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Digest of Education Statistics
2006 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 64. Highest degree earned, years of full-time teaching experience, and average class size for teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: 2003–04
State Total number
of teachers
(in thousands)
Percent of teachers, by highest degree earned1  Percent of teachers, by years of full-time teaching experience Average class size2 
Bachelor's Master's Education specialist3  Doctor's Less than 3 3 to 9 10 to 20 Over 20 Elementary Secondary
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
United States 3,250.6 (29.18) 50.8 (0.56) 40.9 (0.56) 6.0 (0.19) 1.2 (0.11) 12.2 (1.23) 32.9 (0.34) 28.4 (0.59) 26.5 (0.77) 20.4 (0.15) 24.7 (0.14)
Alabama 50.9 (2.34) 38.1 (2.08) 50.2 (2.39) 9.4 (1.37) 1.0 (0.35) 12.5 (1.94) 32.8 (2.76) 33.4 (1.88) 21.4 (1.66) 18.4 (0.38) 23.8 (0.66)
Alaska 8.6 (0.40) 58.4 (2.11) 34.3 (1.81) 5.6 (1.19) 1.4 (0.50) 13.0 (1.57) 36.8 (2.25) 31.2 (2.35) 18.9 (1.97) 20.5 (0.35) 23.3 (0.63)
Arizona 56.4 (2.27) 49.7 (2.21) 40.8 (2.07) 7.4 (1.30) 1.0 (0.37) 15.5 (1.73) 38.2 (2.08) 27.2 (1.72) 19.1 (1.84) 23.0 (0.39) 27.0 (0.55)
Arkansas 37.2 (1.80) 60.4 (2.56) 33.8 (2.45) 3.6 (0.62) 1.0 (0.35) 9.5 (2.15) 34.7 (2.58) 31.4 (2.37) 24.4 (1.90) 18.2 (0.64) 22.4 (0.62)
California 284.8 (16.87) 56.0 (1.76) 31.3 (1.65) 10.0 (0.95) 1.8 (0.52) 11.2 (1.45) 36.4 (1.48) 30.3 (1.66) 22.1 (1.79) 21.7 (0.26) 30.5 (0.53)
                                             
Colorado 49.1 (1.63) 44.5 (2.18) 47.7 (2.27) 5.4 (1.27) 0.9 (0.42) 12.0 (1.46) 37.4 (2.54) 30.2 (2.37) 20.5 (1.61) 22.1 (0.64) 24.5 (0.65)
Connecticut 45.0 (1.78) 24.5 (2.48) 55.9 (2.83) 16.1 (1.72) 2.2 (0.64) 9.8 (1.25) 29.7 (1.74) 31.0 (2.26) 29.4 (2.41) 19.5 (0.51) 22.3 (0.44)
Delaware 7.9 (0.60) 45.9 (3.20) 49.2 (3.29) 3.7 (1.09) 0.5 (0.36) 11.7 (1.74) 35.0 (3.39) 27.5 (3.15) 25.7 (3.17) 20.1 (0.75) 23.6 (0.82)
District of Columbia 5.4 (0.46) 48.2 (4.25) 41.8 (4.05) 6.2 (1.50) 3.3 (1.29) 15.5 (2.80) 29.8 (3.07) 28.7 (3.28) 26.0 (2.86) 19.0 (0.86) 22.8 (1.26)
Florida 156.8 (8.43) 61.8 (2.20) 32.7 (2.15) 2.4 (0.66) 1.5 (0.45) 14.3 (2.09) 27.9 (1.55) 32.0 (1.96) 25.8 (2.52) 21.2 (0.57) 27.6 (0.64)
                                             
Georgia 102.3 (3.08) 46.6 (2.71) 40.5 (2.00) 11.1 (1.81) 1.1 (0.53) 13.2 (2.18) 37.2 (2.01) 27.4 (2.61) 22.3 (1.96) 17.8 (0.59) 25.6 (0.76)
Hawaii 13.6 (0.54) 43.2 (2.43) 26.5 (2.29) 27.5 (2.19) 1.5 (0.59) 16.9 (1.80) 33.0 (2.45) 29.8 (2.27) 20.3 (1.86) 22.3 (0.71) 27.4 (1.93)
Idaho 15.4 (0.76) 71.9 (1.99) 24.9 (1.76) 1.9 (0.61) 0.2 (0.13) 12.3 (1.83) 28.4 (2.32) 36.0 (2.04) 23.3 (1.93) 23.2 (0.33) 24.1 (0.57)
Illinois 139.6 (6.23) 45.7 (2.40) 49.6 (2.89) 3.1 (0.90) 0.8 (0.71) 12.1 (1.67) 32.0 (2.57) 26.8 (2.51) 29.2 (2.87) 22.9 (0.72) 24.1 (0.66)
Indiana 63.0 (3.09) 37.3 (2.54) 56.3 (2.39) 4.3 (1.03) 1.3 (0.71) 11.2 (1.64) 27.1 (2.02) 25.9 (2.38) 35.9 (2.45) 21.3 (0.59) 25.3 (0.64)
                                             
Iowa 38.2 (1.03) 65.1 (2.01) 33.0 (1.95) 1.2 (0.50) (†) 8.4 (1.44) 27.9 (1.68) 27.1 (1.97) 36.7 (2.02) 20.9 (0.88) 23.9 (0.65)
Kansas 37.7 (1.31) 55.0 (2.32) 40.2 (2.28) 3.4 (0.62) 0.9 (0.41) 11.5 (2.00) 27.3 (1.87) 30.7 (1.62) 30.4 (2.10) 19.2 (0.68) 22.2 (0.76)
Kentucky 48.3 (1.80) 28.5 (2.05) 51.6 (2.33) 18.7 (1.90) 0.3 (0.18) 11.6 (1.59) 33.8 (2.03) 32.5 (1.79) 22.1 (1.99) 21.6 (0.57) 25.2 (0.49)
Louisiana 52.5 (1.69) 65.2 (2.43) 24.4 (1.96) 7.3 (1.16) 2.3 (0.65) 9.9 (1.40) 28.2 (2.06) 30.5 (1.99) 31.3 (2.72) 18.7 (0.59) 23.1 (0.58)
Maine 18.9 (0.79) 64.3 (2.34) 30.6 (2.22) 3.1 (0.86) 0.6 (0.27) 7.6 (1.29) 28.3 (1.99) 29.2 (2.20) 34.9 (2.10) 17.1 (0.49) 19.8 (0.54)
                                             
Maryland 59.3 (2.84) 42.7 (3.26) 46.6 (2.90) 8.3 (1.27) 1.4 (0.48) 16.0 (2.40) 33.7 (2.69) 22.2 (2.09) 28.1 (3.14) 20.7 (0.66) 25.9 (0.60)
Massachusetts 84.5 (3.81) 37.7 (2.79) 53.6 (2.85) 4.6 (0.97) 2.0 (0.36) 14.4 (1.68) 32.8 (2.29) 23.7 (2.34) 29.1 (2.38) 19.4 (0.48) 21.9 (0.50)
Michigan 100.1 (4.92) 43.3 (2.21) 50.5 (2.50) 4.0 (0.75) 1.0 (0.41) 11.2 (1.68) 35.4 (2.05) 27.3 (2.05) 26.1 (1.69) 21.9 (0.43) 26.5 (0.53)
Minnesota 61.0 (2.90) 49.0 (1.83) 43.6 (1.95) 5.7 (0.79) 0.9 (0.23) 10.4 (1.41) 33.5 (1.80) 28.5 (1.69) 27.6 (1.98) 22.3 (0.50) 26.0 (0.75)
Mississippi 34.4 (1.28) 62.3 (2.32) 30.6 (2.27) 3.9 (0.77) 1.0 (0.51) 16.3 (2.43) 28.0 (1.73) 25.5 (2.11) 30.3 (2.02) 20.4 (0.51) 22.4 (0.77)
                                             
Missouri 74.3 (5.34) 47.3 (2.45) 47.4 (2.50) 3.0 (0.77) 0.4 (0.16) 11.9 (1.53) 32.8 (1.90) 29.3 (1.92) 26.0 (2.44) 19.1 (0.51) 22.9 (0.65)
Montana 12.2 (0.76) 65.0 (1.94) 29.5 (1.83) 3.7 (0.75) 0.4 (0.24) 10.7 (1.33) 25.6 (1.86) 31.1 (1.98) 32.7 (2.09) 18.1 (0.44) 19.4 (0.62)
Nebraska 25.9 (1.03) 59.9 (2.49) 37.5 (2.32) 1.2 (0.47) 0.8 (0.38) 9.6 (1.40) 31.2 (1.96) 31.9 (2.07) 27.2 (1.79) 18.1 (0.57) 21.7 (0.68)
Nevada 19.9 (0.91) 43.4 (3.17) 48.9 (3.11) 6.2 (1.26) 0.8 (0.37) 12.0 (2.17) 38.7 (3.24) 25.2 (2.63) 24.0 (2.57) 22.6 (1.00) 29.9 (0.78)
New Hampshire 16.5 (0.64) 56.9 (2.59) 39.4 (2.46) 2.7 (1.04) 0.4 (0.28) 13.7 (2.04) 31.0 (2.29) 27.1 (2.74) 28.2 (2.18) 19.5 (0.53) 22.0 (1.01)
                                             
New Jersey 114.0 (4.11) 57.0 (2.59) 34.3 (2.48) 6.1 (1.09) 1.8 (0.48) 13.3 (1.74) 31.9 (2.20) 24.4 (2.07) 30.3 (2.52) 19.3 (0.72) 24.1 (0.94)
New Mexico 21.3 (0.88) 58.1 (2.20) 36.4 (2.28) 4.2 (1.04) 0.4 (0.26) 10.7 (1.96) 37.1 (2.35) 29.7 (1.74) 22.6 (2.19) 18.2 (0.40) 24.3 (0.67)
New York 234.1 (7.62) 21.4 (1.97) 67.2 (2.14) 8.8 (1.03) 2.0 (0.43) 13.1 (1.95) 36.5 (1.80) 27.8 (1.88) 22.6 (1.82) 19.8 (0.56) 23.6 (0.55)
North Carolina 95.6 (3.26) 67.0 (2.08) 27.6 (2.12) 3.1 (0.74) 1.0 (0.41) 13.8 (1.54) 34.9 (2.07) 29.4 (2.43) 21.9 (1.94) 20.3 (0.53) 24.3 (0.73)
North Dakota 9.7 (0.41) 71.7 (1.79) 24.6 (1.64) 2.4 (0.63) 0.4 (0.21) 10.5 (1.65) 21.8 (1.46) 31.4 (1.60) 36.3 (1.82) 17.2 (0.45) 19.5 (0.60)
                                             
Ohio 133.5 (4.62) 45.8 (2.12) 49.1 (2.17) 2.8 (0.53) 0.9 (0.36) 9.1 (1.92) 33.1 (1.80) 27.2 (1.90) 30.6 (1.82) 20.3 (0.40) 23.6 (0.42)
Oklahoma 46.0 (1.46) 66.3 (1.51) 30.2 (1.56) 2.7 (0.47) 0.4 (0.22) 8.8 (1.89) 31.1 (1.83) 31.8 (1.80) 28.3 (1.81) 19.9 (0.35) 23.2 (0.58)
Oregon 29.0 (1.48) 41.5 (2.26) 50.5 (2.33) 6.2 (1.17) 1.4 (0.63) 13.8 (2.22) 28.9 (1.99) 34.1 (2.55) 23.1 (2.17) 24.7 (0.54) 28.9 (0.71)
Pennsylvania 125.5 (4.65) 48.6 (1.96) 42.5 (1.93) 6.7 (0.90) 1.1 (0.45) 11.8 (1.55) 32.9 (1.68) 21.5 (1.87) 33.8 (1.97) 20.6 (0.54) 24.9 (0.47)
Rhode Island 13.8 (0.61) 48.0 (3.60) 45.8 (3.44) 4.7 (1.49) 1.1 (0.66) 10.8 (1.90) 35.3 (3.47) 28.2 (2.59) 25.6 (3.81) 19.6 (0.82) 22.4 (0.92)
                                             
South Carolina 47.5 (2.02) 47.0 (2.79) 42.9 (2.92) 7.5 (1.12) 0.6 (0.20) 8.5 (1.68) 29.5 (2.07) 31.2 (2.50) 30.8 (2.54) 18.5 (0.73) 23.8 (0.64)
South Dakota 10.8 (0.54) 72.9 (1.62) 24.0 (1.73) 1.7 (0.63) 0.6 (0.26) 9.3 (2.17) 29.1 (2.23) 29.3 (1.94) 32.4 (2.17) 17.8 (0.68) 22.3 (1.06)
Tennessee 64.6 (2.09) 46.1 (2.74) 43.2 (2.51) 8.5 (2.09) 0.6 (0.29) 10.7 (2.41) 29.9 (2.13) 27.5 (2.03) 31.8 (2.32) 19.0 (0.43) 24.5 (0.52)
Texas 291.0 (10.41) 71.9 (1.80) 22.4 (1.78) 3.8 (0.60) 1.0 (0.43) 13.4 (1.70) 33.9 (2.00) 30.7 (1.90) 22.0 (1.56) 18.7 (0.42) 22.3 (0.55)
Utah 23.4 (1.21) 65.2 (1.96) 24.2 (1.68) 7.8 (1.12) 0.7 (0.27) 17.9 (2.05) 30.1 (2.12) 29.5 (2.12) 22.6 (1.72) 24.3 (0.40) 29.0 (1.00)
                                             
Vermont 10.0 (0.45) 54.2 (3.21) 41.1 (3.37) 3.1 (1.09) 1.2 (0.57) 10.8 (1.71) 29.7 (2.67) 31.5 (2.80) 27.9 (2.57) 16.0 (0.46) 18.9 (0.89)
Virginia 92.2 (4.41) 58.6 (2.44) 34.1 (2.45) 4.3 (1.13) 1.0 (0.53) 12.7 (1.83) 33.8 (2.00) 24.9 (2.16) 28.6 (1.95) 19.1 (0.54) 22.7 (0.98)
Washington 63.5 (4.32) 42.6 (2.33) 50.7 (2.36) 4.6 (0.97) 1.0 (0.36) 11.7 (1.93) 34.5 (2.16) 27.2 (2.25) 26.7 (2.19) 21.9 (0.52) 26.5 (0.52)
West Virginia 22.9 (1.11) 36.9 (2.35) 53.5 (2.60) 7.2 (1.36) 0.4 (0.15) 7.4 (1.65) 18.6 (1.51) 23.9 (2.10) 50.1 (2.44) 18.8 (0.47) 22.1 (0.47)
Wisconsin 74.8 (3.62) 54.8 (2.72) 40.8 (2.62) 3.7 (0.87) 0.5 (0.22) 13.1 (2.40) 29.7 (1.81) 30.3 (1.93) 26.9 (1.66) 19.5 (0.48) 25.1 (0.74)
Wyoming 7.8 (0.42) 61.4 (3.46) 33.8 (3.11) 2.9 (0.87) 0.6 (0.40) 9.1 (2.88) 25.8 (2.90) 31.3 (3.08) 33.8 (3.34) 18.4 (0.67) 21.5 (0.80)
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1 Teachers with less than a bachelor's degree are not shown separately.
2 Elementary teachers are those who taught self-contained classes at the elementary level, and secondary teachers are those who taught departmentalized classes (e.g., science, art, social science, or other course subjects) at the secondary level. Teachers were classified as elementary or secondary on the basis of the grades they taught, rather than on the level of the school in which they taught.
3 Includes certificate of advanced graduate studies.
NOTE: Data are based on a head count of all teachers rather than on the number of full-time-equivalent teachers appearing in other tables. Excludes prekindergarten teachers. Standard errors appear in parentheses. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding, cell suppression, and omitted categories (less than bachelor's).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public Teacher Questionnaire," 2003–04. (This table was prepared July 2006.)

2006 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest