How Many Schools Are in the US (Statistics 2025)

How Many Schools are in the US?

There are 98,755 public schools, 13,477 middle schools, 2,500 Junior high schools, 23900 Secondary Schools in the US. These statistics come from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Compared to 1980, there were around 30% more schools available in 2018.

The Number of Students in the U.S.

• According to the annual survey statistics from 1,219 ranked schools, a total of 10 colleges received the most applications in 2019. The average was 85,653, which is 50%.
• Only nine out of the 10 schools that received the most applications in 2019 are National Universities. These schools offer a wide range of college masters and degrees.

Number of People who Applied to Join Universities

• University of California -Los Angeles had 111,322 applicants, University of California- San Diego had 99,133 applicants, New -York University had 79,462 applicants, San Diego State University had 69,842 applicants, University of California, Berkeley had 87,398, and Pennsylvania State University-University Park had 71,903 applicants.

Percentage of ELL public-school students

ELL stands for English language learners.

• In 2019, the percentage of students in a US public school who were ELLs was higher compared to 2018, with a national average of 10.2% in 2018.
• The percentage of public school students in West Virginia remained low, around 0.8% in 2018, and did not increase to 10.2% in 2019; it was actually about 2,000 ELLs in 2019.
• The states with the highest percentage of ELLs among public-school students in 2018 included Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington.
• Another 23 states had percentages of English Language learners between 6.0 and 10.0 percent in 2018.
• The biggest positive percentage increase occurred in Massachusetts, which was 4.7%. In contrast, the biggest negative percentage point change occurred in Nevada, which was 5.7%.

Towards the end of 2018, the percentage of English Language Learners’ students was higher in schools at the district level and more urbanized locales in comparison to people who are less urbanized.

The percentage of students who were English Language Learners covered 14.9% of the cities’ public school enrollments, 4.2% in the rural areas, 6.9% in the towns, and 9.8% in the suburban area. In addition, the percentage and number English language learner students’ distribution in public schools were as follows:

• By the end of fall 2018, Spanish was the leading country with a total of 3.8 million English Language Learner students from public schools. Chinese and Arabic were reported to be the most common home languages (the languages were spoken by 102,800 and 135,900 students, respectively).
• With around 99,500 students, English took the fourth position as the most common home language that was preferred by ELL students. This reflects students who come from homes where people don’t speak English very often.
• Vietnamese has a total of (76,500 students), followed by Somali with a total of (40,100 students), then Russian students with a total of (38,200 students), there are 37,500 students from Portugal, then students from Haiti with a total of (32,800 students), and 31,300 students who are Hmong people were among the top reported languages of the English Language Learners in 2018.

All Institutions Elementary & Secondary School

The data below, according to Digest of Education Statistics, shows the total number of students in each educational level.

Post-Secondary Title IV institutions

4 Year Colleges

The Number of Educational Institutions in the U.S. by Level and Control of Institution

College Schools In The United States With Their Total Student Population

According to The Digest of Statistics, they revealed some interesting facts about the student population in some of the Universities in the United States. Below is a table indicating the findings of the research.

Total Number of Public elementary and Secondary schools’ enrollment

Find out more about what post-secondary education is.

Number of US Charter Schools

Charter schools are tuition-free schools of choice funded by the public. Research revealed that charter schools have grown into a national movement that spans 44 states including the district of Columbia. According to federal figures, there are around 3,290,149 charter schools.

In exchange for exemptions from most of the state laws, charters are bound to a contract term. It lays out the school mission, academic goals, and other essential guidelines. According to Digest of Education Statistics, this data shows the enrollment in Charter Schools in some of the major states.

The research conducted by Digest of Education Statistics pointed out that:

• There are over 3.6 million students in charter schools in the United States, though specific figures for English Language Learners (ELLs) are not updated.
• The leading state with the highest number of students in charter schools is California, followed by Florida and Arizona, though exact figures may have changed since the last update.
• Colorado and Georgia have significant numbers of students in charter schools, with Illinois also having a notable presence.
• The District of Columbia and Indiana also have a considerable number of students in charter schools.
• Key findings on charter schools highlight their potential benefits for students, particularly in certain contexts.
• Charter schools can be academically beneficial for students who enroll in them, especially in urban areas and for disadvantaged groups.
• In reviews of charter schools, many have shown positive effects on academic outcomes, particularly in math, though results vary widely.
• Studies have shown that charter schools can provide significant educational benefits, such as additional learning days per year, for certain student populations.
• Some studies indicate that attending charter high schools can increase college enrollment rates for students.
• Research suggests that charter schools may also have positive impacts on reducing certain negative behaviors, though findings are mixed.

While traditional school districts often get less funding compared to English Language Learner students who receive education from charter schools, charter schools are known to have a positive effect academically for students who attend the traditional public schools.

• According to studies that were conducted in a total of 5 states, the competition from charter schools is beneficial to English Language Learner students attending traditional public schools.
• Charter schools promote community development and promotion of inclusion
• They have a customized curriculum
• They are flexible and provide children with the freedom that is not available in public schools.

The Percentage of Charter Schools in public schools

Benefits of Studying in Schools in the United States

The United States is one of the world’s most ideal learning centers, even for international students. Between 2019 and 2010, statistics revealed that over 1.1 million students moved to the United States to study.

There are many reasons why international students move to study in the U.S. Every university has a unique thing that they offer. Below are some of the top reasons why international students chose to pursue education in the U.S.

• Helps Boost employment prospects after graduation
• It is a great place to satisfy your passion for traveling
• Adds international experience to your resume
• Helps you create a strong support network with other international students
• Helps you improve your English skills as you interact with friends from around the world

In addition, according to the Digest of Education Statistics, it is evident that schools in the United States help learners to:

• Explore vast academic opportunities
• Improve your career opportunities
• Boosts Academic excellence; With some of the finest universities, the U.S. is known around the world for the best academic standards
• American universities and learning institutions have several programs to choose from. In short, it helps international students to get accustomed to a new kind of lifestyle
• Explore cultural diversity. There are learners from communities all over the world that you will be learning with.

Percentage of Students

There is a higher percentage of students in public schools especially in lower grades compared to the students in upper grades who were English Language Learner students in fall 2018.

Among 12th-graders, only 5.1 percent of students were found to be English Language Learners.

Not forgetting that there are special schools for children with disabilities

In 2019, the number of students whose age ranges from 3 to 21 who got special education under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) was 14% (7.3 million) of all the students who attend public school.

The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) that was enacted in 1975, mandates the provision of public-school education for students who have qualified between the ages of 3 and 21. Students who are eligible identified by professionals to have the following:

• A disability that affects their academic performance adversely.
• The number of students who are aged between 3 and 21 who benefited from the special education services was 7.3 million, which increased by 800,000

Percentage distribution of students aged between 3 and 21 served under the IDEA by disability type: This is specifically for the 2019–20 school year

Percentage of public school students who were English language learners by grade level

According to U.S. News, this is the data from a survey carried out in over 1,800 colleges and universities for the survey of undergraduate programs. This data is meant to provide students and their parents the information they need to excel and have room for growth in terms of academics.

According to U.S News, the United States has ranked top with the best colleges and best graduate schools.

Private Schools in the United States

The statistics provided below show the characteristics of students enrolled in the nation’s schools in October 2018. This is according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Approximately 10.9 million families with children at educational level grades K-12 have annual incomes of approximately $75,000 or more.
• 87 percent of these families have children who attend public schools, and about 11 percent have children who attend private schools (Average Private School Tuition Statistics).
• On average, private schools are fewer in number compared to public schools.
• Private schools typically have smaller enrollments, with an average of around 166 students, while the average public school has about 526 students.

Facts You Should Know About Private Schools

Unlike public or government schools, private organizations run private schools. They have different curricular standards since they don’t receive funds from the government, and they don’t take part in running the school.

• The U.S. currently has about 19,329 private schools.
• These schools enroll around 5.7 million students, which is approximately 10% to 11.8% of the total school-age population in the country.
• The percentage of the enrolled school-age population in Washington state’s private schools has increased significantly, with recent data showing a notable rise in enrollment.
• In Wyoming, about 3% of the school-age population is enrolled in private schools.

Private schools, total enrollment, and data by state

Reasons why you should study in the U.S:

College is a pathway that leads to building a successful career. When thinking about which college is suitable, many probably prefer studying in the U.S.

Before you choose a college, ask yourself these question:

• Should I choose to attend a public or private university?
• Is a private university worthwhile when it comes to the additional cost
• What are the advantages of seeking a college degree in the US when building a career?

Sources:

• https://ballotpedia.org/Number_of_schools_by_school_type_in_the_U.S.
• https://accounts.google.com/b/0/AddMailService
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• https://www.mastersportal.com/articles/1216/7-reasons-why-students-think-usa-is-the-holy-grail-of-higher-education.html
• https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis.html
• https://admissionsly.com/education-statistics/
• https://www.signatureprep.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjw9aiIBhA1EiwAJ_GTSpGS4chBtgZbUTfRlnNoeVFhwxIaY6d6CeCP5kGgWr5eEhKBkXipKRoCZSkQAvD_BwE
• https://www.speyerlegacyschool.org/
• https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/international-students-united-states-2020#:~:text=About%201.1%20million%20international%20students,(SY)%202019%2D20.&text=One%20in%20five%20of%20these,chose%20to%20defer%20their%20studies.
• https://www.idp.com/middleeast/study-in-usa/why-the-usa/?lang=en
• https://shorelight.com/student-stories/9-reasons-to-study-in-the-usa/
• https://ballotpedia.org/Private_school_participation_statistics