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Back To School Census Facts
In the latter part of August and early September, the nation's schools reopen
following the traditional summer break. This edition of Facts for Features
issued by the US Census Bureau celebrates the return of students and teachers to
the classroom.
Students
More than 1-in-4 Ratio of U.S. household residents age 3 and over enrolled in
schools, from nursery schools to colleges. That amounts to 74.6 million students
in all.
Pre-K through 12. 5% of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school, up from 20
percent in 1970.
53.8 million students are projected to enroll in the nation's elementary and
high schools (grades K-12) this fall. That number exceeds the 1969 total of 51.6
million when the last of the "baby boom" children swelled school enrollments.
274,000. The decrease in elementary school-age children between 2000 and 2003.
Only 14 states experienced increases in the population of this age group. Texas
(125,000), Florida (88,000) and Arizona (66,000). The latter two, usually known
for their older populations, led the way. North Carolina (36,000) and Nevada
(35,000) followed.
429,000. The increase in the nation's high school-age population between 2000
and 2003. More than half the states experienced an increase in this age group
over the period, led by California (97,000), Florida (81,000), Texas (46,000),
North Carolina (37,000) and New Jersey (34,000).
11% (Projected) of elementary and high school students enrolled in private
schools this fall
21% of elementary and high school students have at least one foreign-born
parent.
9.8 million school-age children (5 to 17) speak a language other than English at
home. These children make up nearly 1-in-5 in this age group. Most of them (6.9
million) speak Spanish at home.
72% of children 12 to 17 years old are academically on track for their age. The
rate is higher for girls than for boys (79 percent versus 69 percent)
22% of children 12 to 17 years old are enrolled in special classes for gifted
students. The corresponding rate for those who are 6 to 11 is 13 percent.
40% of children 12 to 17 years old have changed schools at some time in their
educational careers. For children ages 6 to 11, the corresponding rate is 23
percent. This does not include students who graduated from one scholastic level
to the next, e.g., from elementary to middle school.
59% of children 6 to 17 participate in at least one of three types of
extracurricular activity: sports, clubs or lessons.
22% of high school students ages 15 to 17 are holding down a full- or part-time
job.
College
15.9 million students are enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities
this fall.
Teachers
6.2 million is the number of teachers in the United States. About half (3.1
million) teach at the elementary and middle school level.
$54,300 is the average annual salary of public elementary and secondary school
teachers in California in 2002. The highest of any state in the nation. Teachers
in South Dakota received the lowest pay $31,300. The national average was
$44,700.
Technology in the Schools
14.1 million computers are available for classroom use in the nation's 114,000
elementary and secondary schools; that works out to one computer for every four
students.
99% of public schools have Internet access. There are five students for every
instructional computer connected to the Internet. As recently as 1995, the
proportion was 50 percent.
The Rising Cost of College
$9,953 is the average cost of tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at
the nation's four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic
year. Up 87 percent from 1990.
$29,119 is the average cost for tuition, room and board at the nation's
four-year private colleges and universities for one complete academic year. Up
93 percent from 1990.
The Rewards of Staying in School
$4.4 million. Estimated lifetime earnings of professional (i.e., medical, law,
dentistry and veterinary medicine) degree-holders. This compares with $3.4
million for those with Ph.D.s, $2.5 million for master's degree-holders, $2.1
million for those with bachelor's degrees, $1.2 million for high school
graduates and $1.0 million for high school dropouts.
$55,987. Average starting salary offered to bachelor's degree candidates in
petroleum engineering, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end
of the spectrum were those majoring in the social sciences; they were offered an
average of $29,098.
Graduation
2.9 million high school diplomas will be awarded this school year.
2.5 million college diplomas expected to be conferred this school year.
Government Spending on Education
$13,187. The per-pupil expenditure on elementary and secondary education in the
nation-leading District of Columbia in 2002. New York, at $11,546; New Jersey,
$11,436; Connecticut, $10,001; and Massachusetts, $9,856, followed.
Back-to-School Shopping
$5.6 billion was spent at family clothing stores in August 2003. Only in
November and December, the holiday shopping season, were sales higher.
Similarly, bookstore sales in August 2003 totaled $2.2 billion, an amount
approached only by sales in December and January. (The dollar volume estimates
have not been adjusted for seasonal variations, holiday or trading day
differences or price changes.)
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