Back to School by the Numbers
From the U.S. Census Bureau
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Back-to-School Shopping
$8.8 billion
The estimated sales at family clothing stores in August 2015. The sales at bookstores in August 2015 were estimated at $1.6 billion.
28,138
The number of family clothing stores in 2014. For back-to-school shopping, choices of retail establishments were plenty: In 2014, there were 7,351 children and infants clothing stores; 25,214 shoe stores; 6,823 office supply and stationery stores; 6,888 bookstores; and 7,898 department stores.
$83.5 billion
The estimated dollar value of private and public educational construction in 2015.
$2.9 billion
The third quarter 2015 after tax profit estimates for apparel and leather product manufacturing corporations, up $1.2 billion from after tax profits in the second quarter of 2015.
$17.7 million
In 2015, the dollar value of U.S. imports of rubber erasers. The majority of this amount ($10.3 million) was for rubber erasers imported from China.
$2.6 million
The dollar value of rubber erasers exported in 2015. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $1.5 million worth.
$256.9 million
The dollar value of binders and folders imported in 2015. China was the principal importer, importing a value of $128.9 million.
$41.5 million
The dollar value of binders and folders exported in 2015. Canada was the majority exporter, purchasing more than any other country, $28.5 million.
Students
77.2 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2014 ? from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.6 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Pre-K through 12 Enrollment
48.3 million
Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2013.
$11,009
The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems in the United States in 2014.
79.3%
The percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as of October 2014.
80.5%
The percentage of children ages 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as of October 2014.
25.6%
The percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2014.
Languages
11.8 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.
Colleges
4,688
The number of colleges, universities and professional schools in the United States in 2014. There were 1,083 junior colleges.
14.7%
The percentage of college and graduate school students age 35 and older in October 2014. They made up 34.5 percent of those attending school part time.
40.0%
The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college or graduate school in 2014.
Work Status
52.1%
The percentage of students enrolled in college who worked less than full time, year-round in 2011; 20 percent worked full time, year-round.
3.1 million
The 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.
Field of Degree
13.1 million
The number of people age 25 and over who held a bachelor?s degree in business in 2014. Business degrees were reported by 20.4 percent of the population with a bachelor?s degree, followed by education (13.0 percent); science and engineering related fields (9.2 percent); engineering (7.8 percent); social sciences (7.7 percent); biological, agricultural and environmental sciences (6.1 percent); and liberal arts and history (5.0 percent).
74.3%
The 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.
Rewards of Staying in School
$83,417
Average earnings of full-time, year-round workers age 18 and older with a bachelor?s degree or higher in 2014. Workers whose highest degree was a bachelor?s had mean earnings of $72,896. Mean earnings for full-time, year-round workers with a high school diploma (includes GED certificate) was $42,094, while workers with less than a ninth grade education had $31,288 average earnings.
