U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Features: Back to School: 2015-2016

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Sep 02, 2015, 02:54 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Summertime is winding down and vacations are coming to an end, signaling that back-to-school time is here. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate — catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan newspapers and websites looking for sales on a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This edition of Facts for Features highlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation's students and teachers.

Summertime is winding down and vacations are ending, signaling back-to-school time. It's a time that many children eagerly anticipate - catching up with old friends and making new ones, and settling into a new daily routine. Parents and children alike scan newspapers and websites looking for sales on a multitude of school supplies and the latest clothing fads and essentials. This Facts for Features highlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by students and teachers.

Back-to-School Shopping

$8.2 billion
The estimated amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2014. Sales at bookstores in August 2014 were estimated at $1.6 billion.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services
http://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/excel/mrtssales92-present.xls

For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments abound: In 2013, there were 27,340 family clothing stores, 7,047 children and infants clothing stores, 25,100 shoe stores 6,998 office supply and stationery stores, 7,064 bookstores and 8,102 department stores.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 County Business Patterns, NAICS: 448140, 448130, 448210, 453210, 451211, 45211
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2013/00A1//naics~44813|44814|448210|451211|4521|453210

Students

78 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2013 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.9 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 1
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

Pre-K through 12 Enrollment

48,299,727
Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2012.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Public Elementary-Secondary School System Finances by Enrollment-Size Groups: Fiscal Year 2013- 2013 Annual Survey of School System Finances
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SSF/2013/SSF013

$10,700
The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems in the United States in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: Fiscal Year 2013 – United States – States – 2013 Annual Survey of School System Finances
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SSF/2013/SSF008.US01

75%
Percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as of October 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 3
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

77%
Percentage of children ages 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 3
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

25%
Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 1
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

Languages

12 million
Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home; 8.5 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/B16004

Colleges

4,605
The number of colleges, universities and professional schools in the United States in 2013. There were 1,006 junior colleges.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 County Business Patterns
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/BP/2013/00A1//naics~ALL-6112|ALL-6113

15%
Percentage of college and graduate school students 35 and older in October 2013. They made up 33 percent of those attending school part time.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 5
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

40%
Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college or graduate school in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2013, Table 1
http://www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html

Work Status

52%
Percentage of students enrolled in college who worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 20 percent worked full time, year-round.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-14.pdf

3.1 million
Number of enrolled high school students who worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 146,000 students in high school worked full time, year-round.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acsbr11-14.pdf

Field of Degree

12.8 million
Number of people age 25 and over who held a bachelor's degree in business in 2013. Business degrees were reported by 20.5 percent of the population with a bachelor's degree, followed by education (13.2 percent); science and engineering related fields (9.1 percent); engineering (7.8 percent); social sciences (7.7 percent); biological, agricultural and environmental sciences (6.1 percent); and liberal arts and history (5.1 percent).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/B15010

74%
Percentage of those in 2012 who had a bachelor's degree in science, technology, engineering or math — commonly referred to as STEM — and were not employed in STEM occupations.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2014/cb14-130.html

Rewards of Staying in School

$82,720
Average earnings of full-time, year-round workers 18 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2012. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor's had mean earnings of $70,432. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma (includes GED certificate) was $41,248, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had $26,679 average earnings.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, Series
P60-245 http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/cpstables/032013/perinc/pinc04_000.htm

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:

African-American History Month (February)
Super Bowl
Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)
Women's History Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
Earth Day (April 22)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
Older Americans Month (May)
Mother's Day
Hurricane Season Begins (June 1)
Father's Day
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
Back to School (August)
Labor Day
Grandparents Day
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Unmarried and Single Americans Week
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day
The Holiday Season (December)

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines.

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