Data
California Facts & Figures
California regularly has the most immigrants of any U.S. state and the largest number of newcomer students in its schools. Data sources below provide a window into state-level demographics.
27.3% of the state’s population was foreign born in 2023, the highest proportion of any U.S. state.
California Immigrant Data Portal, Migration Policy Institute
Close to half of newcomer students speak Spanish and most are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Policy Analysis for California Education
California schools serve between 140,000 and 190,000 newcomer students each year.
California Department of Education
-
Title III Immigrant Student Demographics, California Department of Education
This official state page provides aggregate newcomer enrollment numbers for the state. Aggregate data comes from school districts submitting Title III Immigrant Student counts for federal funding allocation purposes.
Title III Immigrant Student Data Details, Policy Analysis for California Education
This dashboard provides district-level demographic data from the 2020-2021 school year. It is part of the report Newcomer Education in California, made possible by a special data request fulfilled by the California Department of Education.
California Immigrant Data Portal, USC Dornsife Equity Research Center
This portal presents data and case studies that can be used to better understand and promote the well-being of immigrants, their families, and their communities beyond the K-12 system.
National Facts & Figures
The United States is a nation of immigrants, with more foreign born residents than any other country in the world. Several institutions provide data that help contextualize California newcomers and immigrants in the national immigration context.
In January 2025, the foreign-born share of the U.S. population was 15.8%, the highest level since 1890
Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes and more likely to start a Fortune 500 company than the average American
Each year between 2012 and 2022, U.S. schools served between 650,000 and 1,100,000 newcomer students
-
Reports on Title III State Formula Grants, U.S. Department of Education
These biennial reports to Congress summarize state-level allocations to English Learners and Immigrant Students, and include state enrollment numbers for newcomers in their first three years of U.S. schooling.
Demographics Page, American Immigration Council
With topline summary statistics and regular blogs on new data, the American Immigration Council provides accessible information for the general public and advocates.
Migration Data Hub, Migration Policy Institute
This central source provides access to a wide variety of analyses, datasets, and visualizations on the U.S. immigrant population, all internally developed by the leading immigration data and policy think tank.