PreK-12 Enrollment Trends - Market Research, Industry Trends, Market Share

PreK-12 Enrollment & Demographics, 2020-2021 provides an overview and examines PreK-12 enrollment trends and demographics in the U.S. The main source of the compiled data is the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, generally thought to be the most authoritative source for data of this type. However, because of the time lag before NCES updates data, additional information has been drawn from other respected sources, including the Cato Institute, the Council for American Private Education, EducationSuperHighway, Homeschool.com, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the National Catholic Educational Association, the National Center for Homeless Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado Boulder and the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.

It is difficult to predict how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact PreK-12 enrollment and demographics over time. One early change likely will be a reduction in the number of private schools, as institutions already facing financial challenges may close and parents may find it harder to pay tuition. Meanwhile, virtual school operators are starting conversations with states that have not been interested before but now may partner to offer a virtual school. Generally, online and blended learning options likely will get new consideration at the state, local and family levels.

There may be a larger market for products that can remediate learning gaps and address standards across multiple grade levels. That is because there are early indications that many students are falling behind where they would have progressed to if schools had not closed. Socioeconomic gaps likely will widen as students that did not have access to computers, reliable connectivity and productive instruction fall further behind their better situated schoolmates.

Simba Information presents the most recent information available on how many school districts and how many schools there are in the U.S., including how many public schools are charter schools. There is public and private school enrollment data, broken down by elementary and secondary school. Data on charter school enrollment are broken out, with trends over time shown. Information also is provided on the number of students being homeschooled and the number of students being educated at virtual and blended schools.

Additional information is provided on subgroups of students, including English-language learners, students in poverty and students with disabilities.