Statistics at a Glance

Private School FAQs

Academic Performance

NAEP Results

Public Likes Private Schools

School Safety and Security

USDE Report on Private Schools

NCES Report

SAT Scores

Achievement Gap

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Private School Statistics at a Glance

 PK-12 Enrollment (2009)  6,049,000
 (11% of all US students)
 # of Schools (2007-08)  33,740
 (25% of all US schools)
Enrollment Source: National Center for Education Statistics (see table)
School Source: National Center for Education Statistics (see table)

 


 

Where do private school students go to school?

89-90
07-08
 Catholic 54.5% 42.5%
 Nonsectarian 13.2% 19.4%
 Conservative Christian 10.9% 15.2%
 Baptist 5.8% 5.5%
 Lutheran 4.4% 3.7%
 Jewish 3.2% 4.7%
 Episcopal 1.7% 2.1%
 Seventh-day Adventist 1.6% 1.1%
 Calvinist 0.9% 0.6%
 Friends 0.3% 0.4%
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (PSS Survey)

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FAQs About Private Schools

How many private schools are there in the United States? How many students attend them? What's the average tuition? These are just a few of the frequently asked questions we get at CAPE. Here are some answers. (Unless otherwise noted, all data are from the National Center for Education Statistics.)

Schools and Students

There are 33,740 private schools in the United States, serving 6 million PK-12 students. Private schools account for over 25 percent of the nation's schools and enroll about 11 percent of all students.

Most private school students (81 percent) attend religiously-affiliated schools (see table). And most private schools are small: 86 percent have fewer than 300 students (see table).

Tuition

Average Private School Tuition: 2003-04

 
All Levels
Elementary
Secondary
K-12 Schools
All Schools
$6.600
$5,049 
$8,412 $8,302
Catholic $4,254 $3,533  $6,046 $5,801
Other Religious
$5,839 
$5,398  $9,537 $5,748
Non-Sectarian
$13,419 
$12,169 $17,413  $13,112
Source: Table 56, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, National Center for Education Statistics.

Family Income

Where do the children of the wealthy go to school? In December 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau released data on the social and economic characteristics of students enrolled in the nation’s schools in October 2005. It turns out that of the eight million youngsters in grades K-12 who come from families with annual incomes of $100,000 or more, 80 percent (6.4 million) attend public schools and 20 percent (1.6 million) attend private schools.

Click here to visit the Web site of the U.S. Census Bureau for detailed tables for the report School Enrollment—Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2005.

Community Service

In March 2000, the National Center for Education Statistics issued a report entitled Service-Learning and Community Service Among 6th- Through 12th-Grade Students in the United States. According to the report, "Involving America's students in community service activities is one of the objectives established under the third National Education Goal for the year 2000, which seeks to prepare students for responsible citizenship."

The report notes a significant difference in levels of community service between public school students and private school students. "For both 1996 and 1999, students attending church-related private schools (42 percent for both years) and nonchurch-related private schools (31 percent in 1996 and 41 percent in 1999) were more likely to say their schools required and arranged community service than students attending public schools...(14 percent in 1996 and 17 percent in 1999)."

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Survey Finds Public Likes Private Schools

December 1999 - By a margin of nine to one, Americans believe parents should have the right to choose their child's school, according to a report released last month by Public Agenda, a research organization based in New York City. Moreover, if they were given a choice of schools-- along with the financial wherewithal to exercise it-- a full 55 percent of parents who currently send their children to public schools would want to send them to private schools.

The report, titled On Thin Ice, presents findings from a poll taken to assess the public's attitudes on vouchers, charter schools, and related issues. The survey of 1,200 citizens, about one-third of whom were parents of school-age children, was bolstered by insights from five focus groups.

One of the poll's findings is that people who have private schools in their communities believe by wide margins that such schools "generally provide a better education" than public schools and do a better job "teaching academic skills" and "maintaining discipline and order." (For 67 percent of respondents, the term "private schools" refers to "parochial schools or Christian academies," while for 16 percent it refers to "nonreligious private schools.")



Outlook Articles on the Public's Opinion of Private Schools

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Academic Performance

Outlook Articles on
Academic Performance

•September 2003: SAT Scores for Class of 2003

•September 2002: SAT Scores for Class of 2002

•June 2002: Government Report on Private Schools

•December 2001: Private Schools Outpace National Average on AP Exams

•December 2001: Private School Students Above Average on Science Tests

•September 2001: High College-Going Rates for Minorities in Private Schools

•September 2001: SAT Scores for Class of 2001

•May 2001: Achievement Gap Narrower in Private Schools

•December 2000: Private Schools Above Average on International Tests

•September 2000: Private School Students Bolster National Exam Scores

•December 1999: Private School Students Score Above Average in Civics

•October 1999: The Private High School: Caring Community, Tough Curriculum

•October 1999: National Report Card on Writing: Needs Improvement

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NAEP Report Cards

The National Center for Education Statistics periodically administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to test the knowledge and skills of the nation's students in grades 4, 8, and 12. Students in private schools consistently score well above the national average. At all three grades a significantly higher percentage of private school students score at or above the Basic, Proficient, and Advanced levels than public school students. Below are the results from the most recent NAEP report cards.

NAEP 2003 Math Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 88 76
 Proficient 44 31
 Advanced 6 4

 Grade 8

 Basic 82 67
 Proficient 43 27
 Advanced 10 5

Related Links:
•CAPE article
•Visit the NCES NAEP 2003 math Web site.
•Download the NAEP 2003 math highlights report.
•Use the NAEP Data Tool to develop customized reports.


NAEP 2003 Reading Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 80 62
 Proficient 48 30
 Advanced 14 7

 Grade 8

 Basic 90 72
 Proficient 53 30
 Advanced 8 3


Related Links:
•CAPE article
•Visit the NCES NAEP 2003 reading Web site.
•Download the NAEP 2003 reading highlights report.
•Use the NAEP Data Tool to develop customized reports.


NAEP 2002 Writing Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 94 85
 Proficient 39 27
 Advanced 3 2

 Grade 8

 Basic 95 84
 Proficient 47 30
 Advanced 4 2

 Grade 12

 Basic 89 73
 Proficient 40 22
 Advanced 4 2

Related Links:
•CAPE article
•Use the NAEP Data Tool to develop customized reports.


NAEP 2001 History Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 85 65
 Proficient 30 17
 Advanced 4 2

 Grade 8

 Basic 84 62
 Proficient 31 15
 Advanced 3 1

 Grade 12

 Basic 59 42
 Proficient 17 11
 Advanced 2 1


NAEP 2001 Geography Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 91 72
 Proficient 31 20
 Advanced 3 2

 Grade 8

 Basic 87 72
 Proficient 41 28
 Advanced 5 3

 Grade 12

 Basic 80 71
 Proficient 32 24
 Advanced 2 1


NAEP 1998 Civics Report Card

Percentage of Students in Public and Private Schools
At or Above Various Achievement Levels

 Grade 4

 
 Private
 Public
 Basic 84 67
 Proficient 35 21
 Advanced 3 2

 Grade 8

 Basic 89 68
 Proficient 40 20
 Advanced 4 1

 Grade 12

 Basic 80 63
 Proficient 38 25
 Advanced 7 4


Related Links:
•Outlook, December 1999: Private School Students Score Above Average in Civics
•Use the NAEP Data Tool to develop customized reports.


What do the achievement levels mean?

Basic Level...

denotes partial mastery of the knowledge and skills fundamental for proficient work at a given grade.

Proficient Level...

represents solid academic performance, and competency over challenging subject matter. The proficient level is identified as the standard that all students should reach.

Advanced Level...

signifies superior performance at a given grade.

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School Safety and Security

Outlook Articles on School Safety

•November 2003: Government Issues School Crime and Safety Report

•June 2002: New Government Report on Private Schools

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), published by the National Center for Education Statistics, provides data on public and private schools. The following table, based on 1999-2000 SASS data (the most recent), indicates the extent to which teachers think various behaviors are serious problems in their schools. (Source: Table 73, Digest of Education Statistics: 2005)

 Percentage of teachers who perceive certain issues as serious problems in their schools

 Public  Private
student disrespect for teachers 17 4
use of alcohol 7 3
drug abuse 6 2
student tardiness 10 3
student absenteeism 14 3
students unprepared to learn 30 5
lack of parent involvement
24
3
student apathy
21
4

In December 2006, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics released Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2006, which provides a comprehensive picture of the exposure of students and teachers to crime in schools. While the report's main focus is public schools, a few of its many charts and tables also extend to private schools. The charts below capture the major findings of the report that involve private schools.

 Percentage of students, age 12-18, who in 2005 reported...

 Public  Private
having experienced violent victimization at, or on the way to/from, school 4.3 2.6
being threatened with harm at, or on the way to/from, school 5.1 0.9
fearing being attacked or harmed at, or on the way to/from, school 6.5 3.8
being targets of hate-related words at, or on the way to/from, school 11.5 6.9
that street gangs were present at, or on the way to/from, school
25.4
4.2
that they avoided certain places in school for fear of their own safety
4.8
1.4

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USDE Report on Private Schools

In May 2002, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released its annual report to Congress on the condition of education. The report included a special analysis on private schools titled Private Schools: A Brief Portrait.

Herewith some highlights quoted directly from the private school piece:

  • Private school teachers are more likely than public school teachers to report being satisfied with teaching at their school.
  • Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor's or advanced degree by their mid-20s.
  • Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests.
  • Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.
  • Private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced level courses in three academic subject areas.
  • Private school teachers are more likely than public school teachers to report having a lot of influence on several teaching practices and school policies.
  • A majority of private school teachers express positive opinions about their principal and their school's management.
  • On average, private schools have smaller enrollments, smaller average class sizes, and lower student/teacher ratios than public schools.

The private school analysis also shows:

  • Private high schools are four times more likely than public high schools to have a community service requirement for graduation.
  • Students in the lowest SES quartile who attended a private school in 8th grade were nearly four times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree than students from the same quartile who attended a public school.

Related Links:

•Read CAPE's summary of the report.
•Download Private Schools: A Brief Portrait directly from the NCES Web site.

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NCES Releases Private School Report

December 12, 2005--The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) today released a comprehensive statistical analysis of the performance of private school students on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) from 2000 to 2005.  The report shows above-average performance of private school students in every grade, subject, and year tested.  The report also examines student scores for various racial/ethnic groups, showing that Black students, Hispanic students, and White students in private schools outperform their counterparts in public schools.

Click here to download the PDF version of the report.

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Private School Students Help Boost SAT Scores

August 31, 2005--The College Board announced yesterday that SAT math scores for 2005 hit an all-time high, up two points from last year to 520.  Newspaper headlines today touted the achievement.

Overlooked in the SAT news release, however, was the significant role played by private school students in the math uptick.  It turns out that average public school math scores actually stayed stagnant at 515 from 2004 to 2005, while religious and independent schools logged gains—from 531 to 534 for religious schools and from 574 to 577 for independent schools.

Private school students account for 17 percent of SAT test takers, although they enroll only about 7.5 percent of the nation’s secondary school students.

As for the verbal component of the SATs, public school students in 2005 scored 505, religious school students 539, and independent school students 553.  The national average was 508.

SAT Test Scores
Class of 2005

 
Verbal
Math
 National 508 520
 Public 505 515
 Religious 539 534
 Independent 553 577

Related Links

  • Click here to visit the College Board Web page where you can download the 2005 and 2004 reports. In both reports, scores by type of high school are provided in table 8.

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Achievement Gap Narrower in Religious Schools

April 6, 2007--What can be done to narrow the achievement gap? That question, in one form or another, has been challenging policy makers for decades. Grand national strategies, like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Head Start, and the No Child Left Behind Act, have been promoted by presidents and passed by Congress to help address the problem through expensive programmatic and instructional interventions. But what if the solution to the achievement gap is to be found in other domains, such as school culture, family support, or religious commitment?

 Percentage Increase in Standardized Test Scores of 12th Grade Religious School Students Compared to Public School Students, After Controlling for SES and Gender

Subject
 Black and Latino
 White
Reading 4.6% 3.4%
 Mathematics 4.2% 3.0%
 Social Studies 5.2% 3.4%
 Science 2.0% 1.2%
 Total Composite 4.8% 3.8%

On April 3 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Dr. William H. Jeynes, a professor at California State University at Long Beach and a scholar with the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, released a study showing that the achievement gap between majority students and minority students, as well as between students of high- and low-socioeconomic status, is significantly narrower in religious schools than in public schools. The study also found that “when African American and Latino children who are religious and come from intact families are compared with white students, the achievement gap disappears.”

Jeynes drew much of his data from the massive National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS:88), which tracked a nationally representative sample of eighth graders through high school and beyond. NELS:88 provides data on a host of school and student variables, allowing Jeynes to look at whether schools were religiously affiliated and to examine other factors like school culture, curriculum, race relations, discipline, violence, and homework practices. The student questionnaire enabled Jeynes to isolate students who considered themselves “very religious,” those who were actively involved in religious youth groups, and those that regularly attended religious services. He also examined other variables, such as test results, socioeconomic status, race, gender, and family structure.

The NELS data showed that twelfth-grade religious school students in all SES quartiles achieved at higher levels than their counterparts in public schools, with the religious school advantage being highest for students in the lowest SES quartile. Religious school students in the bottom SES quartile had a 7.6 percent advantage in reading scores over similar public school students, while students in the highest SES quartile had a somewhat lower 5.2 percent advantage.

Looking at achievement by race, Jeynes found similar results: higher overall achievement for both minority and majority students in religious schools when compared to their counterparts in public schools, but with minority students (i.e., African American and Latino students) enjoying an even greater religious school advantage than white students. For example, before controlling for gender and SES, black and Latino students scored 8.2 percent higher than their public school counterparts in reading achievement, while white students scored 6.0 percent higher than their counterparts. But even after controlling for gender and SES (see chart), black and Latino students outscored their public school peers in reading by 4.6 percent, while white students did so by 3.4 percent.

With the achievement advantage among religious school students greater for low-SES students than high-SES students and greater for minority students than majority students, Jeynes concluded that both the SES and racial achievement gaps are narrower in religious schools than public schools.

Turning to the more complicated question of why religious schools have a narrower achievement gap, Jeynes examined factors relating to school culture, family, social capital, and religious commitment. Although the methodology did not allow a determination of the cause or causes of the higher student performance in religious schools, the study offered some interesting candidates and correlations.

Exploring the role played by school culture, Jeynes statistically examined five separate components, namely, school atmosphere, racial harmony, level of school discipline, school violence, and amount of homework done. According to the report, “The results demonstrate that religious schools outperform nonreligious schools in all of the five school trait categories and in nearly all of the individual questions that make up those categories.” The study also found that religious school students enjoyed an advantage over public school students in the three learning habits that were most strongly related to academic achievement: taking harder courses, diligence, and overall work habits.

Jeynes reviewed the research literature for clues about other possible explanations for private school achievement. Parental involvement, religiously committed parents, intact families, and caring teachers were all potential contributing factors. Jeynes also explained that religious schools encourage a religious commitment among students, which could affect achievement because of an associated religious work ethic, a stronger internal “locus of control,” and “the tendency for religious people to avoid behaviors that are typically regarded as undisciplined and harmful to educational achievement.”

In connection with what he described as one of the study’s most notable findings, Jeynes looked at what happens to the achievement gap for religiously committed students from intact families. He found what he called an “amazing” result: “The achievement gap disappears.” Put another way, “[W]hen the data are adjusted for SES and gender, black and Hispanic adolescents who are religious and from intact families do just as well academically as white students.”

Turning to the policy implications of the study, Jeynes suggested that “showing that factors as simple as religious commitment, religious schools, and family structure can reduce or eliminate the gap may inspire educators and social scientists to encourage policies that are supportive of faith and the family so that the gap can be narrowed significantly.” He argued that including private schools in school choice initiatives “conceivably could improve the overall quality of the U.S. education system,” and he suggested that public schools “can benefit by imitating some of the strengths of the religious school model.”

Jeynes concluded that “religious education is a vibrant part of the education system in the United States” and called for further study on “why students from religious schools outperform students in public schools.”

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