National Center for Education Statistics in the context of "Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education"

Title 20 of the United States Code outlines the role of education in the United States Code.

• 20 U.S.C. ch. 1— Office of Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 2—Teaching of Agricultural, Trade, Home Economics, and Industrial Subjects
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 3—Smithsonian Institution, National Museums and Art Galleries
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 4—National Zoological Park
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 5—Government Collections and Institutions for Research, and Material for Educational Institutions
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 6—American Printing House for the Blind
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 6A—Vending Facilities for Blind in Federal Buildings
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 7—Instruction as to Nature and Effect of Alcoholic Drinks and Narcotics
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 8—Howard University
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 9—National Training School for Boys
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 10—National Training School for Girls
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 11—National Arboretum
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 12—Foreign and Exchange Students
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 13—Financial Assistance to Local Educational Agencies
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 14—School Construction in Areas Affected by Federal Activities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 15—Studies and Research On Problems in Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 16—Public Library Services and Construction
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 17—National Defense Education Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 18—Grants for Teaching in the Education of Handicapped Children
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 18A—Early Education Programs for Handicapped Children
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 19—School Construction in Areas Affected by Federal Activities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 20—Grants For Teaching in the Education by the Deaf
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 20A—National Technical Institute for the Deaf
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 20B—Gallaudet University
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 21—Higher Education Facilities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 22—National Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 23—Training and Fellowship Programs for Community Development
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 24—Grants for Educational Materials, Facilities and Services, and Strengthening of Educational Agencies
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 25—Pay and Personnel Program for Overseas Teachers
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 25A—Overseas Defense Dependents Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 26—Support and Scholarship in Humanities and Arts; Museum Services
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 26A—Indemnity For Exhibitions of Arts and Artifacts
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 27—National Vocational Student Loan Insurance
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 28—Higher Education Resources and Student Assistance
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 29—International Studies and Research
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 30—Basic Education for Adults
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 31—General Provisions Concerning Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 32—Vocational Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 33—Education of Individuals with Disabilities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 34—National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 35—Environmental Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 36—Emergency School Aid
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 37—Assignment or Transportation Of Students
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 38—Discrimination Based on Sex or Blindness
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 39—Equal Educational Opportunities and Transportation of Students
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 40—Consolidation of Education Programs
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 41—National Reading Improvement Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 42—Harry S Truman Memorial Scholarships
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 43—American Folklife Preservation
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 44—Vocational and Technical Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 45—Career Education and Career Development
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 46—Career Education Incentive
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 47—Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 48—Department of Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 49—Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 50—National Center for the Study of Afro-American History and Culture
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 51—Elementary and Secondary Education Block Grant
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 52—Education for Economic Security
  • Subchapter I - National Science Foundation Science and Engineering Education
  • Subchapter II - Education for Economic Security
  • Subchapter III - Partnerships in Education for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering
  • Subchapter IV - Presidential Awards for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics and Science
  • Subchapter V - Asbestos School Hazard Abatement
  • Subchapter VI - Excellence in Education Program
  • Subchapter VII - Magnet Schools Assistance
  • Subchapter VIII - Equal Access
  • Subchapter IX - Star Schools Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 53—Emergency Immigrant Education Assistance
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 54—Leadership in Educational Administration
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 55—Education of the Deaf
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 56—American Indian, Alaska Native, And Native Hawaiian Culture and Art Development
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 57—James Madison Memorial Fellowship Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 58—Drug-Free Schools and Communities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 59—Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 60—Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 61—Education for Native Hawaiians
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 62—Education and Training for American Competitiveness
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 63—Eisenhower Exchange Fellowship Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 64—Excellence in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 65—National Environmental Education
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 66—Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 67—Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 68—National Education Reform
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 69—School-To-Work Opportunities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 70—Strengthening and Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Schools
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 71—National Education Statistics
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 72—Museum and Library Services
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 73—Adult Education and Literacy
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 74—Troops-To-Teachers Program
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 75—Early Learning Opportunities
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 76—Education Research, Statistics, Evaluation, Information, and Dissemination
• 20 U.S.C. ch. 77—Financial Literacy and Education Improvement

In the United States, elementary schools are the main point of delivery for primary education, teaching children between the ages of 5–10 (sometimes 4-10 or 4-12) and coming between pre-kindergarten and secondary education.

In 2017, there were 106,147 elementary schools (73,686 public, 32,461 private) in the United States, a figure which includes all schools that teach students from first grade through eighth grade. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 2020 almost 32.8 million students attended public primary schools. It is usually from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, although the NCES displays this data as pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

An academic library is a library that is attached to a higher education institution, which supports the curriculum and the research of the university faculty and students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are an estimated 3,700 academic libraries in the United States. Class reading materials, intended to supplement lectures by the instructor and housed in academic libraries, have historically known as "reserves". Before electronic resources became available, the reserves were supplied as actual books or as photocopies of appropriate journal articles. Modern academic libraries provide access to electronic resources.

Academic libraries must determine a focus for collection development since comprehensive collections are not feasible. Librarians do this by identifying the needs of the faculty, student body, the mission and academic programs of the college or university. When there are particular areas of specialization in academic libraries, these are often referred to as niche collections. These collections are often the basis of a special collection department and they may include original papers, manuscripts, artwork, and artifacts written or created by a single author or about a specific subject.

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a part of the Institute for Education Sciences within the United States Department of Education. It was created in 1992 and began collecting data in 1993.

IPEDS consists of twelve interrelated survey components that are collected over three collection periods (fall, winter, and spring) each year as described in the Data Collection and Dissemination Cycle. The completion of all IPEDS surveys is mandatory for all institutions that participate in, or are applicants for participation in, any federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.