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Education & Science
K-12 education in the United States - statistics and facts
Public school politics, inequalities in education, key insights.
Detailed statistics
School enrollment in public and private institutions in the U.S. 2022
Expenditure on public and private elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1970-2021
Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic
Educational Institutions & Market
Share of Americans who are concerned about select issues in public schools U.S. 2023
Top three reasons K-12 public school teachers fear for their safety U.S. 2023
U.S. states restricting schools from teaching race, sex, or inequality 2021-2024
Further recommended statistics
- Basic Statistic Number of elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. 2020/21, by type
- Premium Statistic Share of U.S. public schools 2021/22, by enrollment size and school type
- Basic Statistic School enrollment in public and private institutions in the U.S. 2022
- Basic Statistic Enrollment in public and private elementary schools 1960-2022
- Basic Statistic High school enrollment in public and private institutions U.S. 1965-2031
- Premium Statistic Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 2022, by state
- Basic Statistic Primary and secondary school enrollment rates in the U.S. in 2022, by age group
- Basic Statistic Share of students enrolled in U.S. public K-12 schools 2021, by ethnicity and state
- Basic Statistic U.S. public school enrollment numbers 2000-2021, by ethnicity
Number of elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. 2020/21, by type
Number of elementary and secondary schools in the United States in 2020/21, by school type*
Share of U.S. public schools 2021/22, by enrollment size and school type
Share of public schools in the United States in 2021/22, by enrollment size and school type
Enrollment in public and private schools in the United States in 2022 (in millions)
Enrollment in public and private elementary schools 1960-2022
Enrollment in public and private elementary schools in the United States from 1960 to 2022 (in millions)
High school enrollment in public and private institutions U.S. 1965-2031
High school enrollment for public and private schools in the U.S. from 1965 to 2020, with projections up to 2031 (in 1,000s)
Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 2022, by state
Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States in 2022, by state (in 1,000s)
Primary and secondary school enrollment rates in the U.S. in 2022, by age group
Share of population enrolled in primary and secondary education in the United States in 2022, by age group
Share of students enrolled in U.S. public K-12 schools 2021, by ethnicity and state
Share of students enrolled in K-12 public schools in the United States in 2021, by ethnicity and state
U.S. public school enrollment numbers 2000-2021, by ethnicity
K-12 public school enrollment numbers in the United States from 2000 to 2021 by ethnicity (in 1,000s)
Revenue and expenditure
- Basic Statistic School expenditure on public and private institutions 1970-2020
- Basic Statistic Expenditure on public and private elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1970-2021
- Premium Statistic U.S. per pupil public school expenditure FY 2023, by state
- Basic Statistic U.S. public schools - average expenditure per pupil 1980-2020
- Basic Statistic U.S. education - total expenditure per pupil in public schools 1990-2021
- Basic Statistic Revenue of public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1980-2020
- Premium Statistic Average annual tuition for private K-12 schools U.S. 2024, by state
- Premium Statistic Estimated average salary of public school teachers U.S. 2021/22, by state
School expenditure on public and private institutions 1970-2020
School expenditure in public and private institutions in the United States from 1970 to 2020 (in billion U.S. dollars)
School expenditure on public and private elementary and secondary schools in the United States from 1970 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
U.S. per pupil public school expenditure FY 2023, by state
Per pupil public elementary and secondary school expenditure in the United States in the fiscal year of 2023, by state (in U.S. dollars)
U.S. public schools - average expenditure per pupil 1980-2020
Average expenditure per pupil in average daily attendance in public elementary and secondary schools from academic years 1980 to 2020 (in U.S. dollars)
U.S. education - total expenditure per pupil in public schools 1990-2021
Total expenditure per pupil in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States from 1990 to 2021 (in constant 2022-23 U.S. dollars)
Revenue of public elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1980-2020
Revenue of public elementary and secondary schools in the United States from the academic years 1980 to 2020 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Average annual tuition for private K-12 schools U.S. 2024, by state
Average annual tuition for private K-12 schools in the United States in 2024, by state (in U.S. dollars)
Estimated average salary of public school teachers U.S. 2021/22, by state
Estimated average salary of public school teachers in the United States in 2021-2022, by state (in constant 2020-21 U.S. dollars)
State laws and book bans
- Premium Statistic U.S. states restricting schools from teaching race, sex, or inequality 2021-2024
- Premium Statistic Proposed bans on sex or gender identity in K-12 schools U.S. 2023, by grade level
- Premium Statistic Share of transgender youth subject to bans on school sport participation U.S 2024
- Premium Statistic Share of U.S. transgender population subject to bathroom bills 2024
- Premium Statistic Instances of book bans in U.S. public schools 2022/23, by ban status
- Basic Statistic Books banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by state
- Premium Statistic Book titles banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by subject matter
- Premium Statistic Topics that K-12 librarians would ban from their school libraries U.S. 2023
Legal action taken to restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism, sexism, and systemic inequality in the United States from 2021 to 2024, by state
Proposed bans on sex or gender identity in K-12 schools U.S. 2023, by grade level
Number of proposed bans on instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity in K-12 schools in the United States in 2023*, by grade level of ban
Share of transgender youth subject to bans on school sport participation U.S 2024
Share of transgender youth aged 13 to 17 living in states that restrict transgender students from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity in the United States as of March 14, 2024
Share of U.S. transgender population subject to bathroom bills 2024
Share of transgender population aged 13 and over living in states that ban transgender people from using bathrooms and facilities consistent with their gender identity in the United States as of August 26, 2024
Instances of book bans in U.S. public schools 2022/23, by ban status
Total number of instances of books banned from K-12 public libraries and classrooms in the United States in the 2022/23 school year, by ban status
Books banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by state
Number of books banned in school classrooms and libraries in the United States from July 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, by state
Book titles banned in schools in the U.S. H2 2022, by subject matter
Share of book titles banned in school classrooms and libraries in the United States from July 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, by subject matter
Topics that K-12 librarians would ban from their school libraries U.S. 2023
Share of library staff working in K-12 schools and districts who believe that libraries in their district or school should not include any books that depict certain topics in the United States in 2023
- Premium Statistic Share of K-12 public students attending predominately same-race schools U.S 2021
- Premium Statistic Share of public schools who feel understaffed U.S. 2024, by students of color
- Premium Statistic Estimated average months of learning lost due to COVID-19 by ethnicity U.S. 2020
- Premium Statistic NAEP reading scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
- Premium Statistic NAEP math scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
- Premium Statistic Share of K-12 students who feel their school respects who they are U.S. 2023, by race
- Premium Statistic Schools in the U.S.: victims of threats/injuries by weapons, by ethnicity 2021
- Premium Statistic Share of students who have experienced school shootings U.S. 1999-2024, by race
- Basic Statistic Share of teachers afraid of school shootings U.S. 2022, by location and student race
Share of K-12 public students attending predominately same-race schools U.S 2021
Share of students attending K-12 public schools in which 75 percent or more of the students are of their own race or ethnicity in the United States in the 2020-21 school year
Share of public schools who feel understaffed U.S. 2024, by students of color
Share of public schools who feel that their school is understaffed in the United States entering the 2023-24 school year, by students of color
Estimated average months of learning lost due to COVID-19 by ethnicity U.S. 2020
Estimated average months of learning lost compared with in-classroom learning due to COVID-19 in the United States in 2020, by ethnicity
NAEP reading scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
Reading scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress for nine year old students in the United States from 2020 to 2022, by race
NAEP math scores for nine year olds U.S. 2022, by race
Mathematics scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress for nine year old students in the United States from 2020 to 2022, by race
Share of K-12 students who feel their school respects who they are U.S. 2023, by race
Share of K-12 students who feel that their school respects who they are, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or identity in the United States in 2023, by race
Schools in the U.S.: victims of threats/injuries by weapons, by ethnicity 2021
Percentage of U.S. students in grades 9–12 who reported being threatened or injured with a weapon at school in 2021, by ethnicity
Share of students who have experienced school shootings U.S. 1999-2024, by race
Share of students who have experienced school shootings in the United States from 1999 to 2024*, by race
Share of teachers afraid of school shootings U.S. 2022, by location and student race
Share of K-12 teachers who reported feeling afraid that they or their students would be a victim of attack or harm at school in the United States in 2022, by school locale and student racial composition
K-12 teachers
- Basic Statistic Teachers in elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1955-2031
- Basic Statistic U.S. elementary and secondary schools: pupil-teacher ratio 1955-2031
- Premium Statistic Impacts of restricting race, sex, and identity topics for K-12 teachers U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic Share of public K-12 teachers who limit political or social topics in class U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic Top reasons K-12 public school teachers limit political or social topics U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic K-12 teachers' views on how gender identity should be taught at school U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic K-12 teachers' support for parents to opt children out of race/gender topics U.S 2023
- Premium Statistic Top three reasons K-12 public school teachers fear for their safety U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic Share of school staff who received concerns from parents on K-12 curriculum 2023
Teachers in elementary and secondary schools U.S. 1955-2031
Number of teachers in public and private elementary and secondary schools in the United States from 1955 to 2031 (in 1,000s)
U.S. elementary and secondary schools: pupil-teacher ratio 1955-2031
Pupil-teacher ratio in public and private elementary and secondary schools in the United States from 1955 to 2031
Impacts of restricting race, sex, and identity topics for K-12 teachers U.S. 2023
Share of public K-12 teachers who say that current debates on how public K-12 schools should be teaching certain topics like race and gender identity has impacted their ability to do their job in the United States in 2023
Share of public K-12 teachers who limit political or social topics in class U.S. 2023
Have you ever decided on your own, without being directed by school or district leaders, to limit discussion of political and social issues in class?
Top reasons K-12 public school teachers limit political or social topics U.S. 2023
What are the top three reasons you decided, on your own, to limit discussion of political and social topics in your classroom?
K-12 teachers' views on how gender identity should be taught at school U.S. 2023
Share of public K-12 teachers with various beliefs on what students should learn about gender identity at school in the United States in 2023, by grade level
K-12 teachers' support for parents to opt children out of race/gender topics U.S 2023
Share of public K-12 teachers who believe parents should be able to opt their children out of learning about racism and racial inequality or sexual orientation and gender identity if the way they are taught conflicts with the parents' personal beliefs in the United States in 2023, by party
What are the top three reasons you fear for your physical safety when you are at school?
Share of school staff who received concerns from parents on K-12 curriculum 2023
About which topics have parents expressed concerns to you?
Parent perceptions
- Premium Statistic Main reasons why parents enroll their children in private or public schools U.S. 2024
- Premium Statistic Share of Americans with various views on what school type has the best education 2023
- Premium Statistic Share of parents with select views on what school type is best U.S 2024, by gender
- Premium Statistic Parents' beliefs on how gender identity is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
- Premium Statistic Parents with select beliefs on how slavery is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
- Premium Statistic Perceptions on the influence of K-12 parents or school boards U.S 2022, by party
- Premium Statistic Parents who believe teachers should lead students in prayers U.S. 2022, by party
- Premium Statistic Share of K-12 parents concerned about a violent intruder at school U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic K-12 parents' concerns on the effects of AI on their child's learning U.S. 2023
Main reasons why parents enroll their children in private or public schools U.S. 2024
Share of parents with various reasons why they chose to enroll their youngest child in a private or public school in the United States in 2024
Share of Americans with various views on what school type has the best education 2023
If it were your decision and you could select any type of school, and financial costs and transportation were of no concern, what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?
Share of parents with select views on what school type is best U.S 2024, by gender
If given the option, what type of school would you select in order to obtain the best education for your child?
Parents' beliefs on how gender identity is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
Share of parents of K-12 students with select beliefs on what children should learn about gender identity in school in the United States in 2022, by party
Parents with select beliefs on how slavery is taught in school U.S. 2022, by party
Share of parents of K-12 students with select beliefs on what children should learn about slavery in school in the United States in 2022, by party
Perceptions on the influence of K-12 parents or school boards U.S 2022, by party
Share of parents who believe that parents or the local school board have too much influence on what public K-12 schools are teaching in the United States in 2022, by political party
Parents who believe teachers should lead students in prayers U.S. 2022, by party
Share of parents who believe that public school teachers should be allowed to lead students in Christian prayers in the United States in 2022, by party
Share of K-12 parents concerned about a violent intruder at school U.S. 2023
Share of K-12 parents who were extremely concerned or very concerned about a violent intruder, such as a mass shooter, entering their child's/children's school in the United States in 2023, by grade of child
K-12 parents' concerns on the effects of AI on their child's learning U.S. 2023
How concerned are you about the effects of artificial intelligence, or AI, on your youngest/oldest child's learning this school year?
U.S. opinion
- Premium Statistic Share of Americans who are concerned about select issues in public schools U.S. 2023
- Premium Statistic U.S. views on who should influence LGBTQ-related school policies 2023
- Premium Statistic U.S. views on how slavery and racism should be taught in schools 2023
- Premium Statistic U.S. preferences for race-related curricula in K-12 schools 2023, by race
- Premium Statistic U.S. views on whether teachers should use students' preferred pronouns 2023
- Premium Statistic U.S. teens' comfortability with race and LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom 2023
- Premium Statistic Share of LBGTQ+ students with various reasons to drop out of high school U.S. 2021-22
- Premium Statistic Adults’ opinion on how K–12 schools should handle AI advances U.S. 2023-24
How concerned are you about the following issues in public schools in your local area?
U.S. views on who should influence LGBTQ-related school policies 2023
Share of adults who believe select groups should have a great deal of influence in deciding how to set school policy concerning discussion of LGBTQ people in the United States in 2023
U.S. views on how slavery and racism should be taught in schools 2023
Which of the following statements comes closest to your views?
U.S. preferences for race-related curricula in K-12 schools 2023, by race
Share of adults who believe various race-related curricula should be taught in K-12 schools in the United States in 2023, by race and ethnicity
U.S. views on whether teachers should use students' preferred pronouns 2023
If a teenager asks a teacher to use a particular pronoun – he, she or they – which do you think is the best policy?
U.S. teens' comfortability with race and LGBTQ+ topics in the classroom 2023
Share of teenagers who say they feel comfortable or uncomfortable when topics related to racism, racial inequality, sexual orientation, or gender identity come up in class in the United States in 2023
Share of LBGTQ+ students with various reasons to drop out of high school U.S. 2021-22
Share of LGBTQ+ students with various reasons why they do not plan to graduate high school or are unsure if they will graduate in the United States during the 2021-22 academic year
Adults’ opinion on how K–12 schools should handle AI advances U.S. 2023-24
Which of the following comes closest to your view on how K-12 schools should respond to advances in artificial intelligence (AI)?
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K–12, [a] from kindergarten to 12th grade, is an English language expression that indicates the range of years of publicly supported primary and secondary education found in the United States and Canada, which is similar to publicly supported school grades before tertiary education in several other countries, such as Afghanistan, Australia ...
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K-12 education in the United States includes primary education starting in kindergarten, and secondary education ending in grade 12. Government-funded free schools are generally provided for these grades, but private schools and homeschooling are also possible.
Learn about the K-12 education system in the U.S., covering kindergarten to grade 12, and its funding, curriculum, and outcomes. Find out how public school politics, divisive topics, and inequalities affect students, teachers, and parents.