White Kids Are Now Less Than Half of All Students Enrolled in American Schools, Latino Numbers Surging
White students now make up less than half of all kids enrolled in American schools from pre-K through graduate programs, according to new Census Bureau data.
The shift represents a significant demographic change in the nation’s education system.
According to a report from Axios, as of October 2024, white non-Hispanic, non-multiracial students account for 48.8 percent of total enrollment across public, private, and homeschool settings.
This marks a decline from 46.7 million white students in 2000 to 36.6 million in 2024.
Latino enrollment has grown sharply over the same period.
In 2000, there were 10.2 million Latino students.
By 2024, that number had risen to 18.4 million, making Latinos the second-largest group at 24.4 percent of total students.
The demographic change is most visible in early childhood and K-12 education.
White non-Hispanic children make up around 47 percent of students in nurseries and kindergartens, and 48 percent in elementary and high schools.
In higher education, white students still hold a slim majority at 51.1 percent, though this is expected to continue declining as more diverse K-12 students move through the system.
The report did not state how many of the rising Latino population are illegal migrants.