Public High School Enrollment by Subject, 1889 - 1991
(percentage of students taking each subject)
| Year | Total 9-12 enrollment in thousands | General science | Biology | Chemistry | Physics | Physiology | Earth science | Algebra | General mathematics | Geometry | Trigonometry | Spanish | French | German | English | Latin | US and English history | Civics and government | Industrial subjects | Bookkeeping | Typewriting | Shorthand | Home economics | Agriculture | Physical education | Music | Art |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889-90 | 203 | 10.10 | 22.80 | 45.40 | 21.30 | 5.80 | 10.50 | 34.70 | 27.30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1899-00 | 519 | 7.70 | 19.00 | 27.40 | 29.80 | 56.30 | 27.40 | 1.90 | 7.80 | 14.30 | 38.50 | 50.60 | 38.20 | 21.70 | |||||||||||||
| 1909-10 | 915 | 1.10 | 6.90 | 14.60 | 15.30 | 21.00 | 56.90 | 30.90 | 1.90 | 0.70 | 9.90 | 23.70 | 57.10 | 49.00 | 55.00 | 15.60 | 3.80 | 4.70 | |||||||||
| 1914-15 | 1,562 | 6.90 | 7.40 | 14.20 | 9.50 | 15.30 | 48.80 | 26.50 | 1.50 | 2.70 | 8.80 | 24.40 | 58.40 | 37.30 | 50.50 | 15.70 | 11.20 | 3.40 | 12.90 | 7.20 | 31.50 | 22.90 | |||||
| 1921-22 | 2,873 | 18.30 | 8.80 | 7.40 | 8.90 | 5.10 | 4.50 | 40.20 | 12.40 | 22.70 | 1.50 | 11.30 | 15.50 | 0.60 | 76.70 | 27.50 | 18.20 | 19.30 | 13.70 | 12.60 | 13.10 | 8.90 | 14.30 | 5.10 | 5.70 | 25.30 | 14.70 |
| 1927-28 | 3,911 | 17.50 | 13.60 | 7.10 | 6.80 | 2.70 | 2.80 | 35.20 | 7.90 | 19.80 | 1.30 | 9.40 | 14.00 | 1.80 | 93.10 | 22.00 | 18.80 | 20.00 | 13.50 | 10.70 | 15.20 | 8.70 | 16.50 | 3.70 | 15.00 | 26.00 | 11.70 |
| 1933-34 | 5,669 | 17.80 | 14.60 | 7.60 | 6.30 | 1.80 | 1.70 | 30.40 | 7.40 | 17.10 | 1.30 | 6.20 | 10.90 | 2.40 | 90.50 | 16.00 | 17.80 | 16.40 | 21.00 | 9.90 | 16.70 | 9.00 | 16.70 | 3.60 | 50.70 | 25.50 | 8.70 |
| 1948-49 | 5,658 | 20.80 | 18.40 | 7.60 | 5.40 | 1.00 | 0.40 | 26.80 | 13.10 | 12.80 | 2.00 | 8.20 | 4.70 | 0.80 | 92.90 | 7.80 | 22.80 | 8.00 | 26.60 | 8.70 | 22.50 | 7.80 | 24.20 | 6.70 | 69.40 | 30.10 | 9.00 |
| 1954-55 | 6,574 | 20.00 | 7.50 | 4.70 | 25.30 | 12.30 | 12.50 | 2.60 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1958-50 | 8,258 | 19.60 | 20.80 | 8.10 | 4.70 | 29.90 | 12.70 | 13.40 | 2.70 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1960-61 | 8,821 | 22.20 | 21.70 | 9.10 | 4.90 | 0.80 | 0.90 | 28.60 | 17.40 | 13.80 | 3.00 | 9.80 | 8.00 | 1.70 | 94.60 | 7.80 | 24.30 | 9.50 | 28.00 | 7.70 | 23.10 | 6.70 | 23.10 | 6.20 | 73.70 | 28.00 | 19.30 |
| 1962-63 | 10,372 | 17.60 | 24.00 | 8.30 | 3.80 | 30.40 | 11.70 | 14.70 | 2.00 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1964-65 | 11,628 | 18.70 | 23.20 | 9.30 | 4.50 | 28.50 | 15.40 | 13.90 | 2.00 | 14.50 | 12.40 | 2.70 | |||||||||||||||
| Fall 1972 | 13,848 | 11.30 | 19.60 | 8.70 | 2.90 | 0.90 | 3.60 | 19.70 | 13.80 | 11.60 | 6.20 | 12.30 | 7.60 | 3.10 | 89.80 | 1.50 | 32.30 | 15.20 | 3.70 | 5.80 | 20.30 | 4.60 | 20.40 | 2.70 | 57.00 | 25.10 | 17.90 |
| Fall 1981 | 12,764 | 23.00 | 23.20 | 9.80 | 1.00 | 1.20 | 0.20 | 29.50 | 21.70 | 11.40 | 3.50 | 12.30 | 6.60 | 2.10 | 86.50 | 1.10 | 32.50 | 19.70 | 4.60 | 3.20 | 21.00 | 3.10 | 23.90 | 3.30 | 59.00 | 21.60 | 24.20 |
| Year | Total 9-12 enrollment in thousands | General science | Biology | Chemistry | Physics | Physiology | Earth science | Algebra | General mathematics | Geometry | Trigonometry | Spanish | French | German | English | Latin | US and English history | Civics and government | Industrial subjects | Bookkeeping | Typewriting | Shorthand | Home economics | Agriculture | Physical education | Music | Art |
Source: 120 Years of American Education: A Statistical Portrait, National Center for Education Statistics, Thomas D. Snyder, editor, p. 50.