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Digest of Education Statistics
2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 105.30. Enrollment in elementary, secondary, and degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1869-70 through fall 2031
[In thousands]
Year Total enrollment,
all levels
Elementary and secondary,
total
Public elementary and secondary schools Private elementary and secondary schools1 Degree-granting postsecondary institutions2
Total Prekindergarten through grade 83 Grades 9
through 123
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 4 4,200 4 1,300 4 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 4 4,512 4 1,136 4 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 4 4,746 4 1,125 4 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 4 4,856 4 1,138 4 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 4 4,755 4 1,178 4 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 4 4,776 4 1,212 4 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 4 4,906 4 1,264 4 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 4 4,915 4 1,306 4 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 4 4,756 4 1,331 4 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 4 4,631 4 1,360 4 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 4 4,365 4 1,342 4 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 4 4,084 4 1,299 4 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 4 4,031 4 1,302 4 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 4 4,202 4 1,373 4 20,209 14,655 5,554
Fall 2015 76,177 56,189 50,438 35,388 15,050 5,751   4,304   1,446   19,988 14,573 5,415

Fall 2016
76,216 56,369 50,615 35,477 15,138 5,754 4 4,293 4 1,460 4 19,847 14,586 5,261
Fall 2017 76,184 56,406 50,686 35,496 15,190 5,720   4,252   1,468   19,778 14,572 5,206
Fall 2018 75,955 56,304 50,694 35,498 15,196 5,610 4 4,167 4 1,443 4 19,651 14,539 5,112
Fall 2019 75,912 56,282 50,796 35,551 15,246 5,486   4,066   1,420   19,630 14,504 5,127
Fall 2020 74,405 55,377 49,375 34,061 15,314 6,002 5 4,496 5 1,506 5 19,027 13,884 5,143

Fall 2021
74,153 55,493 49,433 33,998 15,436 6,060 5 4,544 5 1,516 5 18,660 13,544 5,116
Fall 20225 74,162 55,201 49,262 33,724 15,539 5,939   4,399   1,540   18,961 13,864 5,098
Fall 20235 73,774 54,834 49,012 33,484 15,528 5,822   4,278   1,544   18,940 13,861 5,079
Fall 20245 73,591 54,344 48,707 33,267 15,441 5,636   4,151   1,486   19,248 14,088 5,160
Fall 20255 73,305 53,737 48,228 33,037 15,190 5,510   4,044   1,466   19,568 14,318 5,249

Fall 20265
72,802 52,994 47,644 32,722 14,923 5,350   3,890   1,460   19,808 14,490 5,318
Fall 20275 72,614 52,647 47,370 32,633 14,737 5,277   3,818   1,459   19,967 14,603 5,365
Fall 20285 72,441 52,365 47,184 32,542 14,642 5,181   3,715   1,466   20,075 14,676 5,399
Fall 20295 72,256 52,124 47,028 32,522 14,505 5,096   3,561   1,535   20,133 14,714 5,418
Fall 20305 72,097 51,930 46,940 32,313 14,627 4,990   3,546   1,444   20,167 14,736 5,431
Fall 20315 72,026 51,792 46,890 32,225 14,664 4,902   3,545   1,357   20,234 14,785 5,449
---Not available.
1Beginning in fall 1985, data include estimates for an expanded universe of private schools. Therefore, direct comparisons with earlier years should be avoided.
2Data 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.
3Includes ungraded students as well as students whose grade was not specified. These students were prorated into either the prekindergarten through grade 8 level or the grades 9 through 12 level based on the known grade-level distribution of a state.
4Estimated based on data appearing in Projections of Education Statistics.
5Projected data.
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 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. Projections in this table were calculated after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and take into account the expected impacts of the pandemic. 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/Secondary Education," 1985-86 through 2020-21 and 2021-22 Preliminary; Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1991-92 through 2020-21; National Elementary and Secondary Enrollment Projection Model, through 2031; 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 2022, Fall Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, through 2031. (This table was prepared December 2022.)

2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest