Sifter

Leave it to the U.S. Census Bureau to keep track of anything and everything school-related. From kindergarten enrollment figures to college costs, the government has got your number.

60 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in nursery school, up 6 percent from 1964

65 percent of kindergarteners attend all-day, up 20 percent from 30 years ago

54.6 million students enrolled in K-12 schools this fall, more than in the baby boomer era

Even so, the number of elementary school-age children decreased 381,000 between 2003 and 2004. At the same time, the high school-age population increased by 329,000

The national average for per-pupil spending in 2003 was $8,019. The Chico Unified School District spent $6,798, close to the California figure.

12 percent of K-12 students attend private schools.

29 million students participate in the national school lunch program

64 percent of the 2003 graduating class went directly to college

37 percent of college students are 25 or older

At $56,300 a year, California’s teachers have the highest average annual salary in the nation, with the national average being $45,900.

The average college tuition at four-year public institutions is $10,660 a year, twice what it was in 1990

Average annual earnings for someone with an advanced degree is $74,602, with bachelor’s degree is $51,206, with a high school diploma is $27,915 and with no diploma is $18,734