Digest of Education Statistics 2018 provides new and historical data on all aspects of education

Compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the Digest of Education Statistics is a comprehensive statistical reference for all levels of education in the United States. Topics include educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. The Digest also includes data on the number of schools, colleges, teachers, students, and graduates.

NCES released the Digest of Education Statistics 2018 today (December 26, 2019). Key findings include the following:

• NCES projects record levels of total public elementary and secondary school enrollment from 2018 (50.7 million) through 2028 (51.4 million), an overall increase of 1 percent.
• Between 1990 and 2017, the status dropout rate declined from 12.1 to 5.8 percent.* During this period, the status dropout rate for Black 16- to 24-year-olds declined from 13.2 percent to 5.7 percent and the rate for Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds declined from 32.4 to 9.5 percent.
• Fall enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions was 8 percent higher in 2017 (19.8 million) than in 2007 (18.3 million). The overall change between 2007 and 2017 reflects an increase of 15 percent between 2007 and 2010, followed by a decrease of 6 percent between 2010 and 2017.
• In 2017, Hispanic students accounted for 19 percent of U.S. residents enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, up from 4 percent in 1976. During the same period, the percentage of White students fell from 84 percent to 56 percent.
• The percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed at least high school increased from 88 percent in 2008 to 93 percent in 2018. The percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds who had completed a bachelor’s or higher degree increased from 31 percent in 2008 to 37 percent in 2018.