U.S. School Enrollment Beats 1970 Baby Boom Record

In 2003 a record 49.5 million students were enrolled in elementary and high school in the United States. Thus, 2003 beat the all-time record high school enrollment record of 48.7 million set in 1970 when the baby boomers were in school. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, after peaking in 1970, total elementary and high school enrollment fell during the 1970s and early 1980s. An increase in births in the late 1980s along with immigration have contributed to the growth of the student population in elementary and high schools. In 2003, more than 1-in-5 students had at least one foreign-born parent.