Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 202.20. Percentage of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children enrolled in preprimary programs, by level of program, attendance status, and selected child and family characteristics: 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected child or family characteristic Total 3- to 5-year-old population (in thousands) Total enrollment (in thousands) Percent of 3- to 5-year-old population enrolled Percentage distribution of enrollment
Total Preschool Kindergarten
Total Full-day Part-day Total Full-day Part-day Full-day Part-day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Total 11,958 (79.8) 7,681 (107.3) 64.2   (0.79) 37.4   (0.78) 18.9   (0.61) 18.5   (0.66) 26.8   (0.67) 21.9   (0.63) 5.0   (0.35) 63.5   (1.04) 36.5   (1.04)
                                                               
Sex                                                              
  Male 6,167 (62.1) 3,982 (82.8) 64.6   (1.14) 38.2   (1.06) 18.6   (0.85) 19.6   (0.89) 26.4   (1.03) 21.3   (0.91) 5.0   (0.53) 61.8   (1.35) 38.2   (1.35)
  Female 5,791 (60.9) 3,700 (98.6) 63.9   (1.41) 36.6   (1.27) 19.3   (0.87) 17.3   (1.05) 27.3   (1.66) 22.4   (1.42) 4.9   (0.54) 65.3   (1.67) 34.7   (1.67)
                                                               
Age of child                                                              
3 and 4 years old 7,971 (80.7) 4,203 (91.5) 52.7   (1.02) 48.4   (1.01) 24.0   (0.88) 24.4   (0.88) 4.4   (0.45) 3.2   (0.40) 1.2   (0.22) 51.6   (1.42) 48.4   (1.42)
3 years old 3,937 (92.3) 1,512 (70.2) 38.4   (1.45) 36.3   (1.35) 18.9   (1.20) 17.4   (1.09) 2.1   (0.43) 1.8   (0.41) 0.4 ! (0.16) 53.7   (2.40) 46.3   (2.40)
4 years old 4,034 (76.3) 2,691 (72.1) 66.7   (1.32) 60.2   (1.41) 29.0   (1.22) 31.1   (1.38) 6.5   (0.74) 4.6   (0.64) 2.0   (0.40) 50.4   (1.77) 49.6   (1.77)
5 years old 3,987 (73.9) 3,478 (74.8) 87.2   (0.95) 15.5   (1.11) 8.8   (0.77) 6.8   (0.79) 71.7   (1.39) 59.2   (1.54) 12.5   (0.94) 77.9   (1.38) 22.1   (1.38)
                                                               
Race/ethnicity of child                                                              
White 5,921 (41.9) 3,928 (65.3) 66.3   (0.99) 40.3   (0.96) 19.3   (0.83) 21.0   (0.88) 26.1   (0.93) 21.2   (0.88) 4.8   (0.43) 61.1   (1.31) 38.9   (1.31)
Black 1,686 (52.6) 1,116 (49.0) 66.2   (2.17) 38.6   (2.50) 27.3   (2.31) 11.2   (1.68) 27.6   (2.32) 24.2   (2.16) 3.4   (0.83) 77.9   (2.46) 22.1   (2.46)
Hispanic 3,083 (44.9) 1,809 (57.8) 58.7   (1.68) 29.6   (1.78) 12.7   (1.18) 16.9   (1.53) 29.1   (1.43) 22.6   (1.43) 6.4   (0.87) 60.2   (2.65) 39.8   (2.65)
Asian 601 (33.8) 401 (29.1) 66.7   (3.67) 39.9   (3.57) 19.9   (2.93) 20.0   (2.72) 26.8   (3.22) 21.9   (2.84) 5.0 ! (1.56) 62.6   (3.83) 37.4   (3.83)
Native Hawaiian/Pacific
      Islander
48 (10.62) (†) 50.3   (11.84) 43.7   (11.94) 26.0 ! (10.69) 17.7 ! (8.43) 6.6 ! (3.05) 6.6 ! (3.05)   (†) 64.9   (14.97) 35.1 ! (14.97)
American Indian/Alaska
      Native
116 (20.3) 84 (16.4) 72.5   (7.46) 48.0   (6.95) 22.1 ! (6.71) 25.8   (6.57) 24.5   (5.73) 16.1 ! (5.15) 8.4 ! (3.55) 52.8   (7.82) 47.2   (7.82)
Two or more races 503 (41.1) 320 (31.1) 63.5   (4.31) 41.7   (3.96) 21.9   (3.40) 19.8   (3.55) 21.8   (3.12) 19.1   (3.16)   (†) 64.5   (5.23) 35.5   (5.23)
                                                               
Number of parents or
      guardians in household
                                                             
One parent or guardian 3,503 (97.1) 2,223 (84.2) 63.4   (1.58) 35.9   (1.57) 21.1   (1.38) 14.8   (1.27) 27.6   (1.27) 23.6   (1.17) 4.0   (0.59) 70.4   (1.93) 29.6   (1.93)
Two parents or guardians 8,454 (110.5) 5,459 (99.1) 64.6   (0.94) 38.1   (0.90) 18.0   (0.65) 20.0   (0.74) 26.5   (0.92) 21.1   (0.86) 5.4   (0.42) 60.7   (1.19) 39.3   (1.19)
                                                               
Mother’s current
      employment status1
                                                             
Employed 7,023 (123.2) 4,739 (111.6) 67.5   (1.00) 39.8   (0.89) 21.6   (0.84) 18.2   (0.78) 27.6   (0.94) 22.5   (0.83) 5.1   (0.47) 65.4   (1.26) 34.6   (1.26)
Unemployed 441 (42.4) 279 (30.4) 63.2   (3.87) 37.5   (4.42) 20.6   (4.01) 16.9   (3.63) 25.8   (3.42) 20.7   (3.19) 5.1 ! (1.90) 65.2   (6.00) 34.8   (6.00)
Not in the labor force 4,004 (104.2) 2,333 (83.4) 58.3   (1.41) 33.1   (1.41) 13.6   (0.96) 19.5   (1.15) 25.2   (1.13) 20.3   (1.06) 4.9   (0.58) 58.2   (1.55) 41.8   (1.55)
No mother in household 490 (41.2) 331 (33.8) 67.5   (3.69) 37.8   (4.36) 21.9   (3.57) 15.8   (3.15) 29.7   (3.79) 26.3   (3.74) 3.4 ! (1.33) 71.5   (4.74) 28.5   (4.74)
                                                               
Father’s current
      employment status1
                                                             
Employed 8,103 (110.7) 5,288 (99.3) 65.3   (1.01) 38.7   (0.90) 18.6   (0.67) 20.0   (0.75) 26.6   (0.97) 21.6   (0.91) 5.0   (0.39) 61.6   (1.19) 38.4   (1.19)
Unemployed 339 (38.2) 214 (29.3) 63.1   (5.48) 31.7   (4.99) 15.5   (3.58) 16.2   (4.22) 31.4   (4.62) 23.3   (4.47) 8.1 ! (2.86) 61.5   (6.28) 38.5   (6.28)
Not in the labor force 502 (40.9) 287 (28.3) 57.2   (3.59) 32.2   (3.58) 13.7   (2.65) 18.5   (3.27) 24.9   (3.56) 18.0   (3.08) 6.9   (2.02) 55.5   (5.62) 44.5   (5.62)
No father in household 3,014 (95.8) 1,892 (82.8) 62.8   (1.77) 35.6   (1.65) 21.0   (1.51) 14.6   (1.33) 27.2   (1.45) 23.1   (1.33) 4.1   (0.62) 70.3   (2.02) 29.7   (2.02)
                                                               
Every parent or guardian
      employed1 
6,985 (126.0) 4,744 (115.9) 67.9   (0.99) 40.3   (0.91) 22.2   (0.85) 18.1   (0.78) 27.6   (0.95) 22.9   (0.84) 4.7   (0.46) 66.4   (1.23) 33.6   (1.23)
No parent or guardian
      employed1 
1,514 (74.3) 883 (52.1) 58.3   (2.34) 33.8   (2.26) 18.8   (1.82) 15.0   (2.02) 24.5   (2.05) 20.6   (1.92) 3.9   (0.96) 67.6   (3.19) 32.4   (3.19)
                                                               
Highest educational
      attainment of parents
      or guardians1
                                                             
Less than high school 1,028 (64.5) 551 (43.4) 53.6   (2.96) 28.7   (2.98) 14.4   (2.15) 14.3   (2.20) 24.9   (2.40) 19.2   (2.17) 5.7   (1.36) 62.7   (4.04) 37.3   (4.04)
High school/GED 2,783 (87.9) 1,572 (75.5) 56.5   (1.87) 28.7   (1.77) 16.5   (1.34) 12.3   (1.20) 27.8   (1.52) 23.1   (1.49) 4.6   (0.73) 70.1   (2.19) 29.9   (2.19)
Some college, no degree 2,085 (71.4) 1,319 (62.4) 63.3   (2.02) 37.3   (2.05) 18.9   (1.75) 18.4   (1.71) 26.0   (1.62) 20.9   (1.56) 5.1   (0.83) 62.9   (2.57) 37.1   (2.57)
Associate’s degree 1,283 (66.2) 836 (53.4) 65.1   (2.41) 36.8   (2.50) 19.0   (1.88) 17.8   (2.06) 28.4   (2.29) 24.7   (2.41) 3.7   (0.91) 67.0   (3.43) 33.0   (3.43)
Bachelor’s degree 2,603 (85.6) 1,759 (64.1) 67.6   (1.80) 42.0   (1.76) 20.9   (1.49) 21.1   (1.36) 25.6   (1.57) 20.1   (1.49) 5.5   (0.87) 60.7   (2.21) 39.3   (2.21)
Graduate or professional
      degree
2,175 (89.0) 1,645 (72.5) 75.6   (1.77) 47.7   (1.78) 21.9   (1.54) 25.8   (1.63) 27.9   (1.61) 22.8   (1.56) 5.1   (0.89) 59.1   (2.32) 40.9   (2.32)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Data pertain only to parents or guardians who live in the household with the child.
NOTE: Preprimary programs include kindergarten and preschool (or nursery school) programs. “Preschool,” which was referred to as “nursery school” in previous versions of this table, is defined as a group or class that is organized to provide educational experiences for children during the year or years preceding kindergarten. Enrollment data for 5-year-olds include only those students in preprimary programs and do not include those enrolled in primary programs. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Data are based on sample surveys of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, which excludes persons in the military and persons living in institutions (e.g., prisons or nursing facilities). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 2015. (This table was prepared October 2016.)

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest