IDEA Fact Sheet #1 - Number of Students Served by IDEA

Oct 15, 2026

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IDEA Fact Sheet #1 explains how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) supports students with disabilities through Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and federal funding for special education. It summarizes IDEA’s reach nationally, including the distribution of children served under Part B (ages 3–5 and 6–21) and a faster-growing preschool share. Using 2017 data, it provides state-by-state counts and the percentages of ages 3–5 versus 6–21 to compare state levels with national averages.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

IDEA then and now

Number of students served nationally

Preschool-age growth vs school-age

Numbers for my state (2017 by state)

IDEA FACT SHEET \#1 NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED BY IDEA IDEA THEN AND NOW The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that students with a disability are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and helps fund schools to develop and implement a program of special education tailored to the student’s needs. IDEA was last reauthorized in 2004. This series of fact sheets documents key changes in the program nationally and by state to assist in understanding needs for full funding and modernization of the law. I DEA supports the identification of students with disabilities and the specialized education and related services provided to them. Federal grants are made to states to assist school districts in delivering the special education programs for these children. Part B of IDEA supports services for children ages 3-5 and 6-21—the preschool and school-age populations. Part C of IDEA supports services for infants and toddlers, but is not the primary focus of this Fact Sheet series. Close to 7 Million Children Nationally are Served by IDEA Each Year In 2017, the most recent year for which data are available, a total of approximately 6.9 million children nationally received special education services under Part B of the IDEA. In 2004, the year IDEA was last reauthorized, the number was about 6.7 million. Since dipping to 6.5 million in 2011, the number of children served has grown by more than 368,000 to its present levels. (See Figure 1 . ) In 2015, students receiving special education services made up 13 percent of all public school students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The vast majority (89 percent) of children receiving special education services are school-age, or ages 6-21 . Data Source: U.S. Department of Education. Includes the 50 states, District of Columbia, and, starting in 2009, Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States. FACT SHEET \#1 NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED BY IDEA (Of these, 18-21 year-olds make up about 5 percent of the special education population. ) The remaining 11 percent—approximately 774,000 in 2017—are ages 3-5, or preschooland Kindergarten-age. Preschool-age children are a faster-growing share of special education students than are school-age children Between 2004 and 2016, the number of pre-school age children grew faster than the number of school-age children receiving special education services. As a proportion of the resident population, preschool-age children (those ages 3-5) served by IDEA grew from 5.9 percent to 6.4 percent. The proportion of 6-21 year-olds receiving services was about 9 percent. The share dipped from 9.1 percent in 2004 to 8.4 percent in 2011 before returning to 9.0 percent in 2016. (See Figure 2.) The faster growth for preschool-age children suggests that schools will need to serve increasing numbers of school-age children in special education as these children age and if the preschool growth trend continues. Data Source: U.S. Department of Education. Includes the 50 states, District of Columbia, and, starting in 2009, Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States. What are the Numbers for My State? The table below shows the number of students receiving special education services by state in 2017, as well as the share of 3-5 year olds (pre-school and Kindergarten age) and 6-21 year olds (school age). Use this table to see how your state compares to the national averages. THE PRESCHOOL-AGE SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION IS GROWING FASTER COMPARED TO THE SCHOOL-AGE POPULATION Number of special education students and percent ages 3-5 and 6-21 by state, 2017 | State | Number of Special Education Students AGES 3-21 | Percent of Special Education Students AGES 3-5 | Percent of Special Education Students AGES 6-21 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Alabama | 90,319 | 8.7% | 91.3% | | Alaska | 19,148 | 12.7% | 87.3% | | American Samoa | 636 | 5.8% | 94.2% | | Arizona | 140,702 | 11.7% | 88.3% | |

FAQs

What does IDEA provide for students with disabilities?

IDEA ensures students with disabilities receive Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and helps fund schools to implement special education programs tailored to student needs.

How many children received special education services under IDEA in 2017?

In 2017, approximately 6.9 million children nationally received special education services under IDEA Part B.

How do preschool-age (3–5) and school-age (6–21) shares differ in IDEA?

The preschool-age group (3–5) grew faster as a share of the resident population than the school-age group (6–21), with preschool increasing from 5.9% to 6.4% between 2004 and 2016.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mia