While a single American classroom holds nearly 50 million unique stories, the true narrative of our education system unfolds in the complex data of funding, diversity, and performance that shape every student's journey.
Key Takeaways
- In fall 2021, about 49.0 million students were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States.
- During the 2020–21 school year, approximately 50.8 million public school students attended about 98,200 public schools.
- In 2021, Black students made up 15% of public school enrollment, down from 16% in 2011.
- In 2022, the average NAEP mathematics score for 4th-grade students was 236, not significantly different from 2019.
- 8th-grade reading scores averaged 259 in 2022 NAEP, 3 points lower than 2019.
- In 2022, 33% of 4th graders performed at or above proficient in reading on NAEP.
- In 2021–22 school year, total current expenditures for public K-12 education reached $857 billion.
- Public school per-pupil current spending averaged $14,347 in 2021–22.
- Federal funding accounted for 13% of public K-12 revenues in 2021–22.
- In 2021–22, there were 3.2 million full-time-equivalent (FTE) public school teachers.
- The pupil/teacher ratio in public schools was 15.4 in 2021–22.
- 93% of public school teachers were licensed or certified in 2020–21.
- In 2021–22, adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high schools was 87%.
- 86% of White students graduated on-time in 2021–22.
- Black students had an 80% ACGR in public high schools 2021–22.
American education is diversifying and costly, with rising private and charter school enrollment and mixed academic performance.
Academic Achievement
- In 2022, the average NAEP mathematics score for 4th-grade students was 236, not significantly different from 2019.
- 8th-grade reading scores averaged 259 in 2022 NAEP, 3 points lower than 2019.
- In 2022, 33% of 4th graders performed at or above proficient in reading on NAEP.
- 12th-grade NAEP math average was 377 in 2022, below the 1990 baseline of 381.
- PISA 2022 U.S. math score was 465, ranking 28th among OECD countries.
- U.S. 15-year-olds scored 504 in reading on PISA 2022, above OECD average of 476.
- In 2021–22, 43% of 8th graders were proficient in math per NAEP long-term trend.
- 2022 NAEP showed 26% of 12th graders proficient or above in reading.
- TIMSS 2019 U.S. 4th graders averaged 535 in math, above international average.
- U.S. 8th graders scored 515 in science on TIMSS 2019.
- In 2023 SAT, average total score was 1028, down 14 points from 2022.
- ACT 2023 composite average was 19.5, the lowest in over 30 years.
- 52% of 2022 high school graduates met all four ACT college readiness benchmarks.
- NAEP 2022 gap between White and Black 4th-grade math scores was 29 points.
- Hispanic 8th-grade reading scores trailed White peers by 25 points in 2022 NAEP.
- PIRLS 2021 U.S. 4th graders scored 549 in reading, top 10 internationally.
- In 2022, 13% of U.S. 4th graders reached advanced NAEP math level.
- Advanced Placement exams taken by 2.8 million students in 2023, with 66% scoring 3+.
- 2022 NAEP science scores for 4th graders averaged 148, same as 2019.
- U.S. PISA science score was 499 in 2022, above OECD average of 485.
- 37% of 8th graders proficient in science on 2022 NAEP main assessment.
- International math rankings placed U.S. 38th out of 81 countries in PISA 2022.
- NAEP long-term trend showed 2023 9-year-old reading proficiency at 52%.
- 12th-grade science NAEP average was 144 in 2019, no 2022 data.
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing average was 520 in 2023.
- Math SAT average dropped to 508 in 2023 from 529 in 2020.
- 2023 PSAT/NMSQT saw 1.8 million 10th-11th graders participate.
- NAEP 2022 basic or above reading for 4th graders was 65%.
- U.S. ranked 6th in PIRLS 2021 reading for 4th graders.
- TIMSS 2019 U.S. 4th-grade science score was 531.
- 28% of 12th graders scored proficient or above in math NAEP 2022.
Academic Achievement Interpretation
We’ve mastered the art of standing perfectly still in the shallows of education, holding our own in some subjects while, in the crucial subjects of math and reading equity, we are still dog-paddling against a stubborn current of decline and disparity.
Enrollment and Demographics
- In fall 2021, about 49.0 million students were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in the United States.
- During the 2020–21 school year, approximately 50.8 million public school students attended about 98,200 public schools.
- In 2021, Black students made up 15% of public school enrollment, down from 16% in 2011.
- Hispanic students accounted for 27% of public K-12 enrollment in 2021, up from 24% in 2011.
- White students comprised 45% of public school enrollment in fall 2021.
- In 2021–22, 14% of public school students were English learners, representing over 5 million students.
- Students with disabilities accounted for 15% of public school enrollment in 2021–22, or about 7.5 million students.
- In fall 2021, private school enrollment totaled about 5.7 million students.
- Fall 2022 undergraduate enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions was 15.4 million.
- In 2021, total postsecondary enrollment was 19.2 million, with 8.3 million males and 10.9 million females.
- In 2022, 41% of 18- to 24-year-olds were enrolled in college, down from 42% in 2021.
- Charter school enrollment grew to 3.7 million students in 2021–22, representing 7.6% of public school students.
- In 2020–21, 1.2 million students were homeschooled, up from 825,000 in 2019.
- Asian/Pacific Islander students were 5% of public K-12 enrollment in 2021.
- Multiracial students increased to 6% of public school enrollment by fall 2021.
- In fall 2022, graduate enrollment in postsecondary institutions was 3.2 million.
- Public two-year college enrollment was 4.7 million in fall 2022.
- In 2021–22, 24% of public high school students attended schools with 75% or more minority enrollment.
- Prekindergarten enrollment in public schools reached 1.5 million in 2021–22.
- In 2022, 35% of recent high school graduates enrolled immediately in four-year colleges.
- Female enrollment in postsecondary institutions outnumbered males by 2.6 million in 2021.
- In 2021, 57% of public school students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch.
- Native American/Alaska Native students were 1% of public K-12 enrollment in 2021.
- In fall 2021, 91% of public school students attended traditional public schools, 7% charter schools.
- Postsecondary enrollment declined by 2.9% from fall 2021 to fall 2022.
- In 2022, 15% of undergraduates were first-generation college students.
- Hispanic enrollment in public schools increased by 8% from 2011 to 2021.
- In 2021–22, 6 million students were in gifted and talented programs.
- Total K-12 enrollment peaked at 50.8 million in 2019–20 before pandemic declines.
- In 2022, 20% of 18-24 year olds were enrolled in two-year institutions.
Enrollment and Demographics Interpretation
The American education system is a sprawling, shifting mosaic where nearly 50 million public school students—increasingly diverse, hungry, and requiring specialized support—navigate a landscape of traditional, charter, and home schools, while a separate but equally complex universe of higher education grapples with declining enrollment and a persistent gender gap.
Funding and Resources
- In 2021–22 school year, total current expenditures for public K-12 education reached $857 billion.
- Public school per-pupil current spending averaged $14,347 in 2021–22.
- Federal funding accounted for 13% of public K-12 revenues in 2021–22.
- State sources provided 47% of public school funding in 2021–22.
- Local property taxes funded 45% of public K-12 education in 2021–22.
- In 2022, total postsecondary expenditures were $679 billion.
- Average instructional expenditure per pupil in public schools was $8,424 in 2021–22.
- Title I funding supported 25 million low-income students with $18.4 billion in 2022.
- IDEA special education funding was $13.6 billion for 7.5 million students in FY2022.
- Pell Grants awarded $28.2 billion to 6.4 million undergraduates in 2021–22.
- Public school capital outlay spending totaled $56 billion in 2021–22.
- In 2021–22, 91% of public school revenue came from state/local sources.
- Average teacher salary in public schools was $69,544 in 2022–23.
- Private K-12 tuition averaged $12,350 annually in 2022.
- Student loan debt totaled $1.7 trillion held by 45 million borrowers in 2023.
- Federal student aid reached $149 billion in 2022–23.
- In 2021–22, support services spending per pupil was $3,266 in public schools.
- New York spent the most per pupil at $25,139 in public K-12 for 2021–22.
- California public school funding per pupil was $16,920 in 2021–22.
- ESSER funds distributed $190 billion for pandemic recovery through 2024.
- Community college funding averaged $11,000 per FTE student in 2022.
- 45 states increased K-12 funding from 2020 to 2022 post-pandemic.
- Instructional spending was 59% of total current expenditures in public schools 2021–22.
- Private nonprofit 4-year colleges spent $55,560 per FTE in 2021.
- Head Start program funded $11 billion for 833,000 children in FY2022.
- In 2022–23, public school districts reported $15 billion in ESSER carryover.
- For-profit postsecondary institutions had revenues of $32 billion in 2021.
- Property tax reliance for funding varied from 9% in Hawaii to 62% in Illinois in 2021–22.
- In 2022–23, national public K-12 spending per pupil adjusted for inflation was $15,541.
- Stafford Loans disbursed $98 billion to 27 million borrowers in 2021–22.
Funding and Resources Interpretation
While American education funding paints a picture of nearly a trillion-dollar annual investment, the devil is in the decimal points, revealing a system where the quality of a child's schooling is often precariously linked to their zip code's property values and their state's political generosity, leaving a trail of towering student debt as the final, unforgiving invoice.
Graduation and Outcomes
- In 2021–22, adjusted cohort graduation rate (ACGR) for public high schools was 87%.
- 86% of White students graduated on-time in 2021–22.
- Black students had an 80% ACGR in public high schools 2021–22.
- Hispanic graduation rate reached 84% in 2021–22.
- Students with disabilities graduated at 73% rate in 2021–22.
- English learners had a 68% ACGR in public high schools 2021–22.
- 2.1 million students graduated from high school in 2021–22.
- Bachelor's degrees conferred totaled 1.0 million in 2021–22.
- Associate's degrees awarded: 1.0 million in 2021–22.
- Master's degrees: 843,000 conferred in 2021–22.
- Doctor's degrees: 228,000 in 2021–22.
- 62% of 25- to 29-year-olds had some college or higher in 2022.
- 40% of 25-34 year olds held bachelor's degrees or higher in 2022.
- GED credentials issued: 320,000 in 2022.
- 95% of public high school seniors took at least one AP/IB exam in 2022.
- College enrollment rate for 2022 high school graduates was 62%.
- 4-year college graduation rate within 6 years was 64% for 2016 cohort.
- HBCUs graduated 9% of African American bachelor's in 2021–22.
- Student loan default rate was 7% for 2017 cohort after 3 years.
- 58% of 2021–22 bachelor's recipients borrowed, average debt $29,000.
- Unemployment rate for bachelor's holders was 2.2% in 2023.
- High school graduates earned median $979 weekly in 2023, vs. $654 no diploma.
- 36% of 25-29 year olds attained bachelor's in 2022.
- Women earned 58% of bachelor's degrees in 2021–22.
- STEM bachelor's degrees: 24% in 2021–22.
- Public 4-year institutions had 63% 6-year graduation rate for 2016 entrants.
- Dropout rate for 16-24 year olds was 5.3% in 2022.
- 89% of Asian/Pacific Islander students graduated on-time in 2021–22.
Graduation and Outcomes Interpretation
The national graduation picture is bright at 87%, yet stubborn gaps persist—like a student body where the honors class is still struggling to get its act together while the valedictorians are already halfway through their master’s degrees.
Teachers and Faculty
- In 2021–22, there were 3.2 million full-time-equivalent (FTE) public school teachers.
- The pupil/teacher ratio in public schools was 15.4 in 2021–22.
- 93% of public school teachers were licensed or certified in 2020–21.
- Average public school teacher experience was 14 years in 2020–21.
- 77% of public K-12 teachers were female in 2020–21.
- Special education teachers numbered 480,000 FTE in public schools 2021–22.
- 7% of public school teachers left the profession between 2020–21 and 2021–22.
- Starting teacher salary averaged $41,655 in public schools for 2022–23.
- 90% of public secondary teachers majored in field taught in 2020–21.
- Postsecondary faculty totaled 1.5 million in fall 2022, with 47% full-time.
- 56% of postsecondary instructors were part-time in 2021.
- Public school principals numbered 93,500 in 2021–22.
- 21% of public schools had a principal turnover in 2021–22.
- Teachers aged 40-49 made up 37% of public K-12 workforce in 2020–21.
- 8% of public school teachers were Black in 2020–21.
- Hispanic teachers comprised 10% of public school staff in 2020–21.
- National Board Certified Teachers numbered over 118,000 in 2023.
- 76% of teachers reported high job satisfaction pre-pandemic, down to 44% in 2022.
- Public school counselors totaled 137,000 in 2021–22.
- Student-to-counselor ratio averaged 415:1 in public high schools 2021–22.
- 4% of postsecondary faculty were Black in 2021.
- Women were 53% of postsecondary faculty in fall 2022.
- Teacher attrition rate reached 12% in high-poverty schools 2021–22.
- 82% of teachers had bachelor's degrees, 58% master's in 2020–21.
- Substitute teacher shortages affected 77% of public schools in 2022.
- Average class size in public elementary schools was 20.5 in 2021–22.
- 16% of public school teachers were in their first year in 2020–21.
- Postsecondary tenured/tenure-track faculty were 28% in 2022.
- White teachers were 77% of public K-12 educators in 2020–21.
- Library media specialists numbered 57,000 in public schools 2021–22.
- Adjusted average teacher salary grew 2.5% nominally from 2021–22 to 2022–23.
Teachers and Faculty Interpretation
America’s education system is a seasoned, predominantly female workforce holding things together with high expertise and licensing, yet plagued by attrition, stark diversity gaps, and counselors stretched thinner than a substitute teacher’s patience.
Sources & References
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