Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States

Results From the 2011–12 Private School Universe Survey

In the fall of 2011, there were 30,861 private schools in the United States, enrolling 4,494,845 students, and employing 420,880 full-time-equivalent teachers. Ninety-six percent of all private schools were coeducational, while 2 percent enrolled all girls and 2 percent enrolled all boys. Of the 305,842 2010-11 private high school graduates, 64 percent attended 4-year colleges by the fall of 2011.

The Private School Universe Survey (PSS) was developed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the Institute of Education Sciences within the U.S. Department of Education and is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The PSS is administered every two years to the universe of private schools in the United States.

The report, Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2011–12 Private School Universe Survey, summarizes findings from the 2011-12 Private School Universe Survey.