Veera Korhonen
Research expert covering United States data for society
Elementary schools in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
Elementary, or primary education, customarily refers to the first six years of formal education received in schools in the United States. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there were about 88,909 elementary schools operating in the United States between 2019 and 2020; both private and public.
In 2022, school enrollment in public and private elementary schools was generally higher than in other education institutions in the U.S., including nursery schools, kindergartens, and high schools. However, while public elementary schools had higher enrollment numbers than public colleges in the U.S., there were slightly more students enrolled in private colleges than in private elementary schools in that year. Overall, there were about 29.35 million students enrolled in public elementary schools and 3.03 million students enrolled in private elementary schools in the United States.
In 2022, school enrollment in public and private elementary schools was generally higher than in other education institutions in the U.S., including nursery schools, kindergartens, and high schools. However, while public elementary schools had higher enrollment numbers than public colleges in the U.S., there were slightly more students enrolled in private colleges than in private elementary schools in that year. Overall, there were about 29.35 million students enrolled in public elementary schools and 3.03 million students enrolled in private elementary schools in the United States.
Education in elementary schools
The curriculum of the public school system in the U.S. is determined by local authorities under district or state control. Each state selects course texts and curriculum literature that reflect its learning standards. Different educational methods between states have their effects on how teaching and learning take place, resulting in inconsistencies nationwide. Thus, teachers play an important role in the overall quality of education. In the last few years, the number of teachers in elementary schools had been on a mostly upward trajectory in the U.S., having a positive impact on the teacher to pupil ratio. However, this ratio has been projected to decrease by 2031 for both public and private schools, suggesting that school enrollment may decline by a greater amount than the number of teachers in the future.Teaching in elementary schools in the U.S.
For those wishing to enter the teacher's profession, various benefits and a constantly improving work environment are offered. As of 2022, the average teachers' salary in the United States was one of the highest in the world. Teachers working in a public elementary school had an average salary of 92,222 U.S. dollars in the state of New York. Another positive aspect was the increasing expenditure on public and private elementary schools. Additionally, reports have shown that the expenditure per pupil in the United States has more than doubled since 1998.
