Table 208.20. | Public and private elementary and secondary teachers, enrollment, pupil/teacher ratios, and new teacher hires: Selected years, fall 1955 through fall 2025 |
Year | Teachers (in thousands) | Enrollment (in thousands) | Pupil/teacher ratio | Number of new teacher hires (in thousands)1 |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | Public | Private | Total | Public | Private | Total | Public | Private | Total | Public | Private | |||||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||
1955 | 1,286 | 1,141 | 145 | 2 | 35,280 | 30,680 | 4,600 | 2 | 27.4 | 26.9 | 31.7 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1960 | 1,600 | 1,408 | 192 | 2 | 42,181 | 36,281 | 5,900 | 2 | 26.4 | 25.8 | 30.7 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1965 | 1,933 | 1,710 | 223 | 48,473 | 42,173 | 6,300 | 25.1 | 24.7 | 28.3 | — | — | — | ||||||
1970 | 2,292 | 2,059 | 233 | 51,257 | 45,894 | 5,363 | 22.4 | 22.3 | 23.0 | — | — | — | ||||||
1975 | 2,453 | 2,198 | 255 | 2 | 49,819 | 44,819 | 5,000 | 2 | 20.3 | 20.4 | 19.6 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1976 | 2,457 | 2,189 | 268 | 49,478 | 44,311 | 5,167 | 20.1 | 20.2 | 19.3 | — | — | — | ||||||
1977 | 2,488 | 2,209 | 279 | 48,717 | 43,577 | 5,140 | 19.6 | 19.7 | 18.4 | — | — | — | ||||||
1978 | 2,479 | 2,207 | 272 | 47,637 | 42,551 | 5,086 | 19.2 | 19.3 | 18.7 | — | — | — | ||||||
1979 | 2,461 | 2,185 | 276 | 2 | 46,651 | 41,651 | 5,000 | 2 | 19.0 | 19.1 | 18.1 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1980 | 2,485 | 2,184 | 301 | 46,208 | 40,877 | 5,331 | 18.6 | 18.7 | 17.7 | |||||||||
1981 | 2,440 | 2,127 | 313 | 2 | 45,544 | 40,044 | 5,500 | 2 | 18.7 | 18.8 | 17.6 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1982 | 2,458 | 2,133 | 325 | 2 | 45,166 | 39,566 | 5,600 | 2 | 18.4 | 18.6 | 17.2 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1983 | 2,476 | 2,139 | 337 | 44,967 | 39,252 | 5,715 | 18.2 | 18.4 | 17.0 | — | — | — | ||||||
1984 | 2,508 | 2,168 | 340 | 2 | 44,908 | 39,208 | 5,700 | 2 | 17.9 | 18.1 | 16.8 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1985 | 2,549 | 2,206 | 343 | 44,979 | 39,422 | 5,557 | 17.6 | 17.9 | 16.2 | — | — | — | ||||||
1986 | 2,592 | 2,244 | 348 | 2 | 45,205 | 39,753 | 5,452 | 2 | 17.4 | 17.7 | 15.7 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1987 | 2,631 | 2,279 | 352 | 45,488 | 40,008 | 5,479 | 17.3 | 17.6 | 15.6 | — | — | — | ||||||
1988 | 2,668 | 2,323 | 345 | 2 | 45,430 | 40,189 | 5,242 | 2 | 17.0 | 17.3 | 15.2 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1989 | 2,713 | 2,357 | 356 | 46,141 | 40,543 | 5,599 | 17.0 | 17.2 | 15.7 | — | — | — | ||||||
1990 | 2,759 | 2,398 | 361 | 2 | 46,864 | 41,217 | 5,648 | 2 | 17.0 | 17.2 | 15.6 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1991 | 2,797 | 2,432 | 365 | 47,728 | 42,047 | 5,681 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 15.6 | — | — | — | ||||||
1992 | 2,823 | 2,459 | 364 | 2 | 48,694 | 42,823 | 5,870 | 2 | 17.2 | 17.4 | 16.1 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1993 | 2,868 | 2,504 | 364 | 49,532 | 43,465 | 6,067 | 17.3 | 17.4 | 16.7 | — | — | — | ||||||
1994 | 2,922 | 2,552 | 370 | 2 | 50,106 | 44,111 | 5,994 | 2 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 16.2 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1995 | 2,974 | 2,598 | 376 | 50,759 | 44,840 | 5,918 | 17.1 | 17.3 | 15.7 | — | — | — | ||||||
1996 | 3,051 | 2,667 | 384 | 2 | 51,544 | 45,611 | 5,933 | 2 | 16.9 | 17.1 | 15.5 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1997 | 3,138 | 2,746 | 391 | 52,071 | 46,127 | 5,944 | 16.6 | 16.8 | 15.2 | — | — | — | ||||||
1998 | 3,230 | 2,830 | 400 | 2 | 52,526 | 46,539 | 5,988 | 2 | 16.3 | 16.4 | 15.0 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
1999 | 3,319 | 2,911 | 408 | 52,875 | 46,857 | 6,018 | 15.9 | 16.1 | 14.7 | 305 | 222 | 83 | ||||||
2000 | 3,366 | 2,941 | 424 | 2 | 53,373 | 47,204 | 6,169 | 2 | 15.9 | 16.0 | 14.5 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2001 | 3,440 | 3,000 | 441 | 53,992 | 47,672 | 6,320 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 14.3 | — | — | — | ||||||
2002 | 3,476 | 3,034 | 442 | 2 | 54,403 | 48,183 | 6,220 | 2 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 14.1 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2003 | 3,490 | 3,049 | 441 | 54,639 | 48,540 | 6,099 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 13.8 | 311 | 236 | 74 | ||||||
2004 | 3,536 | 3,091 | 445 | 2 | 54,882 | 48,795 | 6,087 | 2 | 15.5 | 15.8 | 13.7 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2005 | 3,593 | 3,143 | 450 | 55,187 | 49,113 | 6,073 | 15.4 | 15.6 | 13.5 | — | — | — | ||||||
2006 | 3,622 | 3,166 | 456 | 2 | 55,307 | 49,316 | 5,991 | 2 | 15.3 | 15.6 | 13.2 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2007 | 3,656 | 3,200 | 456 | 55,201 | 49,291 | 5,910 | 15.1 | 15.4 | 13.0 | 241 | 173 | 68 | ||||||
2008 | 3,670 | 3,222 | 448 | 2 | 54,973 | 49,266 | 5,707 | 2 | 15.0 | 15.3 | 12.8 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2009 | 3,647 | 3,210 | 437 | 54,849 | 49,361 | 5,488 | 15.0 | 15.4 | 12.5 | — | — | — | ||||||
2010 | 3,529 | 3,099 | 429 | 2 | 54,867 | 49,484 | 5,382 | 2 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 12.5 | 2 | — | — | — | |||
2011 | 3,524 | 3,103 | 421 | 54,790 | 49,522 | 5,268 | 15.5 | 16.0 | 12.5 | 241 | 173 | 68 | ||||||
2012 | 3,540 | 3,109 | 431 | 2 | 55,104 | 49,771 | 5,333 | 2 | 15.6 | 16.0 | 12.4 | 2 | 338 | 247 | 91 | |||
2013 | 3,555 | 3,114 | 441 | 55,440 | 50,045 | 5,396 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 334 | 244 | 90 | ||||||
20143 | 3,555 | 3,119 | 435 | 55,454 | 50,132 | 5,322 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 322 | 246 | 76 | ||||||
20153 | 3,560 | 3,128 | 432 | 55,546 | 50,268 | 5,278 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 328 | 251 | 77 | ||||||
20163 | 3,563 | 3,135 | 428 | 55,620 | 50,385 | 5,235 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 325 | 249 | 76 | ||||||
20173 | 3,565 | 3,141 | 424 | 55,661 | 50,477 | 5,183 | 15.6 | 16.1 | 12.2 | 322 | 247 | 76 | ||||||
20183 | 3,592 | 3,168 | 424 | 55,665 | 50,528 | 5,136 | 15.5 | 15.9 | 12.1 | 347 | 268 | 78 | ||||||
20193 | 3,615 | 3,192 | 424 | 55,726 | 50,618 | 5,108 | 15.4 | 15.9 | 12.1 | 343 | 265 | 79 | ||||||
20203 | 3,636 | 3,213 | 423 | 55,862 | 50,774 | 5,088 | 15.4 | 15.8 | 12.0 | 342 | 263 | 79 | ||||||
20213 | 3,661 | 3,237 | 424 | 55,998 | 50,928 | 5,070 | 15.3 | 15.7 | 12.0 | 346 | 267 | 79 | ||||||
20223 | 3,686 | 3,261 | 425 | 56,146 | 51,084 | 5,062 | 15.2 | 15.7 | 11.9 | 348 | 268 | 80 | ||||||
20233 | 3,712 | 3,285 | 427 | 56,291 | 51,225 | 5,065 | 15.2 | 15.6 | 11.9 | 350 | 269 | 82 | ||||||
20243 | 3,739 | 3,309 | 430 | 56,416 | 51,338 | 5,078 | 15.1 | 15.5 | 11.8 | 353 | 270 | 83 | ||||||
20253 | 3,761 | 3,327 | 433 | 56,510 | 51,420 | 5,090 | 15.0 | 15.5 | 11.8 | 350 | 267 | 83 |
—Not available. | ||||||||||||||||||
1 A teacher is considered to be a new hire for a public or private school if the teacher had not taught in that control of school in the previous year. A teacher who moves from a public to private or a private to public school is considered a new teacher hire, but a teacher who moves from one public school to another public school or one private school to another private school is not considered a new teacher hire. | ||||||||||||||||||
2 Estimated. | ||||||||||||||||||
3 Projected. | ||||||||||||||||||
NOTE: Data for teachers are expressed in full-time equivalents (FTE). Counts of private school teachers and enrollment include prekindergarten through grade 12 in schools offering kindergarten or higher grades. Counts of public school teachers and enrollment include prekindergarten through grade 12. The pupil/teacher ratio includes teachers for students with disabilities and other special teachers, while these teachers are generally excluded from class size calculations. Ratios for public schools reflect totals reported by states and differ from totals reported for schools or school districts. 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, Statistics of Public Elementary and Secondary Day Schools, 1955-56 through 1980-81; Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary/Secondary Education," 1981-82 through 2013-14; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1989-90 through 2013-14; Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Teacher Data File" and "Private School Teacher Data File," 1999-2000 through 2011-12; Elementary and Secondary Teacher Projection Model, 1973 through 2025; and New Teacher Hires Projection Model, 1988 through 2025. (This table was prepared February 2016.) |