

Distance learning

Educational attainment

Educational institutions  New!

Employment rates of young adults

Endowments

Enrollment

Expenditures

Financial aid

Highest enrollment

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Immediate transition to college

Income of young adults

International educational attainment

Libraries

Most popular majors

NCES surveys on students and teachers

Race/ethnicity of college faculty

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, by gender

Student debt

Students with disabilities

Time to degree

Title IX

Tuition costs of colleges and universities

Undergraduate graduation rates

 Resources

Coronavirus pandemic resources

Educational associations

Glossary

Historical reports  New!

Ordering NCES publications and products

 Special Topics

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Back-to-school statistics

Black History Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Native American Heritage Month

Women’s History Month