Education Statistics from the Census Bureau
The U.S. Census Bureau does far more than count people. At the beginning of each school year, it releases a report highlighting interesting statistics related to students and teachers compiled by the Bureau. Here are a few of the facts we found of interest:
·
$7.5 billion was spent at family clothing stores in August 2007
(presumably for “back to school”). This represents a 25% increase from 2004.
Only during the holiday shopping season were sales higher. Book sales were also
brisk in August 2007, totaling
$2.3 billion.
· Approximately 56% of three- and four-year-olds were enrolled in preschool, up tenfold from 6% in 1964.
· 72% of kindergarten students are enrolled in full-day programs, up from 20% in 1974.
· Nationally, 41% of elementary and high school students are minorities, which compares to 21% in 1970.
· The nation produced 9.3 billion pounds of apples in 2007, down from 9.9 billion in 2006.
· The average annual salary of public school teachers in California was $59,825 as of the 2005-06 school year—the highest of any state. Teachers in South Dakota received the lowest pay—$34,709. The national average was $49,026. Nationally, high school principals earned on average $92,965 annually in 2006-07.
· It pays to stay in school. The average annual earnings of workers age 18 and over with an advanced degree was $82,320. This compares to $56,788 a year for those with bachelor’s degrees, $31,071 for those with a high school diploma only, and $20,873 for those without a high school diploma.
· The cost of college has more than doubled since 1990. Average tuition, room, and board for instate students at public four-year colleges and universities is $14,203 and at private colleges and universities, $38,400.
—Jannelle Kubinec