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Fast Facts

Fast Facts provide users with concise information on a range of educational issues, from early childhood to adult learning. Fast Facts draw from various published sources and are updated as new data become available.

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Back-to-School Fast Facts

Back to School illustration of students and teachers climbing on books

In fall 2021, there were 49.4 million students and 3.2 million full-time equivalent teachers in public elementary and secondary schools.

Average of $14,295 per student for current expenditures in public PK–12 schools in 2020–21

19.0 million students attended postsecondary institutions in fall 2021

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Fast Facts by Topic

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open Elementary and SecondaryElementary and Secondary
Access to the internet Bullying Career and technical education Charter schools Closed schools Condition of public school facilities Distance learning Dropout rates Educational institutions English learners Enrollment trends Expenditures High school graduation rates Homeschooling Knowledge and skills at kindergarten Libraries Mental health services in public schools NCES surveys on students and teachers Private School Survey (PSS) Public and private school comparison Public school choice programs Public school students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch School crime School ID codes and searches School safety and security measures Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, by gender State-level statistics Students with disabilities Students with disabilities, inclusion of Teacher characteristics and trends Teacher qualifications Title I Transportation Violence prevention Written plans for emergency scenariosFast Facts Infographics Average number of hours per week that regular full-time public K�12 school teachers spent on all teaching and other school-related activities during a typical full week, by state: 2020�21Fast Facts Infographics Change in public school enrollment between Fall 2019 and Fall 2021, by state or jurisdictionFast Facts Infographics Enrollment in Private Schools by Grade Span: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22Fast Facts Infographics Enrollment in Private Schools by Religious Affiliation: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22Fast Facts Infographics Enrollment in Private Schools by School Level: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22Fast Facts Infographics In 2022, some 92 percent of 25- to 29-year olds who were American Indian/Alaska Native had completed at least high schoolFast Facts Infographics Number of Full-Time-Equivalent Teachers at Private Schools by Religious Affiliation: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22Fast Facts Infographics Number of Full-Time-Equivalent Teachers at Private Schools by School Level: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22Fast Facts Infographics Number of Private Schools: SY 2019–20 to SY 2021–22.Fast Facts Infographics Of public K�12 schools that had teaching vacancies in special education for the current school year, percentage that found it very difficult or were not able to fill the vacancies, by state: 2020�21Fast Facts Infographics Of the 49.6 million students enrolled in preK–12 public schools in fall 2022, 7.4 million were Black students.Fast Facts Infographics Percent of public schools with instruction beyond the normal school day for students who need academic assistance in any K�12 grades, by state: 2020�21Fast Facts Infographics Percentage change in public school enrollment between SY 2019 and 2022Fast Facts Infographics Percentage change in public school enrollment between SY 2021 and 2022Fast Facts Infographics Select findings from the August 2023 administration of the School Pulse Panel (SPP)
open Postsecondary and BeyondPostsecondary and Beyond
Adult learning Adult skills in an international context College crime Degrees conferred by race/ethnicity and sex Distance learning Educational attainment Educational institutions Employment after degree Employment rates of young adults Endowments Enrollment Expenditures Financial aid Highest enrollment Historically Black Colleges and Universities Immediate transition to college Income of young adults International educational attainment Libraries Most common undergraduate fields of study NCES surveys on students and teachers Race/ethnicity of college faculty Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, by gender Student debt Students with disabilities Time to degree Title IX Tuition costs of colleges and universities Undergraduate graduation ratesFast Facts Infographics In 2019-20, 72 percent of all undergraduates received some type of financial aid.Fast Facts Infographics In 2019-20, Average Amounts of Federal Student Aid Received by UndergraduatesFast Facts Infographics In 2021–22, postsecondary institutions awarded 61,074 STEM degrees/certificates to Black students.Fast Facts Infographics In academic year 2021–22, postsecondary institutions awarded 11,709 degrees/certificates in visual and performing arts to Black students.Fast Facts Infographics Percentage of Undergraduates Receiving Federal Student Aid in 2019-20Fast Facts Infographics Postsecondary degrees/certificates awarded to women: 2021�22Fast Facts Infographics STEM degrees/certificates awarded to Asian and Pacific Islander students: 2021�22Fast Facts Infographics STEM degrees/certificates awarded to Black students: 2020�21Fast Facts Infographics Tribally controlled institutions (TCUs)Fast Facts Infographics Undergraduate and graduate student enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level of institution: Fall 2010 through fall 2021