Table 216.60.

Number and percentage distribution of public school students, by percentage of students in school who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, school level, locale, and student race/ethnicity: Fall 2021

School level, locale, and student race/ethnicity	Number of students, by percent of students in school eligible for free or reduced-price lunch						Percentage distribution of students, by percent of students in school eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
	Total	0 to 25.0 percent	25.1 to 50.0 percent	50.1 to 75.0 percent	More than 75.0 percent	Missing/school does not participate	Total	0 to 25.0 percent	25.1 to 50.0 percent	50.1 to 75.0 percent	More than 75.0 percent	Missing/school does not participate
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
Total	49,089,640	11,886,953	14,124,391	10,757,306	10,537,158	1,783,832	100.0	24.2	28.8	21.9	21.5	3.6
White	22,216,589	7,566,738	7,856,198	3,914,183	1,662,590	1,216,880	100.0	34.1	35.4	17.6	7.5	5.5
Black	7,335,925	844,130	1,696,481	1,939,305	2,706,185	149,824	100.0	11.5	23.1	26.4	36.9	2.0
Hispanic	13,944,742	1,650,908	3,024,881	3,746,106	5,325,241	197,606	100.0	11.8	21.7	26.9	38.2	1.4
Asian	2,647,067	1,111,131	659,485	470,662	332,356	73,433	100.0	42.0	24.9	17.8	12.6	2.8
Pacific Islander	180,420	28,443	49,470	54,921	41,064	6,522	100.0	15.8	27.4	30.4	22.8	3.6
American Indian/Alaska      Native	447,449	55,368	103,996	118,266	133,672	36,147	100.0	12.4	23.2	26.4	29.9	8.1
Two or more races	2,317,448	630,235	733,880	513,863	336,050	103,420	100.0	27.2	31.7	22.2	14.5	4.5
School level1
Elementary	22,545,068	5,115,138	5,901,141	5,098,260	5,757,143	673,386	100.0	22.7	26.2	22.6	25.5	3.0
White	9,882,292	3,251,789	3,290,866	1,950,937	927,521	461,179	100.0	32.9	33.3	19.7	9.4	4.7
Black	3,421,842	318,331	653,414	884,399	1,508,822	56,876	100.0	9.3	19.1	25.8	44.1	1.7
Hispanic	6,557,874	685,839	1,277,554	1,692,466	2,833,821	68,194	100.0	10.5	19.5	25.8	43.2	1.0
Asian	1,230,247	517,280	278,937	219,178	182,968	31,884	100.0	42.0	22.7	17.8	14.9	2.6
Pacific Islander	82,635	11,794	19,565	25,674	22,782	2,820	100.0	14.3	23.7	31.1	27.6	3.4
American Indian/Alaska      Native	198,189	20,763	40,606	55,500	72,728	8,592	100.0	10.5	20.5	28.0	36.7	4.3
Two or more races	1,171,989	309,342	340,199	270,106	208,501	43,841	100.0	26.4	29.0	23.0	17.8	3.7
Middle	9,215,744	2,217,320	2,794,114	2,091,722	1,818,247	294,341	100.0	24.1	30.3	22.7	19.7	3.2
White	4,304,912	1,427,864	1,571,395	803,309	290,863	211,481	100.0	33.2	36.5	18.7	6.8	4.9
Black	1,319,794	149,936	343,540	370,316	431,292	24,710	100.0	11.4	26.0	28.1	32.7	1.9
Hispanic	2,549,779	288,829	582,208	698,736	953,917	26,089	100.0	11.3	22.8	27.4	37.4	1.0
Asian	495,502	222,288	122,112	83,456	56,375	11,271	100.0	44.9	24.6	16.8	11.4	2.3
Pacific Islander	31,323	4,825	8,762	9,718	7,087	931	100.0	15.4	28.0	31.0	22.6	3.0
American Indian/Alaska      Native	79,427	9,654	21,353	22,850	23,127	2,443	100.0	12.2	26.9	28.8	29.1	3.1
Two or more races	435,007	113,924	144,744	103,337	55,586	17,416	100.0	26.2	33.3	23.8	12.8	4.0
Secondary and high	15,318,119	4,191,616	4,914,256	3,089,219	2,536,007	587,021	100.0	27.4	32.1	20.2	16.6	3.8
White	7,122,096	2,671,995	2,713,439	961,756	365,970	408,936	100.0	37.5	38.1	13.5	5.1	5.7
Black	2,238,233	332,507	638,779	594,752	623,379	48,816	100.0	14.9	28.5	26.6	27.9	2.2
Hispanic	4,318,738	621,633	1,052,639	1,210,467	1,364,749	69,250	100.0	14.4	24.4	28.0	31.6	1.6
Asian	837,898	348,010	233,728	153,027	80,874	22,259	100.0	41.5	27.9	18.3	9.7	2.7
Pacific Islander	57,096	10,454	19,240	16,655	8,833	1,914	100.0	18.3	33.7	29.2	15.5	3.4
American Indian/Alaska      Native	137,250	23,226	38,158	34,387	33,884	7,595	100.0	16.9	27.8	25.1	24.7	5.5
Two or more races	606,808	183,791	218,273	118,175	58,318	28,251	100.0	30.3	36.0	19.5	9.6	4.7
School locale2
City	14,647,609	2,266,751	3,220,599	3,602,336	5,271,422	286,501	100.0	15.5	22.0	24.6	36.0	2.0
White	3,940,820	1,170,017	1,294,166	865,110	488,965	122,562	100.0	29.7	32.8	22.0	12.4	3.1
Black	3,232,041	214,717	510,521	896,305	1,562,804	47,694	100.0	6.6	15.8	27.7	48.4	1.5
Hispanic	5,569,973	396,148	937,418	1,384,623	2,787,303	64,481	100.0	7.1	16.8	24.9	50.0	1.2
Asian	1,029,255	309,200	242,969	232,771	225,932	18,383	100.0	30.0	23.6	22.6	22.0	1.8
Pacific Islander	64,762	8,201	14,521	18,646	19,621	3,773	100.0	12.7	22.4	28.8	30.3	5.8
American Indian/Alaska      Native	97,783	14,108	22,067	21,638	32,620	7,350	100.0	14.4	22.6	22.1	33.4	7.5
Two or more races	712,975	154,360	198,937	183,243	154,177	22,258	100.0	21.7	27.9	25.7	21.6	3.1
Suburban	19,091,364	6,254,265	5,431,063	3,664,649	2,934,480	806,907	100.0	32.8	28.4	19.2	15.4	4.2
White	8,488,342	3,912,997	2,641,285	1,002,803	381,486	549,771	100.0	46.1	31.1	11.8	4.5	6.5
Black	2,658,417	451,528	782,534	708,950	634,681	80,724	100.0	17.0	29.4	26.7	23.9	3.0
Hispanic	5,527,351	854,465	1,323,054	1,552,694	1,714,498	82,640	100.0	15.5	23.9	28.1	31.0	1.5
Asian	1,328,375	670,676	338,441	193,212	84,341	41,705	100.0	50.5	25.5	14.5	6.3	3.1
Pacific Islander	69,213	14,499	22,078	19,183	12,292	1,161	100.0	20.9	31.9	27.7	17.8	1.7
American Indian/Alaska      Native	73,736	18,535	23,332	17,200	11,285	3,384	100.0	25.1	31.6	23.3	15.3	4.6
Two or more races	945,930	331,565	300,339	170,607	95,897	47,522	100.0	35.1	31.8	18.0	10.1	5.0
Town	5,306,426	797,541	1,848,726	1,449,620	979,810	230,729	100.0	15.0	34.8	27.3	18.5	4.3
White	3,198,768	603,888	1,324,697	809,241	278,208	182,734	100.0	18.9	41.4	25.3	8.7	5.7
Black	496,818	30,699	112,255	129,267	218,818	5,779	100.0	6.2	22.6	26.0	44.0	1.2
Hispanic	1,178,403	107,719	273,374	374,962	403,075	19,273	100.0	9.1	23.2	31.8	34.2	1.6
Asian	67,513	12,359	22,333	20,150	9,504	3,167	100.0	18.3	33.1	29.8	14.1	4.7
Pacific Islander	22,723	1,412	6,849	9,704	4,041	717	100.0	6.2	30.1	42.7	17.8	3.2
American Indian/Alaska      Native	99,753	8,058	25,259	31,352	29,523	5,561	100.0	8.1	25.3	31.4	29.6	5.6
Two or more races	242,448	33,406	83,959	74,944	36,641	13,498	100.0	13.8	34.6	30.9	15.1	5.6
Rural	9,801,145	2,495,195	3,574,178	1,985,242	1,306,649	439,881	100.0	25.5	36.5	20.3	13.3	4.5
White	6,488,416	1,837,811	2,573,044	1,221,388	503,962	352,211	100.0	28.3	39.7	18.8	7.8	5.4
Black	901,430	139,032	282,525	192,513	272,777	14,583	100.0	15.4	31.3	21.4	30.3	1.6
Hispanic	1,606,473	281,106	479,749	413,820	405,949	25,849	100.0	17.5	29.9	25.8	25.3	1.6
Asian	206,542	112,335	52,557	21,130	11,483	9,037	100.0	54.4	25.4	10.2	5.6	4.4
Pacific Islander	22,760	4,142	5,789	7,020	5,042	767	100.0	18.2	25.4	30.8	22.2	3.4
American Indian/Alaska      Native	173,209	14,378	33,021	47,366	59,895	18,549	100.0	8.3	19.1	27.3	34.6	10.7
Two or more races	402,315	106,391	147,493	82,005	47,541	18,885	100.0	26.4	36.7	20.4	11.8	4.7

1Prekindergartens and schools in the "Other, ungraded, and not applicable/not reported" category are not shown separately.

2Excludes schools with missing locale information.

NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Students in household with incomes under 185 percent of the poverty threshold are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). In addition, some groups of children--such as foster children, children participating in the Head Start and Migrant Education programs, and children receiving services under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act--are assumed to be categorically eligible to participate in the NSLP. Data include students whose NSLP eligibility has been determined through direct certification. Also, under the Community Eligibility Provision, some children in households with incomes above 185 percent of the poverty threshold who attend school in a low-income area may participate if the district decides that it would be more efficient to provide free lunch to all children in the school. For more information, see https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp. The free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) counts show large shifts in the last several years in some states.Based on state explanations, thesechanges were due to (1) the Seamless Summer Option (beginning October 1, 2020), which allowed schools to provide meals to all students, regardless of demonstrated need, and (2) the shift away from in-person instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic (particularly for school year 2020-21), which caused a decrease in the number of students applying for FRPL because they were not present to apply for it. Data are missing for Alaska. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," 2021-22; and Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE), “Public School File,” 2020-21. (This table was prepared October 2022.)