School uniforms

Question:
How many public schools require school uniforms?

Response:

In the 2019–20 school year, 18.8 percent of public schools required that students wear uniforms. There were no measurable differences between 2009–10 and 2019–20 in the percentage of public schools that reported requiring school uniforms.

During the 2019–20 school year, greater percentages of elementary schools and middle schools than of secondary/high schools reported a requirement that students wear uniforms (21 and 18 percent vs. 12 percent).¹ Schools where 25 percent or less of the students were students of color² reported the lowest instance of a requirement that students wear uniforms

¹ The term “students of color” is being used synonymously with “minority students” in Digest table 233.70. Students of color include those who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native, and of Two or more races.
² Elementary schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades K through 4 than in higher grades. Middle schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 5 through 8 than in higher or lower grades. Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades. Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Safety and Security Practices at Public Schools Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/a19.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2022, Condition of Education 2022, Safety and Security Practices at Public Schools, Figure 1. Percentage of public schools that used selected safety and security measures: School years 2009–10, 2017–18, and 2019–20
  
• 2022, Digest of Education Statistics 2021, Table 233.50. Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures: Selected years, 1999–2000 through 2019–20
  
• 2022, Digest of Education Statistics 2021, Table 233.60. Percentage of public schools with various safety and security measures, by selected school characteristics: 2019–20
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2022, Crime and Safety Surveys (CSS): This site provides access to publications and data on school crime and safety.