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Private School Universe Survey (PSS)


Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by school level and selected characteristics: United States, 2003–04
 
Selected characteristic Total   Elementary   Secondary   Combined
Number Percent   Number Percent   Number Percent   Number Percent
Total  28,384 100.0   17,197 100.0   2,694 100.0   8,494 100.0
                       
NCES typology                       
Catholic  7,919 27.9   6,539 38.0   1,096 40.7   284 3.3
Parochial  4,074 14.4   3,852 22.4   171 6.4   51 0.6
Diocesan  2,947 10.4   2,367 13.8   504 18.7   76 0.9
Private  897 3.2   319 1.9   420 15.6   157 1.9
                       
Other religious  13,659 48.1   7,278 42.3   758 28.1   5,623 66.2
Conservative Christian  5,060 17.8   1,838 10.7   195 7.2   3,026 35.6
Affiliated  3,398 12.0   2,110 12.3   329 12.2   959 11.3
Unaffiliated  5,201 18.3   3,330 19.4   234 8.7   1,637 19.3
                       
Nonsectarian  6,806 24.0   3,380 19.7   840 31.2   2,587 30.5
Regular  2,963 10.4   1,606 9.3   320 11.9   1,036 12.2
Special emphasis  2,392 8.4   1,550 9.0   303 11.2   539 6.3
Special education  1,451 5.1   223 1.3   217 8.0   1,011 11.9
                       
School level                       
Elementary  17,197 60.6   17,197 100.0    
Secondary  2,694 9.5     2,694 100.0  
Combined  8,494 29.9       8,494 100.0
                       
Program emphasis                       
Regular elementary/secondary  22,896 80.7   14,709 85.5   1,981 73.6   6,206 73.1
Montessori  1,318 4.6   1,195 6.9     118 1.4
Special program emphasis  961 3.4   465 2.7   126 4.7   369 4.3
Special education  1,634 5.8   272 1.6   233 8.6   1,129 13.3
Vocational/technical       
Alternative  1,454 5.1   443 2.6   343 12.7   668 7.9
Early childhood  116 0.4   112 0.7    
                       
Size (number of students)                       
Less than 50  8,741 30.8   5,053 29.4   654 24.3   3,033 35.7
50–149  8,206 28.9   5,190 30.2   605 22.5   2,411 28.4
150–299  6,324 22.3   4,465 26.0   424 15.7   1,435 16.9
300–499  3,000 10.6   1,823 10.6   399 14.8   778 9.2
500–749  1,298 4.6   562 3.3   278 10.3   458 5.4
750 or more  816 2.9   103 0.6   334 12.4   378 4.5
                       
Region                       
Northeast  6,558 23.1   4,035 23.5   844 31.3   1,679 19.8
Midwest  7,226 25.5   5,169 30.1   644 23.9   1,413 16.6
South  8,820 31.1   4,467 26.0   573 21.3   3,780 44.5
West  5,780 20.4   3,526 20.5   633 23.5   1,621 19.1
                       
Community type                       
Central city  9,591 33.8   6,161 35.8   1,132 42.0   2,299 27.1
Urban fringe/large town  11,818 41.6   7,270 42.3   1,048 38.9   3,500 41.2
Rural/small town  6,975 24.6   3,766 21.9   514 19.1   2,695 31.7
                       
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or missing values in cells with too few sample cases.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2003–2004.

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