Principals’ years of experience: Average total years of experience as a K–12 school principal, average years as a principal at current school, and percentage distribution of school principals, by reported years of experience as a principal at current school, school type, and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

			Percent of principals by reported years of experience at current school
School type and selected school characteristic	Average total years of experience	Average years at current school	Less than 3 years	3–9 years	10 years or more
All principals	7.3	5.0	40.1	44.1	15.8

All public school principals	6.9	4.5	40.7	46.3	13.1

School classification
Traditional public	7.0	4.5	40.4	46.3	13.3
Charter school	6.4	4.3	43.2	45.7	11.1

Community type
City	7.0	4.5	38.2	49.5	12.3
Suburban	6.9	4.6	40.4	45.5	14.1
Town	7.0	4.3	40.8	48.2	11.0
Rural	6.8	4.5	43.5	42.9	13.6

School level¹
Elementary	7.0	4.7	38.8	47.4	13.8
Middle	6.7	4.4	42.0	44.8	13.1
Secondary/high	6.9	4.2	43.8	45.2	11.0
Combined/other	6.8	4.7	41.5	44.4	14.1

Student enrollment
Less than 100	7.4	4.7	39.2	44.7	16.1
100–199	7.3	5.0	38.6	46.6	14.8
200–499	6.8	4.5	40.7	46.7	12.7
500–749	6.7	4.5	39.4	47.9	12.7
750–999	6.9	4.5	43.9	42.8	13.4
1,000 or more	7.0	4.3	41.9	46.0	12.1

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	7.3	4.9	36.8	48.1	15.1
35–49	7.4	4.9	39.3	45.2	15.5
50–74	6.7	4.2	44.0	44.1	11.8
75 or more	6.6	4.3	42.1	46.4	11.5

All private school principals	9.0	6.7	37.8	35.9	26.3

School classification
Catholic	8.0	5.4	43.4	36.5	20.0
Other religious	9.6	7.4	35.6	35.2	29.2
Nonsectarian	9.0	6.8	36.0	36.7	27.3

Community type
City	9.7	7.2	32.7	37.1	30.2
Suburban	9.4	6.8	38.2	37.6	24.3
Town	8.6	6.7	39.6	32.9	27.5
Rural	7.6	5.9	44.1	32.9	23.0

School level¹
Elementary/middle	8.8	6.9	42.9	26.9	30.1
Secondary/high	9.0	6.3	34.6	41.7	23.6
Combined/other	9.0	6.7	36.9	37.4	25.7

Student enrollment
Less than 100	9.0	7.3	36.3	34.0	29.7
100–199	8.3	5.8	43.5	33.2	23.4
200–499	9.4	6.2	36.2	41.1	22.7
500–749	8.8	5.5	40.9	43.1	15.9
750 or more	12.8	9.8	23.8	42.9	33.3

¹Elementary schools offer at least one grade of K to 4, and the number of elementary grades is higher than the number of middle grades. Middle schools offer at least one of grades 5 to 8, and the number of middle grades is greater than the number of elementary or secondary grades. Secondary/high schools are defined as schools that enroll students in more of grades 9 through 12 than in lower grades. Combined/other schools include all other combinations of grades, including K–12 schools. School level categories in the 2020–21 NTPS differ from those in previous survey administrations; caution should be exercised when comparing estimates by level over time.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Years of experience do not include the current school year. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Principal and Private School Principal Data Files,” 2020–21.