CB11-FF.15

 June 27, 2011

 

Back to School: 2011-2012

By August, summertime will be winding down and vacations will be coming to an end, signaling

that back-to-school time is near. It’s a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up 

with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children

alike scan the newspapers and websites looking for sales to shop for a multitude of school 

supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition of Facts for Features highlights 

the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation’s students and teachers. 

Back-to-School Shopping

$7.4 billion 

The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2010. Only in November and 

December were sales significantly higher. Similarly, sales at bookstores in August 2010 totaled 

$2.2 billion, an amount approached in 2010 only by sales in January. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services 

<http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/mrts.html>

For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments abound: In 2008, there were 

28,429 family clothing stores, 7,349 children and infants clothing stores, 28,178 shoe stores, 

9,373 office supply and stationery stores, 22,116 sporting goods stores, 9,708 bookstores and 

8,813 department stores.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns: 2008

<http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/>

Students

77 million

The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2009 —

from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population age 3 and 

older.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 1

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>
Pre-K through 12 Enrollment

52%

Percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in school in October 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 1

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

74%

Percentage of children 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 3

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

55.5 million

The projected number of students to be enrolled in the nation’s elementary through high 

schools (pre-kindergarten - 12th grade) this fall. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 215 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

11% 

Projected percentage of elementary through high school students (pre-kindergarten - 12th grade) 

enrolled in private schools this fall. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 215 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

43%

Percentage of elementary through high school students who belonged to a minority population as 

of October 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 1

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

23%

Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent 

in October 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 1

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

Nearly 80%

Percentage of students ages 12 to 17 who were academically on-track in 2006, up 8 percentage 

points from 1998. The odds of being on-track were 48 percent higher for these students if they 
were in a gifted class and 34 percent higher if they had never been suspended or expelled from 

school. (Students were considered to be academically on-track if they were enrolled in school at 

or above the grade level appropriate for their age.)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child’s Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being), 

Table 5 <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb09-182.html>

52%

Percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who were highly engaged in school (children reported as liking 

school, being interested in school and working hard in school) in 2006, up 5 percentage points 

from 1998. For 6- to 11-year-olds, the respective increase was from 56 percent to 

59 percent.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, A Child’s Day: 2006 (Selected Indicators of Child Well-Being); 

Table 3 <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb09-182.html>

Languages

11.2 million

Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home in 

2009; 8 million of these children spoke Spanish at home. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey 

<http://factfinder.census.gov/>, Table B16004

Lunchtime

31.3 million

Average number of children participating each month in the National School Lunch Program in 

2009. 

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, as cited in the Statistical 

Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 568 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

9.21 billion

The nation’s total apple production, in pounds, in 2010. The chances are good that the apples 

your children present to their teachers or enjoy for lunch were grown in Washington state, which 

accounted for more than half of the nation’s total production. 

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 

<http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/NoncFruiNu/NoncFruiNu-01-21-2011.pdf>

College

19.7 million

The projected number of students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this fall. This 

is up from 14.4 million 20 years ago.

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 215 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>
16%

Percentage of all college students 35 and older in October 2009. They made up 37 percent of 

those attending school part time. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 5

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

50%

Percentage of 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled in college in 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 2

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

56%

Percentage of college students who were women in October 2009. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of 

Students: October 2009, Table 5

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school/cps2009.html>

How Many Schools?

98,706

Number of public schools in 2008-09. In 2007-08, there were 33,740 private schools. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics,

<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_005.asp>

4,409

Number of degree-granting institutions of higher education in 2008-2009.

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 

<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d10/tables/dt10_005.asp>

4,694

The number of public charter schools nationwide in 2008-09. These schools, exempt from 

selected state and local rules and regulations, enrolled 1,433,116 students. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics, 

<http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/pdf/coe_cse.pdf>

Teachers and Other School Personnel

7.2 million

Number of teachers in the United States in 2009. Almost 3 million taught at the elementary and 

middle school level. The remainder included those teaching at the postsecondary, secondary, 

preschool, kindergarten levels, special education and other teachers or instructors.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 

2011, Table 615 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

$65,800

Average annual salary of public school teachers in California as of the 2007-2008 school year —

the highest of any state. Teachers in South Dakota received the lowest pay — $36,700. The 

national average was $52,800. High school principals earned $99,365 annually in 2008-09.

Source: National Education Association and Educational Research Service as cited in the

Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Tables 252 and 255 

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

$16.44

Average hourly wage for the nation’s school bus drivers in 2008-09. Custodians earned 

$14.59, while cafeteria workers made $11.94.

Source: Educational Research Service as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 

2011, Table 255 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Technology

14.2 million

Number of computers available for classroom use in the nation’s schools as of the 2005-2006 

school year. That works out to one computer for every four students. 

Source: Market Data Retrieval as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, 

Table 259 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Rising Cost of College

$15,876

Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation’s four-year public colleges 

and universities for an academic year (2008-09). That was more than double the cost in 1990.

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 289 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

$40,633

Average tuition, room and board at the nation’s four-year private colleges and universities for 

one academic year (2008-09). That also was more than double the cost in 1990. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 289 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>
Rewards of Staying in School

$83,144

Average annual 2008 earnings of workers 18 and older with an advanced degree. This compares 

with $21,023 for those without a high school diploma. In addition, those with a bachelor’s degree 

earned an average of $58,613 in 2008, while those with a high school diploma earned $31,283. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/education/cb10-55.html>

$85,417

Average starting salary offered to bachelor’s degree candidates in petroleum engineering in 

2009, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end of the spectrum were those 

majoring in a social science, who were offered an average of $36,217.

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 294 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Graduation

3.2 million

Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded in the 2011-12 school year. 

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2010, Table 217 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

 

3.4 million

Number of college degrees expected to be conferred in the 2011-12 school year.

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2010, Table 217 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Government Spending on Public Education

$10,499 The per-pupil expenditure on public elementary and secondary education nationally in 2009. 

New York ($18,126) spent the most among states or state equivalents, followed by the District of 

Columbia ($16,408), New Jersey ($16,271) and Alaska ($15,552). Utah ($6,356) spent the least 

per student, followed by Idaho ($7,092) and Arizona ($7,813). 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Education Finances: 2009

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/governments/cb11-94.html>
Parental Involvement

89%

Among K-12 students, the percentage with a parent or other household member who attended a 

general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year. Additionally, 65 percent 

had such a relative who participated in school fundraising and 46 percent who volunteered to 

serve on a school committee.

Source: U.S. National Center for Education Statistics as cited in the Statistical Abstract of the 

United States: 2011, Table 248 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features

series:

African-American History Month (February) Labor Day 

Super Bowl Grandparents Day 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)

Women’s History Month (March) Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ Halloween (Oct. 31)

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) (November) 

Older Americans Month (May) Veterans Day (Nov. 11)

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) Thanksgiving Day 

Mother’s Day The Holiday Season (December) 

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4)

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26)

Back to School (August)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: 

<pio@census.gov>.