Back to School By The Numbers: Thursday

Editor's Note: Back To School is a five-part series in which Roseville Patch will provide the latest statistics from the US Census Bureau.

Number of college degrees expected to be conferred in the 2011-12 school year.

Average cost of tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at four-year public and private (respectively) colleges and universities in 2008-09. Both figures are more than double the cost in 1990.

Average starting salary offered to bachelor's degree candidates in petroleum engineering in 2009, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end of the spectrum were those majoring in a social science, who were offered an average of $36,217.

The average per-pupil expenditure on public elementary and secondary education nationally in 2009. New York ($18,126) spent the most, followed by the District of Columbia ($16,408), New Jersey ($16,271) and Alaska ($15,552). Utah ($6,356) spent the least per student, followed by Idaho ($7,092) and Arizona ($7,813).

Among K-12 students, the percentage with a parent or other household member who attended a general school or PTO/PTA meeting during the 2006-07 school year.