Back to school, by the numbers
Published 7:24 am Wednesday, September 13, 2017
United States Census Bureau
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.
Back-to-School Shopping
$8.5 billion
The estimated sales at family clothing stores in August 2016. The sales at bookstores in August 2016 were estimated at $1.6 billion.
$1.6 billion
The estimated sales at bookstores in August 2016. The sales at office supply and stationery stores in August 2016 were estimated at $1.5 billion.
28,910
The number of family clothing stores in 2015. For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments were plenty. In 2015, there were 7,185 children and infants clothing stores; 25,027 shoe stores; 6,475 office supply and stationery stores; 6,870 bookstores; and 7,885 department stores.
$3.2 billion
The third quarter 2016 after tax profit estimates for apparel and leather product manufacturing corporations, up $1.6 billion from after tax profits in the second quarter of 2016.
$12.8 million
The dollar value of U.S. imports of rubber erasers in 2016. The U.S. imported the majority of these rubber erasers, $9.2 million, from China.
$2.3 million
The dollar value of U.S. exports of rubber erasers in 2016. Most of these U.S. exports of rubber erasers, $1.0 million, went to Mexico.
$247.7 million
The dollar value of U.S. imports of binders and folders in 2016. More than half of these imports, $139.0 million, came from China.
$35.0 million
The dollar value of U.S. exports of binders and folders in 2016. The majority of these exports of binders and folders, $24.1 million, went to Canada.
Students
77.1 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2015 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.3 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Schools
$89.4 billion
The estimated dollar value of private and public educational construction in 2016.
Pre-K through 12 Enrollment
48.5 million
Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2014.
$11,392
The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems in the United States in 2015.
73.5%
The percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as of October 2015.
26.0%
The percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2015.
Languages
11.9 million
The number of school-age children (ages 5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home; 8.6 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.