Average class size in public schools, by school level, class type, and selected school characteristics: 2017

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Average class size in public schools, by school level, class type, and selected school characteristics: 2017–18


	Primary schools		Middle schools		High schools		Combined 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 schools	20.9	26.2	16.6	24.9	16.3	23.3	15.6	18.6

School classification
Traditional public	20.9	26.2	16.1	24.9	15.8	23.4	13.8	17.5
Charter school	22.1	26.1	25.5	25.2	25.5	21.5	22.3	22.6

Community type
City	21.4	28.1	17.6	25.3	17.7	24.5	15.2	20.6
Suburban	21.3	27.2	15.5	25.5	15.3	24.3	16.1	20.0
Town	20.5	25.1	18.3	23.9	16.8	21.3	17.1	18.5
Rural	19.5	23.2	16.0	23.3	15.9	20.8	15.4	17.0

Student enrollment
Less than 100	14.8	15.7	‡	17.4	18.3	16.0	8.9	10.2
100–199	17.7	20.1	20.6	18.7	17.5	15.7	10.6	12.0
200–499	20.4	24.8	18.6	22.5	19.2	19.2	16.7	16.9
500–749	21.4	27.9	14.5	24.6	16.9	21.0	19.0	21.3
750–999	22.3	28.7	16.3	25.7	19.2	22.2	18.7	21.9
1,000 or more	22.1	26.4	16.5	27.1	14.9	25.0	22.5	23.7

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced‑price lunches
0–34	21.0	25.8	16.2	22.8	22.1	20.0	21.5	18.9
35–49	20.8	24.8	14.5	24.9	14.5	23.2	16.6	18.8
50–74	20.5	26.1	19.1	24.8	16.4	23.1	14.1	17.3
75 or more	20.8	26.8	17.2	24.1	15.8	23.5	13.8	19.2
‡ Reporting standards not met. 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) or the response rate is below 50 percent.
NOTE: 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 primary schools, 1 percent in middle schools, 1 percent in high schools, and 1 percent in combined schools; 8 percent teach departmentalized classes in primary schools, 14 percent in middle schools, 24 percent in high schools, and 4 percent in combined schools; 15 percent teach other types of classes, such as elementary subject specialist classes, team-taught classes, and "pull-out" or "push-in" classes in primary schools, 3 percent in middle schools, 3 percent in high schools, and 1 percent in combined schools.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), “Public School Teacher Data File,” 2017–18.

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