In 2021, a total of ******* students were enrolled in private elementary and secondary schools in the state of California - the most out of any state. Florida, New York, Texas, and Pennsylvania rounded out the top five states for private school students in that year.

Table 1. Number and percentage distribution of private schools, students, and full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, by selected school characteristics: United States, 2017–18

The statistic shows the percentage of students enrolled in private elementary and secondary schools in the United States as of fall 2013, by state. As of fall 2013, about **** percent of students in New Jersey were enrolled in private institutions.

This Private Schools feature dataset is composed of private elementary and secondary education facilities in the United States as defined by the Private School Survey (PSS, https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/), National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, https://nces.ed.gov), US Department of Education for the 2017-2018 school year. This includes all prekindergarten through 12th grade schools as tracked by the PSS. This feature class contains all MEDS/MEDS+ as approved by NGA. Complete field and attribute information is available in the ”Entities and Attributes” metadata section. Geographical coverage is depicted in the thumbnail above and detailed in the Place Keyword section of the metadata. This release includes the addition of 2675 new records, modifications to the spatial location and/or attribution of 19836 records, the removal of 254 records no longer applicable. Additionally, 10,870 records were removed that previously had a STATUS value of 2 (Unknown; not represented in the most recent PSS data) and duplicate records identified by ORNL.

Private schools have struggled to maintain enrollment and revenue as the population of children in the K-12 age range evaporates. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and the International Monetary Fund report that the fertility rate has continued to plunge further below replacement levels, and the National Center for Health Statistics reports a drop of over 100,000 births per year since 2020. This demographic shift has led to fewer children entering the K-12 age range and smaller graduating classes. Immigration helps reduce low birth rates' impact on the US population, but less than a tenth of immigrating students attend private K-12 schools. Ultimately, the National Center for Education Statistics projects a drop in private school enrollment from 6.0 million in 2020 to 5.5 million by 2025. To mitigate these challenges, many private schools have increased tuition fees, which may exclude families unable to afford the higher costs. Revenue has been sinking at a CAGR of 1.5% to an estimated $79.3 billion over the five years through 2025, including an expected 0.3% slump in 2025 alone. Declining birth rates, alongside the rise of charter schools, have reshaped the educational landscape. Charter schools now operate in 45 states, offering specialized education at lower costs than private schools and attracting many parents. This expansion has resulted in only a slight 2.3% slump in public school enrollment since 2020, compared to an 8.2% drop in private schools. However, government assistance is beginning to help private schools become more accessible. School choice programs, especially vouchers and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), are becoming especially prevalent and have the full support of the Trump administration. Private schools will continue becoming more accessible as parents gain the ability to use public funds for private education. Birth rates will continue dropping, but government assistance and growing incomes will help stave off further dips in revenue. Larger, well-established private schools may better navigate challenges by balancing tuition hikes with financial aid offerings targeted at higher-income families. To stay competitive with charter and public alternatives, private schools might offer more personalized educational experiences. By leveraging potential government support and adjusting their strategies, private schools will buoy enrollment and revenue amid persisting headwinds. Revenue is set to see stagnant growth and will reach $73.4 billion by the end of 2030.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program develops bi-annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for private schools included in the NCES Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS is conducted to provide a biennial count of the total number of private schools, teachers, and students. The PSS school location and associated geographic area assignments are derived from reported information about the physical location of private schools. The school geocode file includes supplemental geographic information for the universe of schools reported in the most current PSS school collection, and they can be integrated with the survey files through use of institutional identifiers included in both sources. For more information about NCES school point data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations and https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries

Previous collections are available for the following years:

2021-22 2019-20 2017-18 2015-16

All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

The Private School Universe Survey, 2003-04 (PSS 2003-04), is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program. PSS 2003-04 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment (K-12), race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study was conducted using mail questionnaires and telephone follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS universe consists of a diverse population of schools. It includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. The study's unweighted and weighted response rates were both 94 percent. Key statistics produced from PSS 2003-04 are on the growth of religiously affiliated schools, the number of private high school graduates, the length of the school year for various private schools, and the number of private school students and teachers.

About the Private School Universe Survey (PSS)OverviewWith increasing concern about alternatives in education, the interest and need for data on private education has also increased. NCES has made the collection of data on private elementary and secondary schools a priority.The purposes of this data collection activity are; a) to generate biennial data on the total number of private schools, teachers, and students; and b) to build an accurate and complete list of private schools to serve as a sampling frame for NCES surveys of private schools. The PSS began with the 1989-90 school year and has been conducted every two years since.DesignThe target population for the survey consists of all private schools in the U.S. that meet the NCES definition (i.e., a private school is not supported primarily by public funds, provides classroom instruction for one or more of grades K-12 or comparable ungraded levels, and has one or more teachers. Organizations or institutions that provide support for home schooling without offering classroom instruction for students are not included.). The survey universe is composed of schools from several sources. The main source is a list frame, initially developed for the 1989-90 survey. The list is updated periodically by matching it with lists provided by nationwide private school associations, state departments of education, and other national private school guides and sources. Additionally, an area frame search is conducted by the Bureau of the Census.ComponentsThe PSS consists of a single survey that is completed by administrative personnel in private schools. Information collected includes: religious orientation; level of school; size of school; length of school year, length of school day; total enrollment (K-12); number of high school graduates, whether a school is single-sexed or coeducational and enrollment by sex; number of teachers employed; program emphasis; existence and type of kindergarten program.Policy and Research IssuesThe Private School Survey produces data similar to that of the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) for the public schools. The data are useful for a variety of policy- and research-relevant issues, such as the growth of religiously-affiliated schools, the length of the school year, the number of private high school graduates, and the number of private school students and teachers.Data OrganizationThis page collects all of the tables in the PSS tables library. The tables are organized into folders by year, and then further folders by category. Finally, each table has its own folder, which contains one or two excel files depending on the table.Every year folder has a catalog csv that provides a crosswalk between the folder names and the original table names, except for the 2001-2002 folder, where a catalog could not be generated.Additionally, the documentation folder has all documentation and methodological documents found here: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/pssdata.asp, though not data files.The reports folder contains reports related to PSS found via searching NCES's resource library.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program develops bi-annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for private schools included in the NCES Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS is conducted to generate biennial data on the total number of private schools, teachers, and students, and to build an accurate and complete list of private schools to serve as a sampling frame for NCES surveys. The PSS school location and associated geographic area assignments are derived from reported information about the physical location of private schools. The school geocode file includes supplemental geographic information for the universe of schools reported in the 2017-2018 PSS school sample, and they can be integrated with the survey files through use of institutional identifiers included in both sources. For more information about NCES school point data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations and https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries.All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program develops bi-annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for private schools included in the NCES Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS is conducted to generate biennial data on the total number of private schools, teachers, and students, and to build an accurate and complete list of private schools to serve as a sampling frame for NCES surveys. The PSS school location and associated geographic area assignments are derived from reported information about the physical location of private schools. The school geocode file includes supplemental geographic information for the universe of schools reported in the 2015-2016 PSS school sample, and they can be integrated with the survey files through use of institutional identifiers included in both sources. For more information about NCES school point data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations and https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries.All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

The Private School Universe Survey, 2011-12 (PSS 2011-12), is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program. PSS 2011-12 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment (K-12), race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study was conducted using mail questionnaires, an internet response option and telephone and personal follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS universe consists of a diverse population of schools. It includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. The study�s response rate is 91.8 percent. Key statistics produced from PSS 2011-12 are on the number of private schools, students, and teachers, the number of high school graduates, the length of the school year and school day.

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program develops bi-annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for private schools included in the NCES Private School Survey (PSS). The PSS is conducted to provide a biennial count of the total number of private schools, teachers, and students. The PSS school location and associated geographic area assignments are derived from reported information about the physical location of private schools. The school geocode file includes supplemental geographic information for the universe of schools reported in the 2021-2022 PSS school collection, and they can be integrated with the survey files through use of institutional identifiers included in both sources. For more information about NCES school point data, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/SchoolLocations and https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries.All information contained in this file is in the public domain. Data users are advised to review NCES program documentation and feature class metadata to understand the limitations and appropriate use of these data.

The 1999-2000 Private School Universe Survey (PSS 1999-2000) is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program; program data is available since 1989-1990 at . PSS 1999-2000 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment, race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study was conducted using mail questionnaires and telephone follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. Key statistics produced from PSS 1999-2000 are on the number of religiously affiliated schools, the number of private high school graduates, and the number of private school students and teachers.

The Private School Universe Survey, 2005-06 (PSS 2005-06), is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program. PSS 2005-06 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment (K-12), race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study was conducted using mail questionnaires and telephone follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS universe consists of a diverse population of schools. It includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. The study's unweighted and weighted response rates were both 94 percent. Key statistics produced from PSS 2005-06 are on the growth of religiously affiliated schools, the number of private high school graduates, the length of the school year for various private schools, and the number of private school students and teachers.

In 2019, the highest shares of private schools were distributed over *** states in India. Goa had the highest share with almost ** percent. Maharashtra and Kerala followed with a share of almost ** percent each.

The Private School Universe Survey, 2013-14 (PSS 2013-14), is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program. PSS 2013-14 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment (K-12), race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study is conducted using mail questionnaires, an internet response option and telephone and personal follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS universe consists of a diverse population of schools. It includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. Keys statistics produced from PSS 2013-14 are on the number of private schools, students, and teachers, the number of high school graduates, the length of the school year and school day.

This data explores 8th grade writing scores as measured by the Nation's Report Card. This report presents the results of the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) writing assessment. It was administered to a nationally representative sample of more than 165,000 eighth- and twelfth-graders from public and private schools. In addition to national results, the report includes state and urban district results for grade 8 public school students. Forty-five states, the Department of Defense schools, and 10 urban districts voluntarily participated. To measure their writing skills, the assessment engaged students in narrative, informative, and persuasive writing tasks. NAEP presents the writing results as scale scores and achievement-level percentages. Results are also reported for student performance by various demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, gender, and eligibility for the National School Lunch Program. The 2007 national results are compared with results from the 2002 and 1998 assessments. At grades 8 and 12, average writing scores and the percentages of students performing at or above Basic were higher than in both previous assessments. The White -- Black score gap narrowed at grade 8 compared to 1998 and 2002 but showed no significant change at grade 12. The gender score gap showed no significant change at grade 8 compared with previous assessments but narrowed at grade 12 since 2002. Eighth-graders eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch scored lower on average than students who were not eligible. Compared with 2002, average writing scores for eighth-graders increased in 19 states and the Department of Defense schools, and scores decreased in one state. Compared with 1998, scores increased in 28 states and the Department of Defense Schools, and no states showed a decrease. Scores for most urban districts at grade 8 were comparable to or higher than scores for large central cities but were below the national average.

United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data was reported at 8.292 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.074 % for 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data is updated yearly, averaging 10.578 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.295 % in 1976 and a record low of 8.074 % in 2014. United States US: School Enrollment: Primary: Private: % of Total Primary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Education Statistics. Private enrollment refers to pupils or students enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body such as a nongovernmental organization, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The 1991-92 Private School Universe Survey (PSS 1991-92) is a study that is part of the Private School Universe program; program data is available since 1989-1990 at . PSS 1991-92 (https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/) is a cross-sectional survey that collects data on private elementary and secondary schools, including religious orientation, level of school, length of school year, length of school day, total enrollment (K-12), race/ethnicity of students, number of high school graduates, number of teachers employed, program emphasis, and existence and type of kindergarten program. The study was conducted using mail questionnaires and telephone follow-up of all private schools in the United States. The PSS includes both schools with a religious orientation (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran, or Jewish) and nonsectarian schools with programs ranging from regular to special emphasis and special education. Key statistics produced from PSS 1991-92 are on the number of religiously affiliated schools, the number of private high school graduates, and the number of private school students and teachers.