Back-to-school facts and figures that provide a snapshot of schools and colleges in the United States

Across the country, students are preparing to head back to school for the 2022-23 academic year. Each year, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) compiles back-to-school facts and figures that provide a snapshot of schools and colleges in the United States.

Complete report

Key Findings

PK–12 EDUCATION

Enrollment 

How many students attended school in recent years? Preliminary data for fall 2021 show that some 49.5 million students were enrolled in public schools in prekindergarten through grade 12, which was higher than enrollment in fall 2020 (49.4 million) Of the 49.5 million public school students: 

• 34.0 million attended prekindergarten to grade 8.
  • 1.4 million attended prekindergarten. 
  • 3.6 million attended kindergarten. 
• 15.4 million attended grades 9 to 12. 
  • 4.2 million attended grade 9, the grade when students typically enter high school. 

What were the demographics of public school students in fall 2021? 

The 49.5 million public school students enrolled in prekindergarten through grade 12 in fall 2021 included

• 22.4 million White students 
• 14.1 million Hispanic students 
• 7.4 million Black students 
• 2.7 million Asian students 
• 2.3 million students of Two or more races 
• 0.5 million American Indian/Alaska Native students 
• 0.2 million Pacific Islander students 

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION 

Enrollment 

How many students attended postsecondary institutions in fall 2020? 

About 19.4 million students attended postsecondary institutions in fall 2020. 

• 11.9 million students attended full time. 
• 7.5 million students attended part time. 
• 16.2 million students attended undergraduate programs. 
• 3.1 million students attended graduate programs. 
• 14.0 million students attended public institutions. 
• 5.4 million students attended private institutions. 
• 0.3 million students attended less-than-2-year institutions.
• 5.0 million students attended 2-year institutions. 
• 14.1 million students attended 4-year institutions. 

What were the characteristics of students who were enrolled in postsecondary institutions in fall 2020? 

• 11.4 million female students 
• 8.0 million male students 
• 9.5 million White students 
• 3.6 million Hispanic students 
• 2.3 million Black students 
• 1.3 million Asian students 
• 0.7 million students of Two or more races 
• 0.1 million American Indian/Alaska Native students 
• 47,600 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students 
• 0.8 million Nonresident students (not identified by race/ethnicity) 
• 0.9 million students for whom race/ethnicity was unknown