The Peorian

Fri03292024

Last updateMon, 15 Jun 2020 10pm

Back You are here: Home News News Money By the numbers: Back to School

By the numbers: Back to School

census logo
Log in to save this page.

Summertime is winding down and vacations are coming to an end, signaling that 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 ofFacts for Featureshighlights the many statistics associated with the return to classrooms by our nation's students and teachers.

Back-to-School Shopping

$8.8billion: The estimated sales at family clothing stores inAugust 2015. The sales at bookstores inAugust 2015were estimated at$1.6 billion.
Source: Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services

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.
Source: 2014 County Business Patterns, NAICS: 448140, 448130, 448210, 453210, 451211, 45211

$83.5billion: The estimated dollar value of private and public educational construction in 2015.
Source: Value of Construction Put in Place Survey

$2.9billion: The third quarter 2015 after tax profit estimates for apparel and leather product manufacturing corporations, up$1.2 billionfrom after tax profits in the second quarter of 2015.
Source: Quarterly Financial Report

$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 fromChina.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 4016920000

$2.6 million: The dollar value of rubber erasers exported in 2015.Mexicowas the leading customer, purchasing$1.5 million worth.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 4016920000

$256.9 million: The dollar value of binders and folders imported in 2015.Chinawas the principal importer, importing a value of$128.9 million.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 482030 

$41.5 million: The dollar value of binders and folders exported in 2015.Canadawas the majority exporter, purchasing more than any other country,$28.5 million.
Source: International Trade Statistics, Harmonized Code: 482030

STUDENTS

77.2 million: The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country inOctober 2014— from nursery school to college. They comprised 25.6 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1

Pre-K through 12 Enrollment

48.3 million: Fall enrollment for elementary and secondary public school systems in 2013. 
Source: Public Elementary-Secondary School System Finances by Enrollment-Size Groups: Fiscal Year 2014, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances  

$11,009: The amount of current spending per pupil for elementary and secondary public school systems inthe United Statesin 2014. 
Source: Per Pupil Amounts for Current Spending of Public Elementary-Secondary School Systems by State: Fiscal Year 2014,United States, States, 2014 Annual Survey of School System Finances     

79.3%: The percentage of children 3 to 6 years old who were enrolled in school as ofOctober 2014.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 3 

80.5%: The percentage of children ages 3 to 6 enrolled in kindergarten who attended all day, as ofOctober 2014.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 3 

25.6%: The percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2014. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1  

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.
Source: 2014 American Community Survey 

Colleges

4,688: The number of colleges, universities and professional schools inthe United Statesin 2014. There were 1,083 junior colleges.
Source: 2014 County Business Patterns

14.7%: The percentage of college and graduate school students age 35 and older inOctober 2014. They made up 34.5 percent of those attending school part time. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 5  

40.0%: The percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college or graduate school in 2014. 
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students:October 2014, Table 1  

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.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A

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.
Source: School Enrollment and Work Status: 2011, Appendix Table 1-A

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).
Source: 2014 American Community Survey

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.
Source: 2012 American Community Survey

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$31,288average earnings.
Source: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014, Table PINC-04