The Condition of Education 2014. NCES 2014-083
Author: Kena, Grace
Date: 2014-05-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Educational Indicators,Trend Analysis,Educational Attainment,Student Characteristics,Bachelors Degrees,Masters Degrees,Gender Differences,High School Graduates,College Graduates,Racial Differences,Foreign Countries,Adults,Wages,Salaries,Employment Level,Income,Age Differences,Unemployment,Labor Force,Children,Adolescents,Poverty,Geographic Location,Enrollment Trends,Preschool Education,Early Childhood Education,Elementary Education,Secondary Education,Kindergarten,Parent Background,Charter Schools,Public Schools,Private Schools,Institutional Characteristics,Ethnic Groups,English Language Learners,Disabilities,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Undergraduate Study,College Attendance,Distance Education,Graduate Study,School Size,Racial Composition,Crime,Victims of Crime,Violence,Teacher Student Ratio,Educational Finance,Financial Support,State Aid,Taxes,Expenditures,International Schools,Expenditure per Student,Economic Factors,Student Evaluation,Reading Achievement,Scores,Mathematics Achievement,Science Achievement,Academic Persistence,Course Selection (Students),Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,College Students,Preschool Children,Graduation Rate,Dropout Rate,Family Income,Full Time Students,Student Employment,Costs,Tuition,Student Financial Aid,Grants,Scholarships,Student Loan Programs,College Faculty,Teacher Characteristics,Loan Default,Loan Repayment,Public Colleges,Private Colleges

To help inform policymakers and the public about the progress of education in the United States, Congress has mandated that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) produce an annual report, &quot;The Condition of Education.&quot; This year's report presents 42 indicators on important topics and trends in U.S. education. These indicators focus on population characteristics, participation in education, elementary and secondary education, and postsecondary education. This year's &quot;Condition&quot; shows that about 90 percent of young adults ages 25 to 29 had a high school diploma or its equivalent in 2013, and that 34 percent had a bachelor's or higher degree. As in previous years, in 2012, median earnings were higher for those with higher levels of education--for example, 25- to 34-year-olds with a bachelor's degree earned more than twice as much as high school dropouts. Also, the unemployment rate was lower for bachelor's degree holders in this age range than for their peers with lower levels of education. In 2012, almost two-thirds of 3- to 5-year-olds were enrolled in preschool, and 60 percent of these children attended full-day programs. At the elementary and secondary level, there were nearly 50 million students in public schools in 2011--over 2 million of which were in charter schools. The number of students in elementary and secondary schools is expected to grow to 52 million by 2023. Postsecondary enrollment was at 21 million students in 2012, including 18 million undergraduate and 3 million graduate, or postbaccalaureate, students. One in five school-age children lived in poverty in 2012, up from about one in seven in 2000. In school year 2011-12, some 3.1 million public high school students, or 81 percent, graduated on time with a regular diploma. About 66 percent of 2012 high school completers enrolled in college that fall. Meanwhile, the status dropout rate, or the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in school and do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent, declined from 12 percent in 1990 to 7 percent in 2012. At public and private nonprofit 4-year colleges in 2011, most of the full-time undergraduates (88 and 86 percent, respectively) were under the age of 25; however, only about 29 percent of full-time students at private for-profit colleges were. About 56 percent of male students and 61 percent of female students who began their bachelor's degree in the fall of 2006, and did not transfer, had completed their degree by 2012. In that year, over 1 million associate's degrees, 1.8 million bachelor's degrees, and over 750,000 master's degrees were awarded. &quot;The Condition of Education 2014&quot; contains the latest data available on these and other key indicators. As new data are released, the indicators will be updated on the &quot;Condition of Education&quot; website. Along with these indicators, NCES produces a wide range of reports and data to help inform policymakers and the American public about trends and conditions in U.S. education. A &quot;Guide to Sources&quot; and a glossary are provided. [For &quot;The Condition of Education 2013. NCES 2013-037,&quot; see ED542714.]