Education articles
Get unbiased data and visuals on K-12 students and teachers, education spending, student debt, and higher education.
Who are the nation's teachers? Key insights in five charts
Pre-K-12 teachers made up 3.4% of the workforce in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Demographically, teachers are more likely to be white, a woman, and in their 40s. These patterns vary somewhat by school level but are true across the teaching profession overall. Here’s a snapshot of the nation’s teachers. How old are the nation’s teachers?In 2022, teachers ages 30 to 49 made up over half the teaching workforce. Teachers in their 40s made up most of the teaching pool (26.1%), followed closely by those in their 30s at 25.4%.
Jun 2, 2025How much do teachers get paid in the US?
About $63,000 per year in 2024. That’s the median annual wage for pre-K-12 teachers across the United States, based on estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median marks the middle point—half of teachers earn more and half earn less. The lowest-paid 10% earned $46,800 or less, while the highest-paid 10% earned $102,000 or more.
How universities spend billions in government funds
Aside from student financial aid, the federal government funds universities with grants and contracts. One major way universities use this funding is for research and development (R&D). In FY 2023, federal dollars supported $59.6 billion of university R&D expenses. The fields that received the most funding in 2023 were life sciences and engineering. Life sciences programs, the study of the nature and function of living things, received $33.9 billion, or 56.9% of federal grant and contract funding. Enginering applies math and physics to solve practical problems by designing, building, and improving structures, systems, and processes. Engineering R&D received $10.9 billion, or 18.3% of federal funding.
May 6, 2025Are math and reading scores increasing?
Falling reading scores for fourth and eighth graders since the COVID-19 pandemic continued dropping in 2024, while math scores showed little or no improvement. Scores for both age groups in both subjects remain below pre-pandemic levels. The Nation’s Report Card, or the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), tracks student progress in school subjects like math and reading at both public and private schools. The 2024 assessment examined the math and reading progress of more than 108,000 fourth graders and 111,000 eighth graders. The report scores performance on a scale of 0 to 500.
Apr 17, 2025What does the Department of Education do?
The Department of Education (Education Department, ED) is a cabinet-level executive branch agency responsible for overseeing education policy and administering funding for programs and individuals. The department's functions include supporting state and local education systems, promoting educational equity for all students, and providing grants and loans to higher education institutions and students. It was established in 1980 after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was reorganized into separate entities.
Updates annuallyHow does the federal government support education?
Despite having “education” in its title, the Department of Education (ED) is just one federal entity supporting students (of all ages, we should add). Other agencies, including the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and even the VA, support students, primarily with funding or specialized programs. What does the Department of Education do? What doesn’t it do? According to the Education Department, education is primarily a local and state responsibility rather than a federal one. The department does not mandate curriculum and is prohibited by Congress from doing so. The department is also fairly hands-off when it comes to elementary and secondary education, which are mostly funded by local governments. Meanwhile, state governments support higher education. But the Education Department does supplement funding for K-12 students, college students, and other adults through grants and program funding.
Feb 28, 2025What percentage of public school funding in the US comes from the federal government?
About 13.7% or one in every seven dollars of public school funding during the 2021–22 school year. Local and state governments typically provide most school district funding, with the federal government providing the rest. Federal sources provide as little as 0% and as much as 75% of funding, depending on the district. Federal funding depends on factors such as poverty levels and other student demographics, availability of state and local revenues, and whether a district is urban, suburban, or rural. During 2021–22, which is the latest year of data available, public schools received $124.9 billion, or $2,536 in federal funds per student.
Updates annuallyWhat is IES and what does it do?
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is the nonpartisan research, evaluation, and statistics office of the Department of Education. Its main functions are funding research to test new approaches to education, evaluating federal programs for educational effectiveness, and reporting data on how well the nation is educating its students. IES is the smallest component of the Education Department. The department requested $283.8 billion of its fiscal year 2025 budget; the institute accounted for 0.29% of that. In 2024, the Department of Education was the sixth highest-funded federal agency.
Feb 20, 2025What are the most common civil rights violations in education?
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a branch of the Department of Education charged with investigating claims of discrimination in schools and other programs the department funds, received a record-high 19,201 complaints in 2023. This was up 2% from 2022. The OCR enforces a range of civil rights laws, including Titles II, VI, and IX. Anyone can file a discrimination complaint, whether they were the victim themselves or are filing on behalf of someone else. What is a civil rights violation? A variety of civil rights laws, and in some cases, the US Constitution, protect Americans against discrimination based on protected categories: race, disability, religion, immigration or citizenship status, language and national origin, age, genetic identification, servicemember status, and familial status (which includes marital, parental, and pregnancy status). They protect people in settings including housing, healthcare, the workplace, public spaces, businesses, polling places — and education. Which civil rights laws does the Department of Education’s OCR enforce?The OCR responds to alleged violations of: Title VI, barring discrimination based on race, color, or national origin Title IX, barring discrimination based on sex Section 504 and Title II, barring discrimination based on disability Age Discrimination Act of 1975, barring discrimination based on age (does not include employment) Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act prohibiting access discrimination by school facilities In fiscal year 2023, 96% of complaints fell under three of these: Sex-based discrimination under Title IX (42.5%), disability-based discrimination under Section 504 and Title II (35.1%), and race, color, and national origin-based discrimination under Title VI (18.4%). The remaining four percent of complaints were related to age or equal access discrimination.
Feb 14, 2025What are schools doing to support teacher and staff mental health?
In March 2024, 15% of public schools nationwide reported that there were no mental health services available for teachers and staff. In other words, depending on the school, anywhere from one in ten to one in five have no mental health resources for employees.A survey cited by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) found that 84% of respondents said their workplace conditions contributed to a mental health challenge. HHS also highlights that supporting mental health can help prevent declines in workplace performance.
Feb 5, 2025What matters most to parents when choosing a school?
School choice policies and programs allow parents to select an educational setting for their children from among public, charter, magnet, and private schools, or to choose homeschooling. Enrollment in charter schools has been increasing since they were first introduced in the 1990s.A 2019 study by the Education Department highlighted the key factors parents consider when picking a school. About four in five parents \who considered switching their child’s school reported quality of teachers and staff to be “very important” to their decision.How many parents consider changing the school that their child attends?Thirty-five percent of the parents of K-12 students considered schools other than the one their child attended; this doubles to 72% for parents whose kids went to a nonreligious private school. Parents sending their kids to their assigned public schools were least likely to consider alternatives, at 30%.
Oct 16, 2024How do college and career courses vary across public schools?
Whether or not your local public high school offers college and career readiness courses depends on several factors, including its location in the country and the racial makeup of the student body.Advanced courses are most common in Northeast public schools: 89% of schools serving students in ninth grade or above offer such courses. Eighty-eight percent of public schools in the South and West offer career and technical education (CTE), higher than the 86% of schools nationwide.Both advanced academic courses and CTE programs are more commonly offered in schools where less than 25% of the student body are students of color.What are advanced courses?Advanced courses provide learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum. These courses include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), pre-AP, and dual enrollment, offering academic experiences similar to institutions of higher learning, in some cases translating to college credit.What is career and technical education?CTE instructs students in technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts. CTE programs offer high school students opportunities to develop both academic and technical skills for various job markets.How do college and career readiness programs vary across the US?Most US public high schools offer both advanced courses and CTE. However, the availability of each varies by region.According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 73% of public high schools reported offering some type of advanced course. As of January 2024, Northeast public schools had the highest percentage at 89%. The Midwest had the lowest: 69%. Southern public schools matched the national average, while 72% of Western public schools offered them.Meanwhile, 86% of public schools in the US offered CTE programs. Southern and Western schools offered CTE courses at the highest rate — 88% of public high schools. Schools in the Northeast were least likely to offer such programs, still 82% did so. Eighty-five percent of schools in the Midwest did.
Sep 6, 2024Who are school resource officers, and what do they do for school safety?
School resource officers (SROs) are law enforcement officers tasked with ensuring safety and preventing crime in schools.Like regular police officers, SROs can make arrests, respond to service calls, and document incidents within their jurisdiction.Additionally, SROs serve as educators, emergency managers, and mentors.A 2023 Justice Department report surveyed SROs in the 2019–2020 school year about actions they performed within 30 days prior to being surveyed.How many SROs are there?As of the 2019–2020 school year, there were 23,426 SROs in US schools. These officers aren’t employed by schools, but by local police departments (49.1% of SROs), sheriffs' offices (32.3%), and school district police departments (18.6%).According to the Department of Justice, “SRO candidates should be sworn law enforcement officers or deputies with at least three years’ work experience and an interest in developing positive, community-oriented relationships with youth and the school community.”About 69% of SROs reported that they had responded to an incident in a classroom within the past 30 days when surveyed during the 2019–2020 school year.What do SROs do? SROs perform various duties that can be categorized into investigative, enforcement, patrol and response, security, mentoring, and teaching activities.SROs have four major roles:Law enforcementSROs play a role in maintaining a secure environment within and around school premises. They strive to employ non-punitive approaches when interacting with students, reserving citations and arrests as a last resort, applicable only in narrowly defined circumstances.Informal counselorSROs serve as liaisons to community services that support the well-being of youth and their families.EducatorSROs help educate students on crime prevention, safety measures (such as school shooter drills), drug awareness, conflict resolution strategies, and insights into the legal system and law enforcement operations.Emergency managerSROs help develop and implement emergency preparedness policies and school safety plans. They collaborate with first responders during emergencies and sit on school threat assessment teams.Investigative activitiesSROs conduct various investigative activities within schools. Of the surveyed SROs, 54.4% conducted searches, such as locker inspections or pat downs of students, 54.6% interviewed students regarding safety issues without a parent or guardian present, and 58.7% interviewed students in the presence of a parent or guardian.
Aug 2, 2024Where are students moving to attend college?
Although college enrollment dipped during the pandemic, about 63% of recent high school graduates were enrolled in a college program for fall 2020. Where did that population of college enrollees attend school?It’s no surprise that states with the largest populations also have the most college students enrolled. College enrollment strongly correlates with the number of postsecondary universities in a state, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The more populated and geographically large a state is, the more capacity it has to enroll students.In fall 2020, six states enrolled more than 100,000 incoming college students. California, Texas, Florida, and New York had the most college students overall.
Apr 12, 2023Which states are the most educated?
Over the past decade, Americans have become more educated. The rate of residents receiving a high school diploma or GED is on an upward trend.In 2011, 28% of Americans had not graduated high school or received a GED – the same percentage that had received a bachelor’s degree or higher. As of 2021, 35% of Americans have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 26% of Americans without a high school diploma or GED.Data from the US Census Bureau’s American Communities Survey collects information on maximum educational attainment by age group, location and gender. The data used here highlights the maximum educational attainment of the population 25 and older.
May 14, 2023What does the Office of Postsecondary Education do?
The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) is a subdivision of the US Department of Education responsible for promoting and ensuring access to quality postsecondary education. The agency administers programs that support higher education institutions, provide financial assistance to students, and promote innovation and improvement in postsecondary education. It also works to ensure equal access to education and to foster educational excellence throughout the nation. It was established in 1980.
Updates annuallyHow did the US reach $1.6 trillion in student debt?
Forty-two million people, or one in six American adults, currently carry a federal student loan. The nation’s overall student debt reached $1.6 trillion in June 2019. What’s behind this large number?According to data from the Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2017, approximately 46% of all full-time, first-time undergraduate students had student loans. Students attending public institutions, which have lower tuition on average, were less likely to be awarded loans, whereas more than 60% of students at private for-profit and non-profit institutions were awarded loans.
Mar 15, 2021How often do teacher strikes happen?
In March 2023, nearly 30,000 public school employees went on a three-day strike in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). This was the most recent large-scale school strike in the US, and it impacted over half a million students. The strikers included teacher aides, bus drivers, custodians, administrators, and other school workers.However, strikes among school employees have become more frequent in the last few years. The LAUSD strike was the latest of 75 strikes over the past 30 years, with 27 happening since 2018. This figure includesall coordinated work stoppages involving 1,000 or more K-12 public school workers and lasting at least one day.Although the LAUSD strike was not carried out by non-teaching staff, teachers calling for better working conditions have led most of the recent strikes.Are teacher strikes becoming more common?In 2018, teachers helped cultivate a grassroots movement called Red for Ed. Across the country, teachers walked out of schools calling for better wages and resources. From 2018 to 2019, groups of 1,000 or more school employees launched 19 different strikes. This included a walkout in North Carolina of 123,000 employees, an 81,000-person walkout in Arizona, and a 63,000-person walkout in Colorado. Smaller walkouts not tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics also occurred across the nation.
Apr 5, 2023What role do schools play in addressing youth mental health?
Children and teens across America are struggling with their mental health, and the problem, including the amount of youth with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, is getting worse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Twenty-eight percent of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2011. In 2021, 42% of students reported these feelings. The percentage of male students experiencing these feelings increased from 21% in 2011 to 29% in 2021. For female students, percentages rose from 36% in 2011 to 57% in 2021, according to a 2021 CDC survey.Multiple government agencies have identified schools as important places of support when it comes to providing mental health resources to children and teens. So what resources do they offer, how equipped are they to offer this support, and what’s stopping them from doing more?Do schools need to address student mental health?In 2022, 76% of public schools reported an increase in staff “expressing concerns about student depression, anxiety, and other disturbances since the start of the pandemic.”This is according to a survey done in April 2022 by the Institute of Education Sciences, which conducts research on behalf of the Department of Education. The study represents a national sample of elementary, middle, high, and combined-grade public schools.The survey found that 69% of all public schools also reported an increase in the percentage of students seeking mental health services from school since the start of the pandemic. Schools in the suburbs and schools with more than 1,000 students reported the largest increases at 77% and 87%, respectively.How do schools address mental health?The most common mental health services provided by schools are individual-based intervention (84% of public schools), case management (69%), external referrals (66%), group-based intervention (56%), and a needs assessment (53%).Schools expanded mental health support efforts during the pandemic, the most common action taken being to encourage staff to address student social and emotional well-being and mental health. Schools also offered professional development opportunities to teachers on how to help struggling students.
Aug 10, 2023How many student immigrants come to the US and what countries do they come from?
About 2.6 million authorized immigrants entered the US in 2022, mostly with visas, rebounding after a nearly 40% decline from 2019 to 2021, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State.Work was the most common reason for immigration, accounting for 1.1 million or 41% of new immigrant arrivals that year.How many immigrants come to the US for school?School is the second most common reason new immigrants come to the US. In 2022, 701,945 people came to the US as students. This is comparable to 2019, when 728,739 students arrived.
Oct 31, 2023