Fast Facts

Question:
How many educational institutions exist in the United States?

Response:

During most of the last century, the trend to consolidate small schools brought a large decline in the total number of public schools in the United States. In 1929-30, there were approximately 248,000 public schools, compared with about 97,000 in 2005-06. But this number has been increasing in recent years; between 1995-96 and 2005-06, there was an increase of approximately 10,300 schools.

The shift in structure of public school systems toward middle schools (grade spans beginning with 4, 5, or 6 and ending with 6, 7, or 8) since the early 1970s has continued. The number of all elementary schools (beginning in grade 6 or below, with no grade higher than grade 8) rose by 10 percent to 67,291 between 1995-96 and 2005-06, and the subset of middle schools rose by 23 percent during the same time period. Meanwhile, the number of junior high schools (grades 7 and 8 or 7 to 9) declined by 13 percent.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-022), Chapter 2.

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¹ Data for 1980-81 and 1990-91 include schools with first or higher grades. Data for 1995-96 and later years include schools with kindergarten or higher grades.
² Postsecondary data through 1990-91 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for Title IV degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate's or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). Digest of Education Statistics, 2007 (NCES 2008-022), Table 5.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 255. Degree-granting institutions, by control and type of institution: Selected years, 1949� through 2006�
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 55. Private elementary and secondary enrollment, teachers, and schools, by orientation of school and selected school characteristics: Fall 2003
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 59. Private elementary and secondary schools, enrollment, teachers, and high school graduates, by state: Selected years, 1997 through 2003
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 83. Number of public school districts and public and private elementary and secondary schools: Selected years, 1869-70 through 2005-06
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 90. Public elementary and secondary schools, by type of school: Selected years, 1967-68 through 2005-06
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 91. Number and percentage distribution of public elementary and secondary schools and enrollment, by type and enrollment size of school: 2004-05 and 2005-06
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 94. Public elementary and secondary schools, by type and state or jurisdiction: 1990-91, 2000-01, and 2005-06
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 95. Public elementary schools, by grade span, average school size, and state or jurisdiction: 2005-06
  
• 2008, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, Table 96. Public secondary schools, by grade span, average school size, and state or jurisdiction: 2005-06
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2007, IPEDS College Navigator
  
• 2007, Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools From the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06
  
• 2007, Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2006 and Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2005-06
  
• 2006, Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2003-2004 Private School Universe Survey
  
• 2006, Public Elementary and Secondary Students, Staff, Schools, and School Districts: School Year 2003-04
  
• 2006, Search for Private Schools - PSS School Locator
  
• 2006, Search for Public Schools - CCD School Locator