The District of Columbia's first public schools were opened in 1805. Until 1954, public schools for whites and blacks were operated separately. Although legally integrated, the public school system remains virtually segregated. Most white and many black students attend private schools. In 2000, 77.8% of all residents 25 years of age or older were high school graduates, and 36.1% were college graduates.
The total enrollment for fall 1999 in the District of Columbia's public schools stood at 77,194. Of these, 59,917 attended schools from kindergarten through grade eight, and 17,277 attended high school. Minority students made up approximately 96% of the total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools in 1997. Total enrollment was estimated at 78,751 in fall 2000 and but expected to drop to 72,000 by fall 2005. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 2001 was 16,690. Expenditures for public education in 2000/01 were estimated at $807,381.
As of fall 2000, there were 59,498 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In the same year the District of Columbia had 17 degree-granting institutions, 16 private and 1 public. In 1997, minority students comprised 44.5% of total postsecondary enrollment. Some of the best-known private universities are American, Georgetown, George Washington, and Howard. The University of the District of Columbia, created in 1976 from the merger of three institutions, has an open admissions policy for District freshman undergraduate students. It has five academic colleges. The US Department of Agriculture Graduate School also operates within the District.