Elementary and Secondary School Enrollment

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Vol 2, Issue 2, Topic: Elementary and Secondary Education

This article was originally published as an Indicator of the Month, taken fromThe Condition of Education: 1999. The universe data are from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), and the projected data are from Projections of Education Statistics to 2008.

School enrollment is one measure of the size of the educational system and of the demand for teachers, buildings, and educational resources. Past trends and projected future changes in the composition of enrollment across levels of education and regions of the country, as well as between public and private schools, indicate the amount of resources the nation requires.

Total (public and private) elementary and secondary school enrollment increased considerably during the late 1980s and 1990s, reaching an all-time high of 52.7 million in 1998 (derived from table 1 and figure 1). This increase followed declining total enrollment in elementary and secondary schools during the 1970s and early 1980s (from 51.3 million in 1971 to 44.9 million in 1984).
Total elementary and secondary school enrollment is projected to increase by 3 percent (to 54.3 million) between 1998 and 2008.
Secondary school enrollments (grades 9-12) are projected to increase by 11 percent for both public and private schools between 1998 and 2008, while enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 8 is projected to decrease slightly.
Total public school enrollment is projected to increase in the South and West (by 4 and 11 percent, respectively) but to decrease in the Northeast and Midwest (by 1 and 3 percent, respectively) between 1998 and 2008 (table 2 and figure 2).

Table 1.—Elementary and secondary school enrollment, by control and grade level of school, with projections: Fall 1970-2008 (In thousands)
Table 1.- Elementary and secondary school enrollment, by control and grade level of school, with projections: Fall 1970-2008 (In thousands)

¹Beginning in fall 1980, data include estimates for the expanded universe of private schools.

²Enrollment includes students in kindergarten through grade 12 and some nursery school students.

NOTE: Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics: (1999) Digest of Education Statistics: 1998 (NCES 1999-036) (based on Common Core of Data); and (1998) Projections of Education Statistics to 2008 (NCES 98-016).

Table 2.—Public elementary and secondary school enrollment, by region, with projections: Fall 1980-2008 (In thousands)
Table 2.- Public elementary and secondary school enrollment, by region, with projections: Fall 1980-2008 (In thousands)

*Projected enrollment. Enrollment includes students in kindergarten through grade 12 and some nursery school students.

NOTE: Detail may not add to totals due to rounding.

Figure 1.—Elementary and secondary school enrollment, by control and grade level of school, with projections: Fall 1970-2008
Figure 1.- Elementary and secondary school enrollment, by control and grade level of school, with projections: Fall 1970-2008

NOTE: Enrollment includes students in kindergarten through grade 12 and some nursery school students. Beginning in fall 1980, data include estimates for the expanded universe of private schools.

Figure 2.—Projected percentage change in public elementary and secondary school enrollment, by region: Fall 1988-2008
Figure 2.- Projected percentage change in public elementary and secondary school enrollment, by region: Fall 1988-2008

NOTE: Enrollment includes students in kindergarten through grade 12 and some nursery school students. Beginning in fall 1980, data include estimates for the expanded universe of private schools.

Data sources: The NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), various years; and Projections of Education Statistics to 2008 (NCES 98-016).

For technical information, see National Center for Education Statistics. (1999). The Condition of Education: 1999 (NCES 1999-022).

For complete supplemental and standard error tables, see either

• the electronic version of The Condition of Education: 1999 (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/) , or

• volume 2 of the printed version: The Condition of Education: 1999 Supplemental and Standard Error Tables (NCES 2000-016).

For questions about content, contact John Wirt (john.wirt@ed.gov).

To obtain this Indicator of the Month (NCES 2000-008), call the toll-free ED Pubs number (877-433-7827) or visit the NCES Web Site (http://nces.ed.gov) .