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Digest of Education Statistics: 2018
Digest of Education Statistics: 2018

NCES 2020-009
December 2019


Table 105.30. Enrollment in elementary, secondary, and degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1869-70 through fall 2028
[In thousands]
Year Total enroll-ment, all levels Elementary and secondary, total Public elementary and secondary schools Private elementary and secondary schools1 Degree-granting postsecondary institutions2
Total Prekindergarten through grade 8 Grades 9 through 12 Total Prekindergarten through grade 8 Grades 9 through 12 Total Public Private
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1869-70     6,872   6,792   80       52
1879-80     9,868   9,757   110       116
1889-90 14,491   14,334   12,723   12,520   203 1,611   1,516   95   157
1899-1900 17,092   16,855   15,503   14,984   519 1,352   1,241   111   238
1909-10 19,728   19,372   17,814   16,899   915 1,558   1,441   117   355
1919-20 23,876   23,278   21,578   19,378   2,200 1,699   1,486   214   598
                                     
1929-30 29,430   28,329   25,678   21,279   4,399 2,651   2,310   341   1,101
1939-40 29,539   28,045   25,434   18,832   6,601 2,611   2,153   458   1,494 797 698
1949-50 31,151   28,492   25,111   19,387   5,725 3,380   2,708   672   2,659 1,355 1,304
Fall 1959 44,497   40,857   35,182   26,911   8,271 5,675   4,640   1,035   3,640 2,181 1,459
Fall 1969 59,055   51,050   45,550   32,513   13,037 5,500 3 4,200 3 1,300 3 8,005 5,897 2,108
Fall 1985 57,226   44,979   39,422   27,034   12,388 5,557   4,195   1,362   12,247 9,479 2,768
                                     
Fall 1990 60,683   46,864   41,217   29,876   11,341 5,648 3 4,512 3 1,136 3 13,819 10,845 2,974
Fall 1991 62,087   47,728   42,047   30,503   11,544 5,681   4,550   1,131   14,359 11,310 3,049
Fall 1992 63,181   48,694   42,823   31,086   11,737 5,870 3 4,746 3 1,125 3 14,487 11,385 3,103
Fall 1993 63,837   49,532   43,465   31,502   11,963 6,067   4,950   1,118   14,305 11,189 3,116
Fall 1994 64,385   50,106   44,111   31,896   12,215 5,994 3 4,856 3 1,138 3 14,279 11,134 3,145
                                     
Fall 1995 65,020   50,759   44,840   32,338   12,502 5,918   4,756   1,163   14,262 11,092 3,169
Fall 1996 65,911   51,544   45,611   32,762   12,849 5,933 3 4,755 3 1,178 3 14,368 11,120 3,247
Fall 1997 66,574   52,071   46,127   33,071   13,056 5,944   4,759   1,185   14,502 11,196 3,306
Fall 1998 67,033   52,526   46,539   33,344   13,195 5,988 3 4,776 3 1,212 3 14,507 11,138 3,369
Fall 1999 67,725   52,875   46,857   33,486   13,371 6,018   4,789   1,229   14,850 11,376 3,474
                                     
Fall 2000 68,685   53,373   47,204   33,686   13,517 6,169 3 4,906 3 1,264 3 15,312 11,753 3,560
Fall 2001 69,920   53,992   47,672   33,936   13,736 6,320   5,023   1,296   15,928 12,233 3,695
Fall 2002 71,015   54,403   48,183   34,114   14,069 6,220 3 4,915 3 1,306 3 16,612 12,752 3,860
Fall 2003 71,551   54,639   48,540   34,201   14,339 6,099   4,788   1,311   16,911 12,859 4,053
Fall 2004 72,154   54,882   48,795   34,178   14,618 6,087 3 4,756 3 1,331 3 17,272 12,980 4,292
                                     
Fall 2005 72,674   55,187   49,113   34,204   14,909 6,073   4,724   1,349   17,487 13,022 4,466
Fall 2006 73,061   55,307   49,316   34,235   15,081 5,991 3 4,631 3 1,360 3 17,754 13,175 4,579
Fall 2007 73,459   55,201   49,291   34,204   15,086 5,910   4,546   1,364   18,258 13,501 4,757
Fall 2008 74,055   54,973   49,266   34,286   14,980 5,707 3 4,365 3 1,342 3 19,082 13,971 5,111
Fall 2009 75,163   54,849   49,361   34,409   14,952 5,488   4,179   1,309   20,314 14,811 5,503
                                     
Fall 2010 75,886   54,867   49,484   34,625   14,860 5,382 3 4,084 3 1,299 3 21,019 15,142 5,877
Fall 2011 75,800   54,790   49,522   34,773   14,749 5,268   3,977   1,291   21,011 15,116 5,894
Fall 2012 75,748   55,104   49,771   35,018   14,753 5,333 3 4,031 3 1,302 3 20,644 14,885 5,760
Fall 2013 75,817   55,440   50,045   35,251   14,794 5,396   4,084   1,312   20,377 14,747 5,630
Fall 2014 76,097   55,888   50,313   35,370   14,943 5,575 3 4,202 3 1,373 3 20,209 14,655 5,554
                                     
Fall 2015 76,177 4 56,189 4 50,438 4 35,388 4 15,050 5,751   4,304   1,446   19,988 14,573 5,415
Fall 2016 76,238 5 56,391 5 50,615 5 35,477 5 15,138 5,776   4,301 6 1,474 6 19,847 14,586 5,261
Fall 20176 76,242   56,477   50,695   35,473   15,222 5,781   4,300   1,481   19,766 14,560 5,205
Fall 20186 76,346   56,518   50,728   35,465   15,264 5,789   4,297   1,492   19,828 14,608 5,220
Fall 20196 76,476   56,572   50,770   35,457   15,313 5,802   4,308   1,494   19,904 14,665 5,239
                                     
Fall 20206 76,606   56,678   50,857   35,384   15,473 5,821   4,316   1,505   19,928 14,685 5,243
Fall 20216 76,675   56,719   50,892   35,231   15,661 5,827   4,310   1,517   19,956 14,708 5,248
Fall 20226 76,856   56,865   51,012   35,189   15,823 5,853   4,337   1,515   19,991 14,736 5,255
Fall 20236 77,013   56,973   51,098   35,235   15,863 5,875   4,356   1,520   20,040 14,774 5,266
Fall 20246 77,126   57,019   51,124   35,376   15,748 5,894   4,374   1,521   20,107 14,824 5,283
                                     
Fall 20256 77,206   57,029   51,119   35,519   15,601 5,910   4,392   1,518   20,177 14,876 5,301
Fall 20266 77,308   57,050   51,123   35,703   15,420 5,927   4,413   1,514   20,258 14,936 5,321
Fall 20276 77,471   57,176   51,228   35,894   15,334 5,948   4,434   1,514   20,295 14,965 5,329
Fall 20286 77,693   57,387   51,419   36,073   15,346 5,969   4,454   1,515   20,305 14,975 5,330
—Not available.
1 Beginning in fall 1985, data include estimates for an expanded universe of private schools. Therefore, direct comparisons with earlier years should be avoided.
2 Data for 1869-70 through 1949-50 include resident degree-credit students enrolled at any time during the academic year. Beginning in 1959, data include all resident and extension students enrolled at the beginning of the fall term.
3 Estimated.
4 Includes imputations for public school prekindergarten enrollment in California and Oregon.
5 Includes imputations for public school prekindergarten enrollment in California.
6 Projected data. Fall 2017 data for degree-granting institutions are actual.
NOTE: Data for 1869-70 through 1949-50 reflect enrollment for the entire school year. Elementary and secondary enrollment includes students in local public school systems and in most private schools (religiously affiliated and nonsectarian), but generally excludes homeschooled children and students in subcollegiate departments of colleges and in federal schools. Excludes preprimary students in private schools that do not offer kindergarten or higher grades. Postsecondary data through 1995 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. 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, Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1870 to 1910; Biennial Survey of Education in the United States, 1919-20 through 1949-50; Statistics of Public Elementary and Secondary School Systems, 1959 through 1979; Statistics of Nonpublic Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1959 through 1980; 1985-86 Private School Survey; Common Core of Data (CCD), "State Nonfiscal Survey of Public Elementary and Secondary Education," 1985-86 through 2016-17; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1991-92 through 2015-16; National Elementary and Secondary Enrollment Projection Model, 1972 through 2028; Opening (Fall) Enrollment in Higher Education, 1959; Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), "Fall Enrollment in Institutions of Higher Education" surveys, 1969 and 1985; Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), "Fall Enrollment Survey" (IPEDS-EF:90-99); IPEDS Spring 2001 through Spring 2018, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 2000 through 2028. (This table was prepared March 2019.)