Overall Public School Racial/Ethnic Composition

Of the 49.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2021,⁴

• 22.4 million were White;
• 14.1 million were Hispanic;
• 7.4 million were Black;
• 2.7 million were Asian;
• 2.3 million were of Two or more races;
• 0.5 million were American Indian/Alaska Native; and
• 182,000 were Pacific Islander.

Between fall 2010 and fall 2021, public school enrollment decreased among students who were

• White (from 25.9 million to 22.4 million);
• Black (from 7.9 million to 7.4 million); and
• American Indian/Alaska Native (from 0.6 million to 0.5 million).

In contrast, public school enrollment increased between fall 2010 and fall 2021 among students who were

• Hispanic (from 11.4 million to 14.1 million);
• Asian (from 2.3 million to 2.7 million); and
• of Two or more races (1.2 million to 2.3 million).

Among all seven racial/ethnic groups, students of Two or more races were the only group for whom enrollment did not drop between fall 2019 and fall 2020.

These enrollment trends produced changes in the overall composition of U.S. public school students. Specifically, between fall 2010 and fall 2021, there was a decrease in the percentages of students who were

• White (from 52 to 45 percent);
• Black (from 16 to 15 percent); and
• American Indian/Alaska Native (from 1.1 to 0.9 percent).

During this same time period, there was an increase in the percentage of students who were

• Hispanic (from 23 to 28 percent);
• Asian (from 4.6 to 5.4 percent); and
• of Two or more races (from 2 to 5 percent).

In both fall 2010 and fall 2021, Pacific Islander students made up less than one-half of 1 percent of public elementary and secondary enrollment.

Between fall 2021 and fall 2031, the percentages of public elementary and secondary students enrolled in public schools are projected to continue decreasing for students who are

• White (from 45 to 42 percent);
• Black (from 15 to 14 percent); and
• American Indian/Alaska Native (from 0.9 to 0.8 percent).

In contrast, the percentage of students who are Hispanic is projected to continue increasing (from 28 to 30 percent). In addition, the percentages of students who are Asian and of Two or more races are projected to increase (each from 5 to 6 percent). Pacific Islander students are projected to make up less than one-half of 1 percent. [Projections]

Public School Racial/Ethnic Composition by State

Changes in the racial/ethnic composition of public elementary and secondary school enrollment between fall 2010 and fall 2021 differed by state.⁵ Compared with fall 2010, the percentage of public school students in fall 2021 who were Black

• was lower by more than 3 percentage points in Tennessee (3 percent), Louisiana (3 percent), South Carolina (4 percent), and the District of Columbia (13 percent);⁶
• was lower by 3 percentage points or less in 33 states; and
• was higher by 3 percentage points or less in the 14 remaining states.

Compared with fall 2010, the percentage of public school students in fall 2021 who were Hispanic

• was higher in all 50 states and the District of Columbia; and
• ranged from 1 percentage point higher in West Virginia and Maine to 13 percentage points higher in Hawaii.

Compared with fall 2010, the percentage of public school students in fall 2021 who were White

• was lower in all 50 states;
• ranged from 3 percentage points lower in Hawaii, West Virginia, and Mississippi to 13 percentage points lower in Connecticut and Washington; and
• was 6 percentage points higher in the District of Columbia (13 percent in fall 2021 vs. 7 percent in fall 2010).

[State/jurisdiction]

Fall 2010 and fall 2021 data on the racial/ethnic composition of public school enrollment are available for some other U.S. jurisdictions as well. In fall 2010 and fall 2021, American Indian/Alaska Native students made up 100 percent of public school enrollment among Bureau of Indian Education schools. In Puerto Rico, Hispanic students made up nearly 100 percent of public school enrollment in both years. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, changes in the percentages of public school students who were of each racial/ethnic group were all 1 percentage point or less. In fall 2021, some 77 percent of students enrolled in public school in the U.S. Virgin Islands were Black, and 21 percent were Hispanic. In Guam, the percentage of public school students who were Pacific Islander was about 4 percentage points higher in fall 2021 than in fall 2010 (73 vs. 69 percent). In both fall 2021 and fall 2010, Asian students made up about 22 percent of public school enrollment in Guam. In the Northern Mariana Islands, the percentage of public school students who were Pacific Islander was about 3 percentage points lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010 (58 vs. 61 percent), and the percentage who were Asian was about 2 percentage points lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010 (36 vs. 38 percent). In contrast, the percentage of public school students in fall 2021 who were of Two or more races was about 5 percentage points higher than in fall of 2010 (5 vs. 0.4 percent) in the Northern Mariana Islands. [State/jurisdiction]

Peer Diversity

In fall 2021, about 33 percent of all public elementary and secondary school students attended schools where students of color⁷ made up at least 75 percent of total enrollment. This represents an increase from the 27 percent of all public school students who attended such schools in fall 2010. In fall 2021, more than half of students from the following racial/ethnic groups attended public schools in which the combined enrollment of students of color was at least 75 percent of total enrollment:

• Hispanic (61 percent)
• Black (59 percent)
• Pacific Islander (53 percent).

In addition, 42 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native students, 41 percent of Asian students, and 22 percent of students of Two or more races attended schools in which the combined enrollment of students of color was at least 75 percent of total enrollment. In contrast, 6 percent of White students attended such schools. [Racial composition]

As discussed in the prior paragraph, compared to White students, a higher proportion of students of color attended schools in which the combined enrollment of students of color was at least 75 percent of total enrollment in fall 2021. This does not necessarily mean that students of color attended schools with many students of their own racial/ethnic group. In fall 2021, the percentages of students who attended schools that were mostly composed of their own racial/ethnic group (i.e., at least 75 percent) were⁸

• 44 percent for White students;
• 31 percent for Hispanic students;
• 22 percent for Black students;
• 18 percent for American Indian/Alaska Native students;
• 4 percent for Asian students; and
• 1 percent for Pacific Islander students.

Students from less populous racial/ethnic groups attended schools with many peers of the same racial/ethnic group less frequently than did students from more populous groups. Specifically, more than half of students who were American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, or Pacific Islander were enrolled in public schools in which less than 25 percent of the students were of their own race/ethnicity. [Racial composition]