Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics: 2007
Digest of Education Statistics: 2007

NCES 2008-022
March 2008

 Download Excel Excel format (36KB)


Table 60. Public elementary and secondary pupil/teacher ratios, by enrollment size, type, and level of school: Fall 1987 through fall 2005
Enrollment size, type, and level of school 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
All schools 17.9 17.9 17.9 17.4 17.6 17.7 17.8 17.7 17.8 17.6 17.2 16.9 16.6 16.4 16.3 16.2 16.4 16.2 16.0
                                       
Enrollment size of school                                      
Under 300 14.6 14.8 14.6 14.0 14.1 14.1 14.3 14.1 14.1 14.0 13.7 13.6 13.3 13.1 12.9 12.8 13.0 12.8 12.7
300 to 499 17.6 17.7 17.6 17.0 17.1 17.0 17.3 17.2 17.1 16.9 16.5 16.2 15.8 15.5 15.4 15.3 15.5 15.2 15.0
500 to 999 18.5 18.4 18.5 18.0 18.1 18.1 18.2 18.1 18.2 17.9 17.5 17.1 16.8 16.7 16.5 16.5 16.6 16.4 16.2
1,000 to 1,499 18.5 18.3 18.5 17.9 18.2 18.6 18.5 18.6 18.7 18.5 18.1 17.7 17.6 17.4 17.4 17.4 17.6 17.3 16.9
1,500 or more 19.4 20.1 19.4 19.2 19.6 20.0 19.7 19.9 20.0 20.0 19.7 19.3 19.3 19.1 19.0 18.9 19.2 19.1 18.8
                                       
Type                                      
Regular schools 18.1 18.0 18.1 17.6 17.7 17.8 17.9 17.8 17.9 17.7 17.3 17.0 16.7 16.5 16.4 16.3 16.5 16.3 16.1
Alternative 16.0 14.8 16.0 14.2 15.8 16.5 17.4 18.0 16.6 16.6 16.5 16.4 15.8 15.2 14.9 14.9 15.0 14.4 14.0
Special education 6.2 6.9 6.2 6.5 6.8 7.0 7.4 6.9 7.2 7.4 7.6 7.3 7.2 7.0 6.4 7.0 7.3 7.4 6.2
Vocational 13.0 13.0 13.0 12.3 13.0 13.1 12.9 12.7 12.9 12.9 13.1 13.0 12.7 12.7 9.9 10.3 11.5 12.0
                                       
Level and size                                      
Elementary schools 18.6 18.6 18.6 18.1 18.2 18.1 18.2 18.0 18.1 17.8 17.4 17.0 16.7 16.5 16.3 16.2 16.3 16.0 15.8
Regular 18.7 18.7 18.7 18.2 18.2 18.1 18.3 18.0 18.1 17.9 17.4 17.0 16.7 16.5 16.3 16.2 16.3 16.0 15.8
Under 300 16.6 16.7 16.6 16.0 16.1 15.9 16.0 15.7 15.7 15.6 15.3 15.1 14.6 14.4 14.1 13.9 14.0 13.7 13.6
300 to 499 18.3 18.3 18.3 17.6 17.6 17.5 17.7 17.5 17.5 17.2 16.8 16.4 16.1 15.8 15.6 15.5 15.6 15.3 15.2
500 to 999 19.4 19.4 19.4 18.8 18.8 18.7 18.8 18.5 18.6 18.3 17.8 17.4 17.1 16.9 16.8 16.7 16.8 16.5 16.3
1,000 to 1,499 20.1 20.0 20.1 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.7 19.6 19.7 19.4 18.8 18.4 18.3 18.1 18.0 18.0 18.1 17.7 17.2
1,500 or more 19.5 18.9 19.5 19.9 20.9 20.3 21.2 20.4 20.9 21.2 20.7 19.9 20.0 20.5 20.2 20.3 20.8 20.5 19.6
                                       
Secondary schools 17.2 17.2 17.2 16.6 16.9 17.3 17.3 17.5 17.6 17.5 17.3 17.0 16.8 16.6 16.6 16.7 16.9 16.8 16.6
Regular 17.3 17.1 17.3 16.7 17.0 17.4 17.4 17.6 17.7 17.6 17.4 17.1 16.9 16.7 16.7 16.8 17.0 16.9 16.8
Under 300 12.4 12.7 12.4 12.3 12.3 12.3 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.7 12.5 12.5 12.0 12.0 11.9 12.0 12.3 12.0 12.2
300 to 499 15.5 15.4 15.5 14.9 15.1 15.3 15.5 15.7 15.7 15.5 15.3 15.1 14.6 14.5 14.4 14.4 14.7 14.7 14.6
500 to 999 16.8 16.6 16.8 16.1 16.4 16.7 16.7 16.8 16.9 16.7 16.4 16.2 16.0 15.8 15.7 15.8 16.0 15.9 15.8
1,000 to 1,499 17.9 17.7 17.9 17.2 17.5 17.9 17.8 17.9 18.0 17.9 17.5 17.2 17.1 16.8 16.8 16.9 17.2 17.0 16.8
1,500 or more 19.5 19.5 19.5 19.3 19.6 20.0 19.6 19.9 20.0 20.0 19.7 19.3 19.2 18.9 18.8 18.8 19.0 19.0 18.8
                                       
Combined schools 15.5 15.9 15.5 14.5 15.0 14.8 15.3 15.1 15.0 14.7 14.4 13.4 13.4 13.7 13.4 13.5 13.8 13.9 14.1
Under 300 9.5 9.8 9.5 8.9 9.3 9.3 9.6 9.3 9.0 8.7 8.6 8.9 9.1 9.2 9.1 9.1 9.5 9.2 9.5
300 to 499 14.4 15.3 14.4 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.8 14.4 14.7 14.3 14.0 13.6 13.8 13.5 13.1 13.1 14.4 13.4 13.9
500 to 999 17.6 17.1 17.6 16.3 16.7 15.6 16.5 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.2 15.5 14.9 15.8 15.6 16.0 15.4 15.8 15.9
1,000 to 1,499 19.0 18.5 19.0 17.8 17.9 18.6 18.6 18.3 18.2 18.4 18.0 16.9 16.9 17.5 18.1 17.7 17.5 17.4 16.4
1,500 or more 18.8 18.8 18.8 17.7 18.6 18.9 18.8 19.5 19.6 19.3 19.3 18.7 19.2 18.6 18.9 19.1 19.2 18.7 20.0
                                       
Ungraded 5.9 6.8 5.9 6.4 6.5 6.9 7.1 6.7 6.9 5.9 6.2 5.9 5.3 7.0 6.3 6.8 9.6 8.0 7.7
— Not available.
NOTE: Pupil/teacher ratios are based on data reported by types of schools rather than by instructional programs within schools. Only includes schools that reported both enrollment and teacher data. Ratios are based on data reported by schools and may differ from data reported in other tables that reflect aggregate totals reported by states.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Com­mon Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," 1987-88 through 2005-06. (This table was prepared July 2007.)

 Download Excel Excel format (36KB)