National Center for Educational statistics: The Condition of Education 2016

“This year’s Condition shows that 91 percent of young adults ages 25 to 29 had a high school diploma or its equivalent in 2015, and that 36 percent had a bachelor’s or higher degree. Median earnings continued to be higher for 25- to 34-year-olds with higher levels of education in 2014, and in 2015, the employment rate was generally higher for those with higher levels of education. Student enrollment patterns in preprimary and K–12 education have varied over time. The percentages of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in preprimary programs in 2014 (43 and 66 percent, respectively) were higher than the percentages enrolled in 1990 (33 and 56 percent, respectively), but these percentages have not changed much in recent years. In the fall of 2013, total public school enrollment was at 50.0 million students, an increase of 3 percent from the fall of 2003. During this period, the number of White students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools decreased from 28.4 million to 25.2 million, and the percentage of students who were White decreased from 59 to 50 percent. The percentage of White students in public schools is projected to continue to decline as the enrollments of Hispanic students and Asian/Pacific Islander students increase. In addition, over 2.5 million students were enrolled in charter schools in the fall of 2013; enrollment in these schools has increased from the fall of 2003, when it was just under 1 million students. Students who are English language learners (ELL) are making up a growing share of public school students. In 2013–14, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese were the most common languages spoken by ELL students. Another aspect of the landscape of schools is the percentage of schools that are considered high poverty. In the fall of 2013, high-poverty schools accounted for 25 percent of all public schools. In that year, 24 percent of traditional public schools were high poverty, compared with 39 percent of charter schools. In terms of school climate and safety, rates of school crime against students have declined significantly over the last two decades. Schools have also implemented more safety and security procedures in recent years.”