Private Schools: Latest Statistics

Private school enrollment has officially moved out of the parlors of the East Coast upper class and into the living rooms of mainstream America. A common desire to seek the best educational environment possible has led to the existence of more than 27,000 private and charter schools comprising almost 25 percent of the nation's schools and educating more than 6.5 million students annually.

What goes up keeps going up
According to the most recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), private schools have enjoyed a steady increase in enrollment, climbing by 18 percent between 1988 and 2001 — and enrollment rates are expected to continue to rise by at least another 7 percent by 2013! Public school enrollment rose by about the same rate (19 percent) but is expected to continue to rise by only 4 percent.

The growing popularity of private schools is driven primarily by the research-backed belief that private and charter schools provide a better education, better structure, and better discipline than public schools. The desire to seek the best education for our children has even sparked political movements nationwide that seek to create voucher systems enabling all families to choose the schools their children attend, regardless of their income level or location.

Just the facts
The last time the NCES published a survey of private schools, the data that was available was from 2001. At that time, of the 27,223 private schools identified, nearly 84 percent were religiously affiliated, and the vast majority of them were Catholic schools. Not coincidentally, 46 percent of the increase in private school enrollment in the past decade was in conservative Christian schools, 37 percent was in Episcopal schools, and 26 percent was in non-sectarian schools. California boasted the greatest numbers of private school students, with a whopping 619,067 students. Not too far behind was New York, with 475,942 and Pennsylvania with 339,484 students.

Certainly, a desire to seek a less secular education may be a reason for the popularity of religiously affiliated schools, but it appears that the main motivator is purely academic — religion-oriented schools often stand out for their academic rigor and excellence.

Day schools set the pace
Day schools are outpacing boarding schools in their popularity as the jostling for vacancies at schools in some cities reaches an all-time high. In the past ten years, day school enrollment has grown by 15 percent or more in some areas of the country. While boarding school enrollment has also gone up, it can't begin to compare with its average increase over the past decade of only 2.7 percent. Competition for day school is so fierce in areas such as New York City and San Francisco that many students stand a better chance of getting into an elite boarding school than they do of attending a private day program closer to home.

Academically advantageous
It's really no wonder so many parents are seeking out private schooling when many studies suggest that private school students fare better academically, are better prepared for college, and typically excel faster in their professional lives. If your children attend a private school, they may have to complete twice the homework of a public school student, but they're also a lot more likely to participate in sports and to tell you how much they like school. They might even tell you that they think the teachers and the school rules are fair. Imagine that — a teenager thinking rules are fair!

Partnering with parents
Private schools often strive to form partnerships with the parents of their students so that they are unified in their goals and values. This teamwork approach transmits a solid, consistent message to students from the adults surrounding them in their home and academic environments, resulting in grounded students with an aptitude for achievement. Partnering is especially evident in private day schools, where parents are actively sought out as part of their child's education team and encouraged to participate in a wide variety of school activities that go far beyond making cupcakes for a holiday party. Parent involvement in private schools extends to community service, mentoring new students and their families, career education, and beyond.

Pick and choose
Whatever type of school you're seeking, you will likely be able to find it. Private schools are diverse in their offerings — day schools, boarding schools, boys' schools, girls' schools, even international schools. Some schools are small, some are huge, some are old, and some are new. There are even many that offer unique specialized learning or academic tracks, such as performing arts schools, or outdoor schools with an experiential focus. If private schooling is what you're looking for, you'll likely be able to find it — perhaps even in your own neighborhood.