Average public school class size: Average class size in public K–12 schools, by school level, class type, and selected school characteristics: 2020–21

	Elementary schools		Middle schools		Secondary/high schools		Combined/other grade schools
Selected school characteristic	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes	Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes	Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes	Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction	Average class size for teachers in self-contained classes	Average class size for teachers in departmentalized instruction
All public school teachers	19.1	20.7	16.9	22.0	17.2	21.0	17.1	17.9

School classification
Traditional public	19.0	20.5	16.6	22.0	16.1	21.0	15.6	17.2
Charter school	20.8	22.4	26.2	22.2	27.5	20.2	24.1	21.3

Community type
City	19.6	21.4	17.1	22.6	19.3	22.4	18.1	22.0
Suburban	19.4	21.5	15.5	22.5	16.9	22.4	17.6	19.9
Town	18.9	20.2	17.9	20.3	18.0	18.7	16.8	16.7
Rural	18.0	18.9	18.7	21.2	14.3	18.3	15.7	14.3

Student enrollment
Less than 100	12.6	11.9	‡	14.8	18.7	12.2	8.9	9.1
100–199	16.7	17.7	17.3	18.9	13.9	12.9	12.4	11.3
200–499	18.6	19.1	17.7	19.2	21.1	17.0	16.5	16.3
500–749	19.9	22.7	16.7	21.8	18.5	19.0	19.3	17.7
750–999	20.5	23.6	16.8	22.9	14.2	19.9	19.2	20.0
1,000 or more	20.5	25.8	15.9	24.0	15.9	23.3	22.4	22.8

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches
0–34	19.6	21.6	14.0	22.2	16.8	21.2	20.0	19.7
35–49	18.9	21.4	18.1	22.2	17.0	20.6	16.4	16.4
50–74	18.9	20.2	18.4	21.7	17.8	21.3	16.0	17.6
75 or more	19.0	20.1	17.5	21.8	17.2	20.6	15.6	16.9

Reported effect of COVID–19 on instruction¹
Only teaching with distance-learning instruction	21.2	21.6	22.0	24.1	20.0	23.8	21.3	22.1
Teaching with a hybrid of in-person and distance-learning instruction	18.9	20.9	15.8	21.6	16.7	20.7	17.3	17.3
Teaching only in-person instruction or no effect on delivery of instruction	18.1	19.5	15.8	21.1	15.8	18.7	14.9	17.0

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable analysis, or the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is 50 percent or more of the estimate).

¹Teachers were asked to report the current effect of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on their teaching at the school at the time they completed the survey. Thus, this was the reported effect on instruction at the time the survey was completed, not a summary of the school year.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. Elementary 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. Self-contained classes are defined as instruction to the same group of students all or most of the day in multiple subjects, and departmentalized instruction is defined as instruction to several classes of different students most or all of the day in one or more subjects. Among all public school teachers, 25 percent teach self-contained classes in elementary schools, 1 percent in middle schools, 1 percent in secondary/high schools, and 2 percent in combined/other grade schools; 6 percent teach departmentalized classes in elementary schools, 15 percent in middle schools, 24 percent in secondary/high schools, and 4 percent in combined/other grade schools. In addition, teachers could teach other types of classes, such as elementary subject specialist classes, team-taught classes, and “pull-out” or “push-in” classes, 14 percent in elementary schools, 2 percent in middle schools, 2 percent in secondary/high schools, and 2 percent in combined/other grade schools. Type of teaching arrangement does not sum to 100 percent because of rounding.

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