Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 208.10. Public elementary and secondary pupil/teacher ratios, by selected school characteristics: Selected years, fall 1990 through fall 2018
Selected school characteristic 1990 1995 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20101 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
All schools 17.4 17.8 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.4 16.2 16.0 15.8 15.7 15.7 16.0 16.4 16.3 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.2 16.2 16.1 16.1
Enrollment size of school                                            
Under 300 14.0 14.1 13.3 13.1 12.9 12.8 13.0 12.8 12.7 12.7 12.7 12.5 12.6 12.9 12.8 12.8 12.7 12.7 12.8 12.8 12.7 12.7
300 to 499 17.0 17.1 15.8 15.5 15.4 15.3 15.5 15.2 15.0 14.9 15.0 14.8 15.2 15.4 15.4 15.5 15.4 15.3 15.3 15.2 15.2 15.1
500 to 999 18.0 18.2 16.8 16.7 16.5 16.5 16.6 16.4 16.2 15.9 15.9 15.9 16.3 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.4 16.4
1,000 to 1,499 17.9 18.7 17.6 17.4 17.4 17.4 17.6 17.3 16.9 16.7 16.5 16.5 16.8 17.3 17.1 17.1 17.1 16.9 16.9 17.0 16.8 17.0
1,500 or more 19.2 20.0 19.3 19.1 19.0 18.9 19.2 19.1 18.8 18.6 18.1 18.3 18.7 19.5 19.0 19.0 19.1 19.0 19.0 18.9 18.8 18.8

Type
                                           
Regular schools 17.6 17.9 16.7 16.5 16.4 16.3 16.5 16.3 16.1 15.9 15.8 15.8 16.1 16.5 16.4 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.3 16.3 16.2 16.2
Alternative 14.2 16.6 15.8 15.2 14.9 14.9 15.0 14.4 14.0 14.7 13.5 14.2 14.3 14.8 14.7 14.8 14.3 14.5 14.4 14.4 13.9 14.0
Special education 6.5 7.2 7.2 7.0 6.4 7.0 7.3 7.4 6.2 6.6 7.1 6.8 7.1 6.9 7.1 7.2 6.6 7.0 7.4 7.2 7.3 7.3
Vocational 13.0 12.7 13.0 12.7 12.7 9.9 10.3 11.5 12.0 13.3 11.3 10.7 10.2 11.7 11.8 11.6 11.8 11.8 11.9 11.8 11.7 12.0

Percent of students eligible for
    free or reduced-price lunch
                                           
25 percent or less --- --- 16.9 16.7 16.7 16.6 16.8 16.8 16.5 16.4 16.3 16.1 16.5 16.8 16.9 16.5 16.5 16.4 16.5 16.5 16.2 16.4
26 percent to 50 percent --- --- 16.4 16.2 16.1 16.2 16.4 16.2 16.1 15.8 15.7 15.7 16.1 16.5 16.2 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.2 16.1 16.0 16.2
51 percent to 75 percent --- --- 16.2 16.1 16.0 16.0 16.0 15.9 15.6 15.3 15.2 15.4 15.8 16.2 15.8 16.2 16.1 16.0 16.0 15.9 15.9 15.9
More than 75 percent --- --- 16.3 16.1 16.0 16.0 16.1 15.9 15.5 15.4 15.0 15.1 15.6 16.0 15.5 16.3 16.5 16.4 16.4 16.4 16.2 16.1

Level and size
                                           
Elementary schools 18.1 18.1 16.7 16.5 16.3 16.2 16.3 16.0 15.8 15.6 15.6 15.5 15.9 16.3 16.3 16.4 16.3 16.1 16.1 16.1 16.0 16.0
Regular 18.2 18.1 16.7 16.5 16.3 16.2 16.3 16.0 15.8 15.6 15.6 15.5 15.9 16.3 16.3 16.4 16.4 16.2 16.1 16.1 16.0 16.0
Under 300 16.0 15.7 14.6 14.4 14.1 13.9 14.0 13.7 13.6 13.5 13.7 13.5 13.7 14.0 14.0 14.0 14.0 13.8 13.8 13.7 13.8 13.7
300 to 499 17.6 17.5 16.1 15.8 15.6 15.5 15.6 15.3 15.2 15.1 15.2 15.0 15.4 15.6 15.7 15.7 15.6 15.5 15.4 15.4 15.3 15.3
500 to 999 18.8 18.6 17.1 16.9 16.8 16.7 16.8 16.5 16.3 16.0 16.0 16.0 16.5 16.9 16.9 17.0 17.0 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.5 16.6
1,000 to 1,499 19.5 19.7 18.3 18.1 18.0 18.0 18.1 17.7 17.2 17.0 16.7 16.8 17.2 17.8 17.7 17.8 17.7 17.5 17.4 17.4 17.3 17.5
1,500 or more 19.9 20.9 20.0 20.5 20.2 20.3 20.8 20.5 19.6 19.4 18.0 18.1 18.5 19.3 19.0 18.9 19.1 19.0 18.8 18.6 18.0 18.1

Secondary schools
16.6 17.6 16.8 16.6 16.6 16.7 16.9 16.8 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.4 16.8 16.5 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.6
Regular 16.7 17.7 16.9 16.7 16.7 16.8 17.0 16.9 16.8 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.6 16.9 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.6 16.7
Under 300 12.3 12.8 12.0 12.0 11.9 12.0 12.3 12.0 12.2 12.0 12.1 11.9 11.9 12.2 12.0 12.1 12.1 11.9 12.1 12.2 12.1 12.0
300 to 499 14.9 15.7 14.6 14.5 14.4 14.4 14.7 14.7 14.6 14.4 14.4 14.3 14.3 14.6 14.6 14.5 14.4 14.6 14.6 14.5 14.5 14.4
500 to 999 16.1 16.9 16.0 15.8 15.7 15.8 16.0 15.9 15.8 15.6 15.4 15.4 15.6 15.8 15.7 15.7 15.7 15.7 15.7 15.8 15.7 15.7
1,000 to 1,499 17.2 18.0 17.1 16.8 16.8 16.9 17.2 17.0 16.8 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.6 16.9 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.5 16.6 16.5 16.6
1,500 or more 19.3 20.0 19.2 18.9 18.8 18.8 19.0 19.0 18.8 18.5 18.2 18.2 18.6 19.3 18.8 18.9 18.9 18.9 18.7 18.7 18.6 18.7

Combined schools
14.5 15.0 13.4 13.7 13.4 13.5 13.8 13.9 14.1 14.7 13.4 13.9 14.0 15.4 14.4 14.4 14.7 14.2 15.2 15.0 14.8 15.0
Under 300 8.9 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.1 9.1 9.5 9.2 9.5 10.1 9.2 8.9 9.1 9.2 9.4 9.3 9.1 9.2 9.6 9.7 9.4 9.7
300 to 499 14.2 14.7 13.8 13.5 13.1 13.1 14.4 13.4 13.9 14.3 13.7 13.9 13.8 13.6 13.3 13.3 13.5 13.6 14.3 14.0 13.6 13.6
500 to 999 16.3 16.6 14.9 15.8 15.6 16.0 15.4 15.8 15.9 16.0 15.2 15.6 15.8 16.9 15.6 15.5 15.5 15.1 16.3 15.9 15.7 15.8
1,000 to 1,499 17.8 18.2 16.9 17.5 18.1 17.7 17.5 17.4 16.4 17.3 15.9 16.7 17.9 19.2 18.1 17.8 17.9 17.3 17.5 17.3 16.9 17.2
1,500 or more 17.7 19.6 19.2 18.6 18.9 19.1 19.2 18.7 20.0 20.3 18.0 21.7 21.7 25.7 23.4 23.3 24.7 20.9 23.6 22.9 22.9 22.5

Other (not classified by
     grade span)
6.4 6.9 5.3 7.0 6.3 6.8 9.6 8.0 7.7 7.2 7.3 5.5 8.5 5.3 6.0 5.9 3.0 8.1 9.0 5.1 5.7 6.3

Level, type, and percent of
    students eligible for free
    or reduced-price lunch
                                           
Elementary, regular                                            
25 percent or less --- --- 17.1 16.9 16.7 16.5 16.7 16.6 16.4 16.2 16.2 16.0 16.4 16.8 16.6 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.4 16.3 16.1 16.2
26 to 50 percent --- --- 16.5 16.3 16.2 16.1 16.2 16.0 15.8 15.5 15.6 15.6 16.0 16.4 16.3 16.4 16.3 16.1 16.1 16.0 15.9 16.0
51 to 75 percent --- --- 16.3 16.2 16.1 16.0 16.0 15.7 15.5 15.1 15.2 15.2 15.7 16.0 15.9 16.2 16.1 15.8 15.8 15.8 15.7 15.8
More than 75 percent --- --- 16.6 16.4 16.2 16.1 16.3 16.0 15.6 15.4 15.1 15.2 15.8 16.1 15.7 16.5 16.6 16.5 16.4 16.4 16.3 16.2
Secondary, regular                                            
25 percent or less --- --- 17.0 16.9 16.9 16.9 17.2 17.5 17.0 16.9 16.8 16.6 16.8 17.1 17.4 16.7 16.8 16.7 16.9 16.8 16.4 16.7
26 to 50 percent --- --- 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.5 16.9 16.9 16.8 16.4 16.4 16.2 16.5 16.8 16.4 16.6 16.5 16.5 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.7
51 to 75 percent --- --- 16.8 16.6 16.6 16.6 17.0 16.9 16.7 16.3 16.1 16.4 16.5 17.1 16.1 16.7 16.8 16.9 16.9 16.8 16.8 16.7
More than 75 percent --- --- 16.8 16.5 16.5 16.3 16.6 16.2 16.7 16.2 15.7 15.9 16.0 16.5 15.5 16.6 17.0 17.0 17.1 17.1 17.0 16.7
---Not available.
1 Includes imputations for California and Wyoming.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Includes only schools that reported both enrollment and teacher data. Ratios are based on data reported by schools and may differ from data reported in other tables that reflect aggregate totals reported by states.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," 1990-91 through 2018-19. (This table was prepared January 2021.)

2020 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest