Report on the Condition of Education 2024

 

Today, NCES released the Report on the Condition of Education 2024, which reports on the state of education in the United States, from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. This year’s Condition continues to expand the use of interactive data visualizations in the online indicator pages and the presentation of data for outlying areas and jurisdictions other than states (e.g., Puerto Rico, Bureau of Indian Education Schools) where possible. We also expanded our data coverage by reporting additional data on topics such as private schooling (e.g., enrollment rates of young children and 12th grade graduation rates), public school finances (e.g., Title I participation, and revenues and expenditures from COVID-19 federal assistance funds), and English learners (e.g., program participation). In addition to these improvements to our core indicators, this year’s report also includes a new Spotlight indicator on career and technical education (CTE). Key findings from these new analyses include: Among 2013 public high school graduates ever enrolled in postsecondary education by June 2021, a higher percentage of CTE concentrators than of nonconcentrators had received an associate’s degree as their highest postsecondary degree (14 vs. 9 percent) and a lower percentage had received a bachelor’s or higher degree (48 vs. 54 percent). Among 2013 public high school graduates who earned an associate’s degree as their highest degree by June 2021, a higher percentage of CTE concentrators than of nonconcentrators earned their degree in a CTE field (58 vs. 45 percent). In 2022, some 20 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds were receiving a private education (including home schooling). Overall, 59 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds were enrolled in school, which was higher than in 2021 (53 percent) but still lower than in 2019 (61 percent). Among 12th-graders who were enrolled in private schools in fall 2020, some 96 percent graduated in 2020–21. In comparison, the adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public school students—which is based on a cohort of 9th-graders—was 87 percent in 2021–22. (See indicator for more information on the difference between these measures.) In 2020–21, some 2 percent ($18.6 billion) of total public school revenues nationally were awarded from COVID-19 federal assistance funds administered by the Department of Education (i.e., the Education Stabilization Fund). This influx of funds contributed to an increase of 43 percent in federal revenues between 2019–20 and 2020–21. In school year 2021–22, about 63 percent of traditional public schools and 62 percent of public charter schools were eligible for Title I. A lower percentage of traditional public schools than of public charter schools participated in schoolwide Title I programs (42 vs. 50 percent). The percentage of public school students who were English learners (ELs) increased overall between fall 2011 (9.4 percent, or 4.6 million students) and fall 2021 (10.6 percent, or 5.3 million students). Among all ELs, the percentage who received services in English language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) was lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2011 (93.1 vs. 94.5 percent). The summary report is available here. In addition, detailed analyses in the form of individual indicators are also available on the Condition of Education webpage. Analyses in the report are supported by tables in the Digest of Education Statistics. Readers can browse these tables for additional detail on topics presented in the Condition.