Key figures
Public school enrollment (K-12)
48,940,009
Students · 2024
Full-time-equivalent public school teachers
3,200,132
Teachers · 2023
Public schools reporting teachers
96,453
Schools · 2023
College and graduate school students
21,741,575
Students · 2024
Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Public school enrollment (K-12)
1986–202448,940,009▲ 23%
Sum of the 50 states (+ DC where reported). NCES Common Core of Data, public schools (school year starting in the year shown), via Urban Institute Education Data API.
Sources: BEA, BLS, Census Bureau, EIA, FBI, USDA, NCES, U.S. Treasury and other federal agencies (via FRED where noted). National totals marked “Sum of the 50 states” add up official state figures.