Fact · Accessibility and health
7.5 millionstudents aged 3 to 21
In school year 2022-23, 7.5 million US students aged 3 to 21, equal to 15 percent of all public school students, received special education or related services under IDEA.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“In 2022-23, the number of students ages 3-21 who received special education and/or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.5 million, or the equivalent of 15 percent of all public school students.”
Students With Disabilities (Condition of Education indicator), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), US Department of Education, 2024, Introduction.
Open the original- What it measures
- Students served under IDEA have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). NCES reports the number rose from 6.4 million (13 percent) in 2012-13.
- What it does not show
- Excludes students who have only a Section 504 plan and students in private schools without IDEA services. The indicator was last updated in May 2024.