Earlier this month, my wife and I experienced another milestone–our youngest child entered kindergarten. All three of our kiddos are officially enrolled in school. Thankfully, the transition has been great for everyone.
Since students across the United States have recently returned to classes, I thought it would be most appropriate to share with you some of the stats regarding the numbers of students in this country. You may find the original source of this information HERE from the Census Bureau.
It is my hope and prayer that these figures will lead you to prayer, reflection, and action regarding the advancement of the good news of Jesus among the students in your churches, communities, and across the country. The students of today are some of (and will continue to be) the most influential people in the world. They are another Great Commission powerhouse–but do we and our churches realize it?
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77 million
The number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2009 — from nursery school to college. They comprised 27 percent of the entire population age 3 and older.
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55.5 million
The projected number of students to be enrolled in the nation’s elementary through high schools (pre-kindergarten – 12th grade) this fall.
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43%
Percentage of elementary through high school students who belonged to a minority population as of October 2009.
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23%
Percentage of elementary through high school students who had at least one foreign-born parent in October 2009.
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11.2 million
Number of school-age children (5 to 17) who spoke a language other than English at home in 2009; 8 million of these children spoke Spanish at home.
College
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19.7 million
The projected number of students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this fall. This is up from 14.4 million 20 years ago.
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16%
Percentage of all college students 35 and older in October 2009. They made up 37 percent of those attending school part time.
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50%
Percentage of 18- and 19-year-olds enrolled in college in 2009.
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56%
Percentage of college students who were women in October 2009.
Graduates
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3.2 million
Projected number of high school diplomas that will be awarded in the 2011-12 school year.
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3.4 million
Number of college degrees expected to be conferred in the 2011-12 school year.
For previous posts on the topic of students:
Students and Global Evangelization
International Students in the United States
Why I am Pro-Collegiate Church Planting
What about you? Do you and your church see the potential of your students? If so, what is being done to prepare them for being on mission in a global marketplace?
What about the students living in your community and are not in the Kingdom? What is being done to share the goodness of God with them?
