Table 202.10.

Enrollment of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in preprimary programs, by age of child, level of program, control of program, and attendance status: Selected years, 1970 through 2018

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Age of child, level and control of program, and attendance status	1970			1980			1990			20001			20031			20051			20101			20151			20161			20171			20181
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10			11			12
3 to 5 years old2
Total population (in thousands)	10,949		(131.4)	9,284		(121.0)	11,207		(145.5)	11,858		(155.3)	12,204		(149.6)	12,134		(149.1)	12,949		(80.4)	11,958		(79.8)	12,032		(113.7)	12,001		(133.4)	12,109		(112.5)
Enrollment of 3- to 5-year-olds    (in thousands)
Total	4,104		(78.9)	4,878		(75.0)	6,659		(88.8)	7,592		(86.2)	7,921		(82.6)	7,801		(82.7)	8,246		(107.3)	7,681		(107.3)	7,776		(103.5)	7,716		(117.0)	7,747		(118.5)
Level and attendance status
Preschool	1,094		(48.9)	1,981		(61.5)	3,379		(83.0)	4,326		(86.5)	4,859		(84.7)	4,529		(83.4)	4,797		(94.5)	4,475		(96.9)	4,701		(116.0)	4,620		(141.8)	4,735		(98.3)
Full-day	291		(26.2)	681		(39.1)	1,150		(54.9)	2,049		(67.9)	2,479		(69.6)	2,275		(67.3)	2,297		(81.4)	2,264		(73.0)	2,544		(91.0)	2,584		(108.0)	2,579		(85.6)
Part-day	803		(42.5)	1,301		(52.1)	2,229		(72.2)	2,277		(70.8)	2,380		(68.5)	2,255		(67.1)	2,500		(75.4)	2,211		(81.3)	2,157		(86.7)	2,036		(90.2)	2,156		(86.2)
Kindergarten	3,010		(72.8)	2,897		(69.6)	3,280		(82.3)	3,266		(80.3)	3,062		(75.0)	3,272		(76.6)	3,449		(75.9)	3,207		(84.3)	3,075		(92.9)	3,097		(90.2)	3,013		(101.4)
Full-day	407		(30.9)	870		(43.8)	1,428		(60.3)	1,959		(66.7)	1,950		(63.4)	2,274		(67.3)	2,516		(69.7)	2,613		(77.3)	2,494		(86.7)	2,438		(83.4)	2,436		(86.0)
Part-day	2,603		(69.4)	2,026		(62.0)	1,853		(67.2)	1,307		(56.3)	1,112		(49.8)	998		(47.4)	932		(53.4)	594		(42.3)	581		(44.8)	659		(48.6)	577		(43.9)
Control
Public	2,830		(71.4)	3,066		(70.6)	3,971		(86.5)	4,847		(88.3)	5,051		(85.2)	5,213		(85.4)	5,829		(105.5)	5,426		(95.6)	5,586		(98.7)	5,501		(105.4)	5,398		(117.5)
Private	1,274		(52.3)	1,812		(59.5)	2,688		(77.2)	2,745		(75.8)	2,870		(73.4)	2,588		(70.7)	2,417		(77.1)	2,255		(70.5)	2,190		(83.4)	2,216		(100.2)	2,349		(88.6)
Attendance status
Full-day	698		(39.8)	1,551		(56.0)	2,577		(76.1)	4,008		(85.0)	4,429		(83.2)	4,548		(83.5)	4,813		(98.5)	4,877		(101.5)	5,038		(105.0)	5,022		(109.8)	5,015		(118.0)
Part-day	3,406		(75.5)	3,327		(72.0)	4,082		(87.0)	3,584		(82.5)	3,492		(78.2)	3,253		(76.4)	3,432		(88.5)	2,804		(91.6)	2,738		(87.7)	2,694		(93.9)	2,733		(85.2)
Percent of 3- to 5-year-olds enrolled
Total	37.5		(0.72)	52.5		(0.81)	59.4		(0.79)	64.0		(0.73)	64.9		(0.68)	64.3		(0.68)	63.7		(0.66)	64.2		(0.79)	64.6		(0.81)	64.3		(0.77)	64.0		(0.98)
Full-day as a percent    of total enrollment	17.0		(0.91)	31.8		(1.04)	38.7		(1.02)	52.8		(0.95)	55.9		(0.87)	58.3		(0.87)	58.4		(0.92)	63.5		(1.04)	64.8		(1.03)	65.1		(1.08)	64.7		(1.04)
Full-day preschool as a percent    of total preschool enrollment	26.6		(2.08)	34.3		(1.66)	34.0		(1.39)	47.4		(1.25)	51.0		(1.12)	50.2		(1.16)	47.9		(1.31)	50.6		(1.34)	54.1		(1.45)	55.9		(1.51)	54.5		(1.49)
Full-day kindergarten as a percent    of total kindergarten enrollment	13.5		(0.97)	30.0		(1.33)	43.5		(1.48)	60.0		(1.41)	63.7		(1.36)	69.5		(1.26)	73.0		(1.38)	81.5		(1.21)	81.1		(1.34)	78.7		(1.42)	80.8		(1.25)
3 and 4 years old
Total population (in thousands)	7,135		(106.1)	6,215		(99.0)	7,415		(118.3)	7,869		(126.5)	8,336		(123.6)	8,179		(122.4)	8,850		(63.8)	7,971		(80.7)	7,971		(156.9)	8,030		(186.2)	8,138		(175.8)
Age
3 years old	3,516		(74.4)	3,143		(70.4)	3,692		(83.5)	3,929		(89.4)	4,260		(88.4)	4,151		(87.2)	4,492		(59.4)	3,937		(92.3)	3,978		(71.2)	4,086		(81.1)	3,986		(193.1)
4 years old	3,620		(75.5)	3,072		(69.6)	3,723		(83.8)	3,940		(89.5)	4,076		(86.4)	4,028		(85.9)	4,358		(57.7)	4,034		(76.3)	3,993		(137.5)	3,943		(158.3)	4,152		(77.0)
Enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds    (in thousands)
Total	1,461		(53.1)	2,280		(59.2)	3,292		(73.1)	4,097		(73.1)	4,590		(71.1)	4,383		(70.6)	4,706		(84.1)	4,203		(91.5)	4,289		(121.2)	4,319		(148.1)	4,393		(103.5)
Age
3 years old	454		(31.0)	857		(38.9)	1,205		(48.7)	1,541		(50.5)	1,806		(50.5)	1,715		(49.7)	1,718		(59.5)	1,512		(70.2)	1,656		(63.8)	1,641		(76.5)	1,583		(92.9)
4 years old	1,007		(42.0)	1,423		(43.1)	2,087		(51.7)	2,556		(49.4)	2,785		(46.5)	2,668		(47.0)	2,988		(67.2)	2,691		(72.1)	2,633		(87.9)	2,678		(121.9)	2,811		(82.4)
Level and attendance status
Preschool	1,003		(45.8)	1,889		(56.5)	3,026		(72.3)	3,762		(73.1)	4,198		(71.5)	4,024		(70.8)	4,245		(85.3)	3,855		(88.9)	4,034		(110.7)	3,966		(145.2)	4,065		(98.5)
Full-day	263		(24.8)	649		(37.6)	1,028		(50.8)	1,763		(61.0)	2,135		(62.4)	1,986		(60.7)	2,018		(70.6)	1,914		(70.3)	2,178		(81.4)	2,223		(106.3)	2,215		(82.7)
Part-day	741		(40.1)	1,240		(49.1)	1,998		(65.3)	1,999		(63.7)	2,063		(61.7)	2,038		(61.3)	2,226		(73.0)	1,941		(75.5)	1,856		(80.9)	1,742		(87.8)	1,849		(75.1)
Kindergarten	458		(32.3)	391		(29.8)	266		(27.3)	335		(29.6)	392		(30.3)	359		(29.0)	462		(44.6)	348		(36.5)	254		(32.0)	353		(34.3)	329		(35.6)
Full-day	110		(16.2)	139		(18.2)	135		(19.7)	181		(21.9)	245		(24.1)	247		(24.2)	247		(31.4)	253		(32.2)	202		(26.7)	216		(29.5)	215		(27.4)
Part-day	348		(28.3)	252		(24.2)	131		(19.4)	154		(20.3)	147		(18.8)	112		(16.5)	214		(28.5)	95		(17.4)	‡		(†)	137		(23.4)	114		(22.5)
Control
Public	617		(37.0)	838		(42.0)	1,211		(54.4)	2,042		(64.2)	2,374		(64.5)	2,341		(64.0)	2,795		(82.2)	2,477		(80.6)	2,532		(86.5)	2,630		(111.8)	2,492		(103.5)
Private	844		(42.5)	1,441		(51.9)	2,081		(66.1)	2,055		(64.3)	2,216		(63.2)	2,042		(61.3)	1,911		(64.0)	1,726		(68.7)	1,757		(80.9)	1,689		(86.4)	1,901		(73.4)
Attendance status
Full-day	373		(29.3)	788		(40.9)	1,163		(53.5)	1,944		(63.1)	2,380		(64.6)	2,233		(63.1)	2,265		(69.0)	2,167		(75.0)	2,381		(87.8)	2,439		(108.0)	2,430		(87.8)
Part-day	1,088		(47.3)	1,492		(52.5)	2,129		(66.6)	2,153		(65.3)	2,211		(63.1)	2,150		(62.4)	2,441		(76.5)	2,036		(75.3)	1,908		(83.3)	1,879		(91.8)	1,963		(78.9)
Percent of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled
Total	20.5		(1.65)	36.7		(1.57)	44.4		(1.48)	52.1		(1.29)	55.1		(1.15)	53.6		(1.18)	53.2		(0.89)	52.7		(1.02)	53.8		(1.04)	53.8		(1.08)	54.0		(1.19)
Age
3 years old	12.9		(2.45)	27.3		(2.37)	32.6		(2.31)	39.2		(2.05)	42.4		(1.82)	41.3		(1.86)	38.2		(1.25)	38.4		(1.45)	41.6		(1.49)	40.2		(1.67)	39.7		(1.50)
4 years old	27.8		(2.20)	46.3		(2.06)	56.1		(1.86)	64.9		(1.56)	68.3		(1.38)	66.2		(1.43)	68.6		(1.25)	66.7		(1.32)	65.9		(1.50)	67.9		(1.35)	67.7		(1.43)
Full-day as a percent    of total enrollment	25.5		(1.78)	34.5		(1.55)	35.3		(1.42)	47.4		(1.29)	51.8		(1.16)	50.9		(1.18)	48.1		(1.26)	51.6		(1.42)	55.5		(1.42)	56.5		(1.57)	55.3		(1.48)
Full-day preschool as a percent    of total preschool enrollment	26.2		(2.16)	34.3		(1.70)	34.0		(1.47)	46.9		(1.34)	50.9		(1.21)	49.3		(1.23)	47.5		(1.36)	49.6		(1.49)	54.0		(1.49)	56.1		(1.64)	54.5		(1.51)
Full-day kindergarten as a percent    of total kindergarten enrollment	24.0		(3.11)	35.6		(3.77)	50.8		(5.24)	54.0		(4.49)	62.4		(3.83)	68.8		(3.83)	53.6		(4.30)	72.8		(4.53)	79.6		(5.44)	61.2		(5.69)	65.3		(5.32)
5 years old2
Total population (in thousands)	3,814		(77.5)	3,069		(69.6)	3,792		(84.6)	3,989		(90.1)	3,867		(84.2)	3,955		(85.1)	4,099		(57.9)	3,987		(73.9)	4,061		(90.5)	3,972		(100.6)	3,971		(123.3)
Enrollment of 5-year-olds (in    thousands)
Total	2,643		(44.4)	2,598		(31.1)	3,367		(33.2)	3,495		(34.3)	3,331		(33.7)	3,418		(33.7)	3,540		(56.2)	3,478		(74.8)	3,488		(96.5)	3,398		(90.4)	3,354		(104.9)
Level and attendance status
Preschool	91		(14.7)	93		(14.8)	352		(30.5)	565		(36.3)	661		(36.7)	505		(32.9)	552		(35.8)	620		(46.1)	667		(45.3)	654		(48.1)	670		(47.9)
Full-day	28		(8.3)	32		(8.8)	122		(18.5)	286		(26.9)	344		(27.7)	289		(25.6)	279		(29.2)	350		(31.8)	366		(36.8)	361		(32.0)	364		(35.8)
Part-day	62		(12.2)	61		(12.0)	231		(25.2)	278		(26.6)	316		(26.7)	216		(22.4)	274		(26.9)	270		(32.1)	301		(31.2)	293		(36.5)	306		(35.7)
Kindergarten	2,552		(45.3)	2,505		(33.4)	3,015		(42.5)	2,931		(46.0)	2,670		(45.0)	2,913		(43.4)	2,987		(59.8)	2,859		(75.1)	2,821		(93.5)	2,744		(88.2)	2,684		(95.0)
Full-day	297		(25.8)	731		(36.8)	1,293		(49.9)	1,778		(51.8)	1,705		(48.4)	2,027		(49.2)	2,269		(60.2)	2,360		(70.9)	2,292		(85.3)	2,222		(77.4)	2,221		(80.8)
Part-day	2,255		(47.3)	1,774		(42.6)	1,722		(52.4)	1,152		(47.2)	965		(42.1)	886		(41.1)	718		(43.0)	499		(39.8)	529		(46.5)	522		(42.7)	463		(40.6)
Control
Public	2,214		(47.5)	2,228		(38.5)	2,760		(46.8)	2,806		(47.6)	2,677		(45.0)	2,872		(43.9)	3,034		(57.8)	2,950		(70.7)	3,055		(89.2)	2,871		(90.7)	2,906		(99.9)
Private	429		(30.4)	370		(28.1)	607		(38.6)	690		(39.4)	654		(36.5)	546		(34.0)	506		(35.0)	529		(37.6)	433		(37.3)	527		(39.7)	448		(38.1)
Attendance status
Full-day	326		(26.9)	763		(37.3)	1,414		(50.9)	2,065		(52.1)	2,050		(48.6)	2,316		(48.5)	2,548		(60.1)	2,710		(72.4)	2,657		(87.4)	2,583		(78.4)	2,585		(91.3)
Part-day	2,317		(47.0)	1,835		(42.3)	1,953		(52.6)	1,431		(50.0)	1,281		(45.8)	1,102		(44.2)	992		(44.6)	768		(51.7)	830		(52.5)	815		(56.2)	769		(51.4)
Percent of 5-year-olds enrolled
Total	69.3		(1.16)	84.7		(1.01)	88.8		(0.88)	87.6		(0.86)	86.1		(0.87)	86.4		(0.85)	86.3		(0.92)	87.2		(0.95)	85.9		(1.05)	85.5		(1.08)	84.5		(1.14)
Full-day as a percent    of total enrollment	12.3		(1.00)	29.4		(1.39)	42.0		(1.45)	59.1		(1.37)	61.5		(1.32)	67.7		(1.25)	72.0		(1.20)	77.9		(1.38)	76.2		(1.34)	76.0		(1.42)	77.1		(1.35)
Full-day preschool as a percent    of total preschool enrollment	31.3		(7.58)	34.6		(7.70)	34.5		(4.33)	50.7		(3.47)	52.1		(3.04)	57.2		(3.45)	50.5		(3.90)	56.5		(3.60)	54.9		(3.82)	55.2		(3.76)	54.3		(4.00)
Full-day kindergarten as a percent    of total kindergarten enrollment	11.6		(0.99)	29.2		(1.42)	42.9		(1.54)	60.7		(1.49)	63.9		(1.46)	69.6		(1.34)	76.0		(1.35)	82.6		(1.30)	81.2		(1.48)	81.0		(1.36)	82.8		(1.31)

†Not applicable.

‡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 Beginning in 1994, preprimary enrollment data were collected using new procedures. Data may not be comparable to figures for earlier years.

2 Enrollment data for 5-year-olds include only those students in preprimary programs and do not include those enrolled in primary programs.

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. 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). Prior to 2010, standard errors were computed using generalized variance function methodology rather than the more precise replicate weight methodology used in later years. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), October, 1970 through 2018. (This table was prepared July 2019.)