Introduction

The Introduction provides a brief overview of current trends in American education, highlighting key data that are presented in more detail later in this volume. Topics outlined include the participation of students, teachers, and faculty in U.S. educational institutions; the performance of U.S. elementary/secondary students overall and in comparison to students in other countries; the numbers of high school graduates and postsecondary degrees; and the amounts of expenditures on education at the elementary/secondary and postsecondary levels. Data on enrollments, teachers, and faculty are for fall of the given year.

In fall 2019, about 76.1 million people were enrolled in American schools and colleges (table 105.10). About 4.7 million people were employed as elementary and secondary school teachers or as college faculty, in full-time equivalents (FTE). Other professional, administrative, and support staff at educational institutions totaled 5.7 million FTE employees. All data for 2019 in this Introduction are projected, except for data on student performance and educational attainment. Some data for other years are projected or estimated as noted. All projections were estimated prior to the coronavirus pandemic. In discussions of historical trends, different time periods and specific years are cited, depending on the timing of important changes as well as the availability of relevant data.

Elementary/Secondary Education

Enrollment

Overall, public school enrollment rose 28 percent, from 39.4 million to 50.6 million, between 1985 and 2019. This reflects a pattern of annual increases in total public elementary and secondary school enrollment, which began in 1985, but stalled at 49.3 million between 2006 and 2008, before beginning to increase again (table 105.30). Private school enrollment fluctuated during this period, with the fall 2019 enrollment of 5.7 million being 3 percent higher than the fall 1985 enrollment of 5.6 million. About 10 percent of elementary and secondary school students were enrolled in private schools in 2019, reflecting a decrease from 12 percent in 1985.

In public schools between 1985 and 2019, there was a 31 percent increase in elementary enrollment (prekindergarten through grade 8), compared with a 23 percent increase in secondary enrollment (grades 9 through 12; table 105.30). Part of the higher growth in public elementary school enrollment resulted from the expansion of prekindergarten enrollment. Between 1985 and 2019, enrollment in prekindergarten increased 880 percent, while enrollment in other elementary grades (including kindergarten through grade 8 and ungraded elementary programs) increased 26 percent (table 203.10). The number of children enrolled in prekindergarten increased from 0.2 million in 1985 to 1.5 million in 2019, and the number enrolled in other elementary grades increased from 26.9 million to 33.9 million. Public secondary school enrollment declined 8 percent from 1985 to 1990 but then increased 33 percent from 1990 to 2007. Over the most recent 10-year period (between 2009 and 2019), public school enrollment rose 3 percent. Elementary school enrollment increased 3 percent between 2009 and 2019, while secondary school enrollment increased 2 percent.

Since the enrollment rates of 5- and 6-year-olds (typical ages for preprimary grades) and 7- to 13-year-olds (typical ages for elementary grades) decreased by fewer than 5 percentage points from 1985 to 2018 and the enrollment rate for 14- to 17-year-olds (typical ages for secondary grades) in 2018 was not measurably different from the rate in 1985, overall increases in public school enrollment primarily reflect increases in the number of children in these age groups (tables 101.10 and 103.20). For example, the enrollment rate of 7- to 13-year-olds decreased from 99 to 98 percent between 1985 and 2018, but the number of 7- to 13-year-olds increased 26 percent. Similarly, increases in public secondary school enrollment are more reflective of the 12 percent increase in the 14- to 17-year-old population between 1985 and 2018 than of the enrollment rates for these years, which were not measurably different (about 95 percent for both years). Increases in the enrollment rate of prekindergarten-age children (ages 3 and 4), from 39 percent in 1985 to 54 percent in 2018, and in the number of 3- and 4-year-olds, from 7.1 million to 8.1 million, also contributed to overall increases in prekindergarten through grade 12 enrollment.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projected near record levels of total public elementary and secondary school enrollment from 2019 (50.6 million) through 2029 (51.1 million; table 105.30). Public elementary school enrollment was projected to increase 2 percent between 2019 and 2029, while public secondary school enrollment was projected to be about 1 percent lower in 2029 than in 2019. Overall, total public school enrollment was projected to increase 1 percent between 2019 and 2029. However, as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic remains unknown, these projections are subject to revision.

Teachers

A projected 3.7 million full-time-equivalent (FTE) elementary and secondary school teachers were engaged in classroom instruction in fall 2019, which was less than 1 percent higher than the number of FTE teachers in fall 2009 (table 105.40). Of these 3.7 million FTE elementary and secondary school teachers in 2019, about 3.2 million taught in public schools and 0.5 million taught in private schools.

Public school enrollment was 3 percent higher in 2019 than in 2009, while the number of public school teachers was 1 percent lower (table 208.20). The number of public school pupils per teacher was higher in 2019 (15.9) than in 2009 (15.4).

The average salary for public school teachers in 2018–19 was $61,730 (table 211.50). In constant (i.e., inflation-adjusted) dollars, the average teacher salary was 1 percent lower in 2018–19 than in 1990–91.

Student Performance

National Comparisons

Much of the student performance data in the Digest are drawn from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP assessments have been conducted using three basic designs: the national main NAEP, state NAEP, and long-term trend NAEP. The national main NAEP and state NAEP provide current information about student performance in subjects including reading, mathematics, science, and writing, while long-term trend NAEP provides information on performance since the early 1970s in reading and mathematics only. Results from long-term trend NAEP are included in the discussion in chapter 2 of the Digest, while the information in this Introduction includes only selected results from the national main NAEP. Readers should keep in mind that comparisons of NAEP scores in the text (like all comparisons of estimates in the Digest) are based on statistical testing of unrounded values.

The main NAEP reports current information for the nation and specific geographic regions of the country. The assessment program includes students drawn from both public and private schools and reports results for student achievement at grades 4, 8, and 12. The main NAEP assessments follow the frameworks developed by the National Assessment Governing Board and use the latest advances in assessment methodology. The state NAEP is identical in content to the national main NAEP, but the state NAEP reports information only for public school students. Chapter 2 presents more information on the NAEP designs and methodology, and additional details appear in Appendix A: Guide to Sources.

NAEP Reading

The main NAEP reading assessment data are reported on a scale of 0 to 500. For 4th-grade students, the average reading score in 2019 (220) was lower than the score in 2017 (222) but was higher than the 1992 score (217; table 221.10). This pattern held for certain racial/ethnic groups (White and Black students), but not for others (Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native students). Specifically, at grade 4, the 2019 reading scores for White (230) and Black (204) students were lower than the corresponding scores in 2017 (232 and 206, respectively), but higher than in 1992 (224 and 192, respectively). In contrast, the 4th-grade reading scores for Hispanic (209) and Asian/Pacific Islander (237) students were not measurably different in 2019 than in 2017, but the scores for both groups were higher in 2019 than in 1992 (197 and 216, respectively). For American Indian/Alaska Native students, the average 4th-grade reading score in 2019 (204) was not measurably different from the scores in either 2017 or 1994 (1994 was the first year data were available for 4th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students).

From 1992 through 2019, the average reading scores for White 4th-graders were higher than those for their Black and Hispanic peers. Although the White-Black achievement gap did not change measurably from 2017 to 2019, the achievement gap narrowed from 32 points in 1992 to 27 points in 2019. The White-Hispanic achievement gap in 2019 (21 points) was smaller than the achievement gap in 2017 (23 points), but it was not measurably different from the achievement gap in 1992.

At grade 8, the average reading score in 2019 (263) was lower than the score in 2017 (267), but it was higher than the score in 1992 (260). The reading scores for White (272), Black (244), and Hispanic (252) 8th-grade students in 2019 were lower than the corresponding scores in 2017 (275, 249, and 255, respectively), but the score for each group was higher in 2019 than in 1992 (267, 237, and 241, respectively). The reading score for 8th-grade Asian/Pacific Islander students in 2019 (281) was not measurably different from the score in 2017, but it was higher than the score in 1992 (268). The reading score for 8th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students in 2019 (248) was lower than the score in 2017 (253), but it was not measurably different from the score in 1994 (1994 was the first year data were available for 8th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students).

From 1992 through 2019, the average reading score for White 8th-graders was higher than the scores for their Black and Hispanic peers. The White-Black achievement gap in 2019 (28 points) was larger than the White-Black achievement gap in 2017 (25 points), but it was not measurably different from the achievement gap in 1992. Although the White-Hispanic achievement gap at grade 8 did not change measurably from 2017 to 2019, the achievement gap narrowed from 26 points in 1992 to 20 points in 2019.

For 12th-grade students, the most recent scores available are from 2015. The average reading score for 12th-grade students in 2015 (287) was not measurably different from the score in 2013, but it was lower than the score in 1992 (292). At grade 12, the reading scores in 2015 for White (295), Hispanic (276), and Asian/Pacific Islander (297) students were not measurably different from the scores in 2013 and 1992. For Black students, the 2015 reading score (266) was lower than the 1992 score (273), but it was not measurably different from the 2013 score. The reading score for American Indian/Alaska Native students in 2015 (279) was not measurably different from the scores in 2013 and 1994 (1994 was the first year data were available for 12th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students).

The White-Black achievement gap for 12th-grade students was larger in 2015 (30 points) than in 1992 (24 points), while the White-Hispanic achievement gap in 2015 (20 points) was not measurably different from the achievement gap in any previous assessment year.

NAEP Mathematics

The main NAEP mathematics assessment data for 4th- and 8th-graders are reported on a scale of 0 to 500. The average mathematics score for 4th-grade students in 2019 (241) was higher than the scores in both 2017 (240) and 1990 (213; table 222.10). At grade 4, the average mathematics scores in 2019 for Asian/Pacific Islander (260), White (249), and Black (224) students were not measurably different from the corresponding scores in 2017, but the mathematics score for each group was higher in 2019 than in 1990 (225, 220, and 188, respectively). The 2019 mathematics score for 4th-grade Hispanic students (231) was higher than the scores in both 2017 (229) and 1990 (200). The 2019 mathematics score for 4th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students (227) was not measurably different from the scores in 2017 and 1996 (1996 was the first year data were available for 4th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students).

In 2019 and in all assessment years since 1990, the average mathematics scores for White students in grade 4 have been higher than those of their Black and Hispanic peers. Although the White-Black and White-Hispanic achievement gaps at grade 4 did not change measurably from 2017 to 2019, the White-Black achievement gap narrowed from 32 points in 1990 to 25 points in 2019. The 4th-grade White-Hispanic achievement gap in 2019 (18 points) was not measurably different from the gap in 1990.

For 8th-grade students, the average mathematics score in 2019 (282) was lower than the score in 2017 (283), but it was higher than the score in 1990 (263). At grade 8, the mathematics scores for Asian/Pacific Islander (310), White (292), Hispanic (268), and Black (260) students in 2019 were not measurably different from the corresponding scores in 2017, but the score for each group was higher in 2019 than in 1990 (275, 270, 246, and 237, respectively). The mathematics score for 8th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students in 2019 (262) was lower than the score in 2017 (267), but it was not measurably different from the score in 2000 (2000 was the first year data were available for 8th-grade American Indian/Alaska Native students).

In 2019 and in all assessment years since 1990, the average mathematics scores for White students in grade 8 have been higher than the scores for their Black and Hispanic peers. At grade 8, the White-Black (32 points) and White-Hispanic (24 points) achievement gaps in 2019 were not measurably different from the corresponding gaps in 2017 and 1990.

For 12th-grade students, the average mathematics score in 2015 (152) was lower than the score in 2013 (153), but it was not measurably different from the score in 2005, the earliest year with comparable data. At grade 12, the mathematics scores for Asian/Pacific Islander (170), White (160), Hispanic (139), and Black (130) students in 2015 were not measurably different from the scores in 2013, but the score for each group was higher in 2015 than in 2005 (163, 157, 133, and 127, respectively). The mathematics score for American Indian/Alaska Native students in 2015 (138) was not measurably different from the scores in 2013 and 2005.

In 2015, the mathematics score for White 12th-grade students was 30 points higher than the score for their Black peers and 22 points higher than the score for their Hispanic peers. The White-Black and White-Hispanic gaps in 2015 were not measurably different from the corresponding gaps in 2005 and 2013.

NAEP Science

NAEP has assessed the science abilities of students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in both public and private schools since 1996. As of 2009, however, NAEP science assessments are based on a new framework, so results from these assessments cannot be compared to results from earlier science assessments. Scores are based on a scale ranging from 0 to 300 (table 223.10). In 2015, the average 4th-grade science score (154) was higher than the score in 2009 (150). The 8th-grade science score in 2015 (154) was higher than the scores in 2009 (150) and in 2011 (152). The 12th-grade science score in 2015 (150) was not measurably different from the score in 2009.

While the scores for White 4th- and 8th-grade students remained higher than those for their Black and Hispanic peers in 2015, racial/ethnic achievement gaps in 2015 were smaller than in 2009. For example, at grade 4, the White-Black achievement gap was 36 points in 2009 and 33 points in 2015, and the White-Hispanic achievement gap was 32 points in 2009 and 27 points in 2015. For 12th-grade students, in contrast, science scores for White students remained higher than those for their Black and Hispanic peers in 2015, and these racial/ethnic achievement gaps were not measurably different from 2009. In addition, the 5-point gender gap, which favored male 12th-graders, in 2015 was not measurably different from the gap in 2009.

International Comparisons

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

The 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assessed students’ mathematics and science performance at grades 4 and 8. Mathematics performance was assessed in 43 countries at grade 4 and in 34 countries at grade 8. Science performance was assessed in 42 countries at grade 4 and in 34 countries at grade 8. In addition, TIMSS Advanced data were collected by 9 countries from students in their final year of secondary school (grade 12 in the United States). At grades 4 and 8, several subnational entities also participated in TIMSS as separate education systems (e.g., Hong Kong, the U.S. state of Florida, England and Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom). However, the following paragraphs include results only from countries, not from subnational entities. At all three grades, TIMSS scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 1,000, with a fixed scale centerpoint of 500. The scale centerpoint represents the mean of the overall achievement distribution in 1995. The TIMSS scale is the same in each administration; thus, a value of 500 in 2015 equals 500 in 1995.

In 2015, the average mathematics scores of U.S. 4th-graders (539) and 8th-graders (518) were higher than the TIMSS centerpoint of 500 (tables 602.20 and 602.30). At grade 4, the average U.S. mathematics score was higher than the average score in 30 of the 42 other countries participating, lower than the average score in 6 countries, and not measurably different from the average score in the remaining 6 countries (table 602.20). The 6 countries that outperformed the United States in 4th-grade mathematics were Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Norway, the Russian Federation, and Singapore. At grade 8, the average U.S. mathematics score was higher than the average score in 21 of the 33 other participating countries, lower than the average score in 5 countries, and not measurably different from the average score in the remaining 7 countries (table 602.30). The 5 countries that outperformed the United States in eighth-grade mathematics were Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and Singapore.

In science, the average scores of both U.S. 4th-graders (546) and U.S. 8th-graders (530) were higher than the TIMSS scale centerpoint of 500 in 2015 (tables 602.20 and 602.30). The average U.S. fourth-grade science score was higher than the average score in 30 of the 41 other countries participating in the science assessment at grade 4, lower than the average score in 5 countries, and not measurably different from the average score in the remaining 6 countries (table 602.20). The 5 countries that outperformed the United States in 4th-grade science were Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and Singapore. At grade 8, the average U.S. science score was higher than the average score in 23 of the 33 other participating countries in 2015, lower than the average score in 5 countries, and not measurably different from the average score in the remaining 5 countries (table 602.30). The 5 countries that outperformed the United States in 8th-grade science were Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Singapore, and Slovenia.

The TIMSS Advanced assessment measures the advanced mathematics and physics achievement of students in their final year of secondary school who are taking or have taken advanced courses in those two subjects (table 602.35). On TIMSS Advanced, the U.S. average advanced mathematics score (485) and physics score (437) in 2015 were lower than the TIMSS Advanced scale centerpoint of 500. However, the U.S. average scores in advanced mathematics and physics were not measurably different from the U.S. average scores in those subjects in 1995. No education systems had higher average advanced mathematics or physics scores in 2015 than in 1995, but three education systems (France, Italy, and Sweden) had lower average scores in advanced mathematics and four (France, Norway, Russian Federation, and Sweden) had lower average physics scores.

Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) assesses 15-year-old students’ application of reading, mathematics, and science literacy to problems within a real-life context. In 2018, PISA assessed students in all 37 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries as well as more than 40 other education systems. While data on mathematics literacy and science literacy were reported for all OECD countries, data on reading literacy were reported for only 36 countries due to data quality concerns. PISA scores are reported on a scale of 0 to 1,000.

On the 2018 PISA assessment, U.S. 15-year-olds’ average score in reading literacy was 505, which was higher than the OECD average score of 487 (table 602.50). The average reading literacy score in the United States was lower than the average score in 4 other OECD countries, higher than the average score in 21 OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 10 OECD countries. In all participating education systems, females outperformed males in reading literacy (table 602.40). The U.S. gender gap in reading (24 points) was not measurably different from the OECD average gap but was smaller than the gaps in 12 other OECD countries, larger than the gaps in 2 OECD countries, and not measurably different from the gaps in 21 other OECD countries.

In mathematics literacy, U.S. 15-year-olds’ average score of 478 on the 2018 PISA assessment was lower than the OECD average score of 489 (table 602.60). The average mathematics literacy score in the United States was lower than the average score in 24 other OECD countries, higher than the average score in 6 OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 6 OECD countries. In 21 OECD countries, including the United States, males outperformed females in mathematics literacy; in 3 countries, females outperformed males in mathematics (table 602.40).

In science literacy, U.S. 15-year-olds’ average score of 502 on the 2018 PISA assessment was higher than the OECD average score of 489 (table 602.70). The average science literacy score in the United States was lower than the average score in 6 other OECD countries, higher than the average score in 19 OECD countries, and not measurably different from the average score in 11 OECD countries. On average across OECD countries, females outperformed male students in science by 2 points. There was no measurable difference in the average science literacy scores for males and females in 22 OECD countries, including the United States. In 13 OECD countries, females outperformed males in science literacy; in 2 countries, males outperformed females in science literacy.

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) measures the reading knowledge and skills of 4th-graders over time. PIRLS scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 1,000, with the scale centerpoint set at 500. On the 2016 PIRLS, U.S. 4th-graders had an average reading literacy score of 549 (table 602.10). The U.S. average score in 2016 was 7 points lower than in 2011 but 10 points higher than in 2006. In all 4 assessment years, the U.S. average score was higher than the PIRLS scale centerpoint. The average reading literacy score of 4th-graders in the United States was higher than the average score in 24 of the 42 other countries participating in 2016, lower than the average score in 7 countries, and not measurably different from the average score in the remaining 11 countries.

High School Graduates and Dropouts

About 3,663,000 high school students were projected to graduate during the 2020–21 school year (based on pre-pandemic data), including 3,302,000 public school graduates and 360,000 private school graduates (table 219.10). High school graduates include only recipients of diplomas, not recipients of equivalency credentials. The 2020–21 projection of high school graduates is slightly lower than the prior record-high projection of 3,674,000 graduates in 2018–19, but it exceeds the baby boom era’s high point in 1975–76, when 3,142,000 students earned diplomas. In 2017–18, about 85 percent of public high school students graduated with a regular diploma within 4 years of first starting 9th grade, which reflects an increase since 2010–11 (79 percent; table 219.46). This rate is known as the 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR).

The status dropout rate has decreased since 2000. The status dropout rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized 16- to 24-year-old population who are not enrolled in school and who have not completed a high school program, regardless of when they left school. (People who left school but went on to receive a GED credential are not treated as dropouts.) Between 2000 and 2018, the status dropout rate declined from 10.9 to 5.7 percent (table 219.70). During this period, the status dropout rate for Black 16- to 24-year-olds declined from 13.1 to 5.8 percent, and the rate for Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds declined from 27.8 to 9.0 percent. In 2018, the status dropout rate for White 16- to 24-year-olds (4.5 percent) was lower than the rate for Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds, but it was not measurably different from the rate for Black 16- to 24-year-olds.

Postsecondary Education

Enrollment in Degree‐Granting Institutions

College enrollment was 19.6 million in fall 2018, reflecting a 7 percent decrease from the record enrollment of 21.0 million in fall 2010 (table 105.30). College enrollment is expected to remain below the 2010 record through fall 2029, the last year for which NCES enrollment projections have been developed. Based on these pre-pandemic projections, enrollment is expected to increase 2 percent between fall 2018 and fall 2029.

Despite decreases in the size of the traditional college-age population (18 to 24 years old) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, total enrollment increased during this period (tables 101.10 and 105.30). The traditional college-age population was 1 percent higher in 2018 than in 2008, and total college enrollment was 3 percent higher in 2018 than in 2008. The number of full-time students was 2 percent higher in 2018 than in 2008, while the number of part-time students was 4 percent higher (table 303.10). Postsecondary enrollment was 3 percent higher in 2018 than in 2008 for both male and female students.

Faculty

In fall 2018, degree-granting institutions—defined as postsecondary institutions that grant an associate’s or higher degree and are eligible for Title IV federal financial aid programs—employed 1.5 million faculty members, including 0.8 million full-time and 0.7 million part-time faculty (table 314.30). In addition, degree-granting institutions employed 0.4 million graduate assistants.

Degrees

During the 2019–20 academic year, postsecondary degrees conferred were projected to number 981,000 associate’s degrees, 1,996,000 bachelor’s degrees, 832,000 master’s degrees, and 186,000 doctor’s degrees (table 318.10). The doctor’s degree total includes most degrees that were classified as first-professional prior to 2010–11, such as M.D.’s, D.D.S.’s, and law degrees. Between 2007–08 and 2017–18 (the last year of actual data), the number of degrees conferred increased at all levels. Between 2007–08 and 2017–18, the number of associate’s degrees increased 35 percent, the number of bachelor’s degrees increased 27 percent, the number of master’s degrees increased 30 percent, and the number of doctor’s degrees increased 23 percent.

Between 2007–08 and 2017–18, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to male students increased 26 percent, while the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to female students increased 27 percent (table 318.10). Female students earned 57 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in 2017–18, which was the same as the percentage in 2007–08. Between 2007–08 and 2017–18, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to White students increased 6 percent, which was smaller than the increases for Black students (28 percent), Hispanic students (118 percent), and Asian/Pacific Islander students (38 percent; table 322.20). The number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to American Indian/Alaska Native students decreased 20 percent during this period. In 2017–18, White students earned 63 percent of all bachelor’s degrees (compared with 74 percent in 2007–08), Black students earned 10 percent (the same percentage as 2007–08), Hispanic students earned 14 percent (compared with 8 percent in 2007–08), and Asian/Pacific Islander students earned 8 percent (compared with 7 percent in 2007–08). American Indian/Alaska Native students earned less than 1 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in both years. In 2017–18, students of Two or more races earned 4 percent of all bachelor’s degrees.

Undergraduate Prices

For the 2018–19 academic year, average annual prices for undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board were estimated to be $18,383 at public institutions, $47,419 at private nonprofit institutions, and $27,040 at private for-profit institutions (table 330.10). Between 2008–09 and 2018–19, prices for undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board at public institutions rose 28 percent, and prices at private nonprofit institutions rose 19 percent, after adjustment for inflation. The average price for total tuition, fees, room, and board at private for-profit institutions was 6 percent lower in 2018–19 than in 2008–09.

Educational Attainment

The U.S. Census Bureau collects annual statistics on the educational attainment of the population. Between 2009 and 2019, the percentage of the adult population age 25 and over who had completed at least high school (or an equivalency program) rose from 87 to 90 percent, and the percentage of adults with a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 30 to 36 percent (table 104.10). Among 25- to 29-year-olds, the percentage who had completed at least high school increased from 89 to 94 percent between 2009 and 2019, and the percentage who had completed a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 31 percent to 39 percent (table 104.20). During this same period, the percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed a master’s or higher degree increased from 7 to 9 percent.

Among employed adults age 25 and over 42 percent had a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2019, and about half (53 percent) had an associate’s or higher degree (table 502.10).

Education Expenditures

U.S. expenditures for public and private education, from prekindergarten through graduate school (excluding postsecondary schools not awarding associate’s or higher degrees), were an estimated $1.5 trillion for 2018–19 (table 106.10). Expenditures of elementary and secondary schools totaled an estimated $832 billion, while those of degree-granting postsecondary institutions totaled an estimated $620 billion. Total expenditures for education were an estimated 7.1 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018–19. Education spending as a percentage of GDP peaked at 7.6 percent in 2009–10 but declined between 2009–10 and 2014–15 (7.1 percent).

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