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Digest of Education Statistics
2018 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: 2017
[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 12,001 (133.4) 7,716   (117.0) 64.3   (0.77) 38.5   (0.98) 21.5   (0.81) 17.0   (0.70) 25.8   (0.85) 20.3   (0.76) 5.5   (0.41) 65.1   (1.08) 34.9   (1.08)
                                                                 
Sex                                                                
  Male 6,163 (118.1) 3,911   (90.1) 63.5   (1.03) 38.1   (1.24) 21.3   (1.09) 16.8   (0.92) 25.4   (1.20) 19.5   (1.03) 5.8   (0.61) 64.3   (1.62) 35.7   (1.62)
  Female 5,839 (61.5) 3,806   (69.0) 65.2   (1.01) 38.9   (1.22) 21.8   (1.04) 17.1   (0.94) 26.3   (0.89) 21.1   (0.87) 5.1   (0.47) 65.8   (1.34) 34.2   (1.34)
                                                                 
Age of child                                                                
3 and 4 years old 8,030 (186.2) 4,319   (148.1) 53.8   (1.08) 49.4   (1.11) 27.7   (1.05) 21.7   (0.91) 4.4   (0.43) 2.7   (0.38) 1.7   (0.29) 56.5   (1.57) 43.5   (1.57)
3 years old 4,086 (81.1) 1,641   (76.5) 40.2   (1.67) 38.6   (1.57) 21.8   (1.39) 16.8   (1.19) 1.6   (0.40) 1.0 ! (0.35) 0.5 ! (0.21) 56.8   (2.56) 43.2   (2.56)
4 years old 3,943 (158.3) 2,678   (121.9) 67.9   (1.35) 60.6   (1.43) 33.8   (1.45) 26.8   (1.33) 7.3   (0.84) 4.4   (0.67) 2.9   (0.54) 56.3   (1.85) 43.7   (1.85)
5 years old 3,972 (100.6) 3,398   (90.4) 85.5   (1.08) 16.5   (1.18) 9.1   (0.81) 7.4   (0.89) 69.1   (1.36) 55.9   (1.44) 13.1   (0.98) 76.0   (1.42) 24.0   (1.42)
                                                                 
Race/ethnicity of child                                                                
White 5,885 (48.5) 3,894   (63.8) 66.2   (1.01) 41.4   (1.56) 21.6   (1.10) 19.8   (1.01) 24.8   (1.65) 19.6   (1.42) 5.1   (0.62) 62.3   (1.51) 37.7   (1.51)
Black 1,668 (74.1) 1,068   (65.3) 64.0   (2.43) 42.9   (2.52) 32.1   (2.31) 10.9   (1.73) 21.1   (1.83) 17.9   (1.78) 3.2   (0.81) 78.1   (3.04) 21.9   (3.04)
Hispanic 3,151 (49.3) 1,920   (57.8) 60.9   (1.61) 31.3   (1.69) 15.8   (1.46) 15.5   (1.34) 29.6   (1.21) 22.0   (1.21) 7.6   (0.98) 62.1   (2.36) 37.9   (2.36)
Asian 598 (35.1) 402   (31.8) 67.2   (3.55) 35.4   (3.63) 18.4   (3.01) 17.0   (2.81) 31.8   (3.10) 24.7   (2.93) 7.1   (1.85) 64.2   (4.23) 35.8   (4.23)
Pacific Islander (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska
    Native
131 (21.4) 72   (15.7) 54.8   (8.09) 34.3   (7.55) 23.1 ! (8.02) 11.2 ! (4.06) 20.5   (4.96) 20.2   (4.97)   (†) 79.0   (7.69) 21.0 ! (7.69)
Two or more races 529 (35.8) 345   (32.7) 65.3   (3.79) 40.7   (4.14) 25.1   (3.79) 15.6   (3.04) 24.6   (3.45) 20.8   (3.25) 3.8 ! (1.65) 70.3   (5.06) 29.7   (5.06)
                                                                 
Number of parents or
    guardians in household
                                                               
One parent or guardian 3,427 (119.0) 2,178   (98.3) 63.6   (1.56) 36.4   (1.60) 23.4   (1.51) 13.0   (1.13) 27.2   (1.49) 21.8   (1.35) 5.4   (0.81) 71.0   (1.98) 29.0   (1.98)
Two parents or guardians 8,575 (130.4) 5,538   (116.5) 64.6   (0.94) 39.3   (1.21) 20.8   (0.87) 18.5   (0.92) 25.3   (1.01) 19.7   (0.92) 5.5   (0.48) 62.8   (1.35) 37.2   (1.35)
                                                                 
Mother's current
    employment status1
                                                               
Employed 7,010 (132.9) 4,740   (108.6) 67.6   (0.96) 40.6   (1.19) 24.1   (1.03) 16.5   (0.95) 27.0   (1.00) 21.2   (0.92) 5.8   (0.54) 67.0   (1.37) 33.0   (1.37)
Unemployed 324 (37.3) 201   (28.3) 62.2   (5.19) 39.2   (5.28) 30.9   (4.86) 8.4 ! (3.19) 23.0   (4.46) 19.3   (4.18) 3.6 ! (1.81) 80.7   (5.57) 19.3   (5.57)
Not in the labor force 4,109 (117.6) 2,414   (93.9) 58.8   (1.50) 35.5   (1.55) 16.5   (1.15) 19.0   (1.27) 23.3   (1.40) 18.5   (1.26) 4.8   (0.67) 59.6   (2.13) 40.4   (2.13)
No mother in household 559 (49.8) 361   (39.1) 64.6   (4.02) 33.7   (3.94) 21.2   (3.13) 12.5   (3.03) 30.9   (3.64) 23.2   (3.60) 7.7   (2.26) 68.7   (4.91) 31.3   (4.91)
                                                                 
Father's current
    employment status1
                                                               
Employed 8,318 (117.1) 5,375   (107.0) 64.6   (0.95) 39.0   (1.19) 20.9   (0.85) 18.1   (0.91) 25.6   (1.07) 20.1   (0.97) 5.5   (0.50) 63.5   (1.35) 36.5   (1.35)
Unemployed 215 (35.5) 130   (24.7) 60.5   (6.08) 33.7   (5.53) 16.8   (4.68) 16.9   (4.80) 26.8   (5.38) 18.3   (5.05) 8.5 ! (4.05) 57.9   (7.99) 42.1   (7.99)
Not in the labor force 601 (52.2) 394   (44.6) 65.6   (3.99) 41.1   (4.03) 21.2   (3.89) 19.9   (2.83) 24.5   (3.30) 17.7   (2.96) 6.8   (1.88) 59.3   (4.93) 40.7   (4.93)
No father in household 2,868 (109.6) 1,817   (87.5) 63.4   (1.71) 36.9   (1.77) 23.8   (1.60) 13.1   (1.24) 26.5   (1.55) 21.5   (1.37) 4.9   (0.82) 71.5   (2.10) 28.5   (2.10)
                                                                 
Every parent or guardian
    employed1
7,045 (129.5) 4,751   (106.9) 67.4   (0.98) 39.9   (1.10) 24.0   (1.01) 15.9   (0.89) 27.6   (1.01) 21.9   (0.93) 5.7   (0.53) 68.0   (1.31) 32.0   (1.31)
No parent or guardian
    employed1
1,295 (73.6) 760   (54.4) 58.7   (2.60) 34.3   (2.61) 21.2   (2.41) 13.1   (1.97) 24.4   (2.32) 20.1   (2.06) 4.3   (1.09) 70.3   (3.39) 29.7   (3.39)
                                                                 
Highest educational
    attainment of parents
    or guardians1
                                                               
Less than high school 1,044 (72.2) 546   (53.1) 52.3   (3.08) 25.9   (2.59) 12.9   (2.06) 13.0   (2.09) 26.4   (2.89) 20.9   (2.67) 5.5   (1.47) 64.7   (4.22) 35.3   (4.22)
High school completion2 2,499 (97.9) 1,481   (72.6) 59.3   (1.96) 33.1   (2.01) 18.9   (1.42) 14.2   (1.48) 26.2   (1.67) 21.2   (1.54) 5.0   (0.78) 67.7   (2.35) 32.3   (2.35)
Some college, no degree 2,012 (89.5) 1,251   (72.1) 62.2   (1.99) 34.1   (2.03) 20.2   (1.84) 13.9   (1.41) 28.1   (1.86) 20.8   (1.67) 7.3   (1.12) 65.8   (2.40) 34.2   (2.40)
Associate's degree 1,444 (82.5) 864   (56.2) 59.8   (2.44) 35.6   (2.39) 20.4   (1.90) 15.2   (1.77) 24.3   (2.23) 20.1   (2.00) 4.2   (1.13) 67.7   (3.08) 32.3   (3.08)
Bachelor's degree 2,665 (95.7) 1,849   (74.7) 69.4   (1.52) 46.9   (2.17) 26.1   (1.84) 20.8   (1.61) 22.5   (1.99) 17.6   (1.69) 4.9   (0.83) 62.9   (2.26) 37.1   (2.26)
Graduate or professional
    degree
2,337 (92.6) 1,726   (80.6) 73.8   (1.76) 46.0   (2.25) 24.9   (1.74) 21.1   (1.76) 27.8   (1.82) 21.9   (1.80) 5.9   (0.88) 63.4   (2.22) 36.6   (2.22)
†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.
2 Includes completion of high school through equivalency programs, such as a GED program.
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, 2017. (This table was prepared July 2018.)

2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest