c URRENT POPULATION REPORTS

Series P-20, No. 149
February 11, 1966

FALL SCHOOL ENROLLMENT APPROXIMATELY 53.8 MILLION

(Advance data, October 1965 survey)

About 53.8 million persons 5 to 34 years
old were enrolled in school or college in the
United States in the fall of 1965, according
to the results of the Current Population Survey
conducted in October 1965 by the Bureau of the
Census. This represents an increase of 7.5
million, or 16 percent, over the 46.3 million
enrolled in October 1960.

‘The increase in enrollment varied consid-
erably by level of school. The number of kin-
dergarten pupils this fallreached approximately
2.6.miltjon (table 1). There were 32.5 million
enrolled at the elementary level (grades 1

to 8), 13.0 million at the high school level
(grades 9 to 12), and 5.7 million in college or
professional schools. These figures represent
again over 1960 enrollment figures of about
26 percent at the kindergarten level, 7 percent
at the elementary schéol level, and 27 and 59
percent at the high school and college levels,
respectively.

Whereas the largest numerical increase was
at the high school level, the greatest relative
increase since 1960 has been at the college
level. Increased enrollment in elementary and
high schools was due primarily to increases in

Table enitews SCHOOL ENROLLMENT OF THE CIVILIAN NONINSTITUTIONAL POPULATION 5 TO

34 YEARS QLD,
AND 1960

‘BY LEVEL OF SCHOGL AND AGB,

FOR THE UNITED STATES: OCTOBER 1965

(Numbers in thousands)

Percent:
increase,
Level of schoc’? and age 1965, 1960 1960 to
1965
Total enrolled, 5 to 34 years old,. 53,769 46,259 16,2
2,665 2,092 26.4
32,475 30,49 7.0
12,975 10,249 26.6
5,673 3,570 59.
hyhhd 32,059 ies
6,995 6,438 8.7
27,450 25,62 TL
19,324 14,201 36.1
13,033 10, 242 7.3
3,290 3,167 67,0
2,002 26.4

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2

the population 6 to 17 years old rather than to
changes in the percent of persons enrolled. In-
creased enrollment in colleges and professional
schools, however, reflects bath an increase in
the percent enrolled among persons 18 to 34 years
old, and an increase in the total population at
these ages (table 2 and unpublished estimates).
* Enrollment statistics shown in this report
refer to the civilian noninstitutional popula-
tion reported as enrolled in regular public and
private schools and colleges by the middle of
October, when the Current Population Survey was
conducted. The statistics include both full-
time and part-time students and persons who
were working in addition to attending school.
These figures may differ from figures on school
enrollment reported by other sources, largely
because (1) the Bureau of the Census collects
data by household interview, whereas information
from other sources is generally based on reports
from school systems and institutions of higher
learning; and (2) there are often differences

in definitions and time TéPéFentes. “Also, en-
rollment as of October will usually be tower
than enrollment for the whole school year be-
cause the latter: provides a cumulative count of
persons who enter school at different times
throughout the year. .

Since the figures presented in this report
are based on sample data, they may differ from
the figures that would have been obtained from
a complete census. The sampling variation may
be relatively large for small numbers, and for

the increases in numbers between one year - and
the next. (See Current Population Reports, Se-

ries P-20, No. 148, for approximate level of
sampling variability.) For example, although
the data indicate beyond doubt that between
1964 and 1965, college enrollment increased by
a greater amount than between other successive
years since 1960, the amount of this. increase
indicated by the numbers in table 2 may differ
substantially from the figure that would have
been obtained in a complete enumeration.

Table 2.—-FALL SCHOOL ENROLIMENT OF THE CIVILIAN NONINSTITUTIONAL POPULATION 5 TO 34 YEARS OLD, .
BY LEVEL OF SCHOOL AND AGE, FOR THE UNITED STATES: OCTOBER 1960 TO 1965

(Numbers in thousands.

Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand without being adjusted to group totals,

which are independently rounded)

Level of school and age 1965 1964, 1963 1962 1961 1960
‘LEVEL OF SCHOOL
Total enrolled....ssseersceeeeees 53,769 51, 660 50,356 48,704, 47,708 46,259
Kindergartenss..sssecseseeseees 2,645 2,469 2,340 2,329 2,299 2,092
Elementary school (grades 1 to Bove 32,475 31,734 21,247 30,661 30,718 30,349
High school (grades 9 to 12).. 12,975 22,812 12,433 11,516 10,959 10,249
College and professional school..... 5,675 4,643 4,336 4,208 3,731 3,570
AGE
Number Enrolled
Total, 5 to 34 years old.. 53,769 51,660 50, 356. 48,706 47,708 46,259
5 to 13 years old.... 34,445 33,567 32,971. 32,285 32,439 32,059
6,995 6,842 6,768 6,651. 6,638 6,438
27, 450 26,725 26,203 25,634 25,801 25,621
13,033 13,04 12,517 11,740 11,163 10,242
2,930 2,196 2,061 2,144 1,952 1,817
2,360 2,048 2,014 1,725 1,468 1,350
1,378 1,358 1,269 1,070 9% 817
982 690 5 655 532 533
658 559 38 522 456 514
343 276 275 268 230 278
Percent Enrolled
59.7 58.7 58.5 57.8
95.9 95.3 95.4 95.2
84.4 83.3 82.7 82.1
99.4 99.0 99.3 99.3
93.2 93.1 92.9 92.0
46.3 41.6 40.9 41.8 | *
19.0 16.8 17.3 15.6
27.6 26.3 25.0 23.0
13.2 9.9 1s 10.3
6.1 5.2 4.9 5.0
3.2 2.6 25 2.6