Principals’ age and sex: Average and median age of public K–12 school principals and percentage distribution of public school principals, by age category, sex, and state: 2020–21

			Percent of principals by
			Age				Sex¹
State	Average age of principals	Median age of principals	Younger than 45 years	45–54 years	55 years or older		Male	Female
United States	48.5	47.8	33.3	44.3	22.5		44.0	56.0

Alabama	48.7	47.4	33.6	47.2	19.2		48.9	51.1
Alaska	52.4	51.1	20.7	39.4	39.9		54.8	45.2
Arizona	48.5	47.4	37.5	35.5	27.0		47.0	53.0
Arkansas	48.7	48.3	33.0	42.8	24.2		47.0	53.0
California	49.8	48.8	27.2	45.1	27.6		42.8	57.2

Colorado	48.4	47.0	33.2	45.9	20.8		43.6	56.4
Connecticut	49.0	47.4	34.7	44.4	20.9		44.1	55.9
Delaware	45.5	46.0	45.9	47.0	7.1	!	36.1	63.9
District of Columbia	47.2	45.7	39.2	38.5	22.3		21.3	78.7
Florida	49.7	48.9	28.5	45.5	25.9		35.8	64.2

Georgia	48.9	48.2	26.5	53.2	20.3		36.9	63.1
Hawaii	54.7	51.8	13.4	42.4	44.2		52.1	47.9
Idaho	48.5	47.5	30.7	48.3	21.0		51.8	48.2
Illinois	46.1	45.2	46.6	35.6	17.8		50.1	49.9
Indiana	46.4	45.7	42.7	44.8	12.5		66.6	33.4

Iowa	48.3	47.8	31.5	47.9	20.6		63.8	36.2
Kansas	49.3	47.7	35.1	34.5	30.4		57.5	42.5
Kentucky	46.3	46.4	38.0	46.6	15.4		39.0	61.0
Louisiana	49.2	48.6	30.6	49.2	20.2		22.2	77.8
Maine	50.2	50.6	25.9	39.2	34.8		44.0	56.0

Maryland	49.3	48.1	35.4	43.2	21.4		31.5	68.5
Massachusetts	48.2	47.4	32.6	45.7	21.7		45.3	54.7
Michigan	48.1	46.4	35.7	40.7	23.6		43.1	56.9
Minnesota	49.1	48.8	30.5	47.9	21.6		47.9	52.1
Mississippi	47.3	46.8	35.5	47.1	17.5		47.0	53.0

Missouri	46.9	46.6	35.1	52.6	12.3		46.9	53.1
Montana	46.5	45.5	42.7	41.4	15.9		50.3	49.7
Nebraska	46.4	45.7	41.8	32.5	25.7		65.4	34.6
Nevada	47.6	46.2	29.2	53.3	17.5		50.1	49.9
New Hampshire	49.6	48.6	31.8	33.0	35.3		62.6	37.4

New Jersey	48.5	46.8	38.3	40.0	21.7		36.9	63.1
New Mexico	49.8	50.0	27.3	48.1	24.6		31.0	69.0
New York	49.4	48.9	28.5	48.3	23.2		44.3	55.7
North Carolina	48.2	47.2	39.2	41.6	19.2		40.5	59.5
North Dakota	46.7	46.9	39.5	50.0	10.5		47.0	53.0

Ohio	47.2	46.5	39.4	43.6	17.1		51.8	48.2
Oklahoma	48.8	48.4	28.2	47.1	24.7		38.1	61.9
Oregon	49.0	47.2	31.9	39.2	28.9		43.4	56.6
Pennsylvania	46.5	45.9	42.2	43.7	14.1		54.2	45.8
Rhode Island	49.1	48.3	34.2	35.7	30.1		40.8	59.2

South Carolina	48.0	47.9	28.1	49.1	22.8		37.0	63.0
South Dakota	47.5	46.7	37.3	40.3	22.4		58.4	41.6
Tennessee	49.6	48.0	25.6	50.4	24.0		36.7	63.3
Texas	48.3	47.6	33.5	44.3	22.2		37.7	62.3
Utah	49.3	48.0	32.1	40.3	27.6		41.8	58.2

Vermont	50.6	49.7	25.4	42.5	32.0		48.3	51.7
Virginia	49.1	47.8	35.0	39.3	25.7		38.1	61.9
Washington	48.8	48.4	29.4	47.3	23.3		52.6	47.4
West Virginia	50.2	49.3	26.3	38.5	35.2		29.6	70.4
Wisconsin	47.7	47.9	36.7	47.6	15.7		46.0	54.0
Wyoming	48.4	49.2	37.8	33.9	28.3		61.8	38.2

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).

¹Principals were asked whether they were male or female. Although this variable is labeled “sex,” the questionnaire did not use either the term “gender” or “sex.”

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. 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 Data File,” 2020–21.