Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by school size and selected characteristics: United States, 2003

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Private School Universe Survey (PSS)

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Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by school size and selected characteristics: United States, 2003–04

Selected characteristic	Less than 50 students		50–149 students		150–299 students		300–499 students		500–749 students		750 or more students
Selected characteristic	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
Total	8,741	30.8	8,206	28.9	6,324	22.3	3,000	10.6	1,298	4.6	816	2.9

NCES typology
Catholic	243	3.1	1,652	20.9	3,206	40.5	1,693	21.4	743	9.4	381	4.8
Parochial	89	2.2	865	21.2	1,835	45.0	880	21.6	328	8.0	77	1.9
Diocesan	61	2.1	633	21.5	1,171	39.7	630	21.4	292	9.9	160	5.4
Private	93	10.4	154	17.2	200	22.3	183	20.4	124	13.8	143	16.0

Other religious	5,597	41.0	4,283	31.4	2,263	16.6	884	6.5	381	2.8	252	1.8
Conservative Christian	1,715	33.9	1,738	34.3	913	18.0	405	8.0	187	3.7	102	2.0
Affiliated	1,119	32.9	1,097	32.3	693	20.4	277	8.2	114	3.4	98	2.9
Unaffiliated	2,763	53.1	1,448	27.8	657	12.6	201	3.9	80	1.5	53	1.0

Nonsectarian	2,900	42.6	2,271	33.4	856	12.6	423	6.2	174	2.6	183	2.7
Regular	1,008	34.0	804	27.1	502	16.9	338	11.4	155	5.2	156	5.3
Special emphasis	1,193	49.9	873	36.5	219	9.1	63	2.6	19	0.8	26	1.1
Special education	699	48.2	594	40.9	135	9.3	22	1.5	0	0.0	‡	‡

School level
Elementary	5,053	29.4	5,190	30.2	4,465	26.0	1,823	10.6	562	3.3	103	0.6
Secondary	654	24.3	605	22.5	424	15.7	399	14.8	278	10.3	334	12.4
Combined	3,033	35.7	2,411	28.4	1,435	16.9	778	9.2	458	5.4	378	4.5

Program emphasis
Regular elementary/
secondary	6,021	26.3	6,191	27.0	5,812	25.4	2,856	12.5	1,253	5.5	763	3.3
Montessori	751	57.0	472	35.8	84	6.3	‡	‡	0	0.0	‡	‡
Special program
emphasis	292	30.4	365	38.0	148	15.4	75	7.8	39	4.0	41	4.3
Special education	802	49.1	666	40.7	142	8.7	23	1.4	0	0.0	‡	‡
Vocational/technical	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡
Alternative	788	54.2	481	33.1	136	9.3	37	2.5	‡	‡	‡	‡
Early childhood	84	72.6	32	27.4	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0.0

Region
Northeast	1,875	28.6	1,708	26.0	1,700	25.9	783	11.9	287	4.4	206	3.1
Midwest	1,990	27.5	2,346	32.5	1,611	22.3	781	10.8	335	4.6	163	2.3
South	2,951	33.5	2,459	27.9	1,762	20.0	883	10.0	451	5.1	314	3.6
West	1,924	33.3	1,694	29.3	1,252	21.7	553	9.6	225	3.9	132	2.3

Community type
Central city	2,042	21.3	2,658	27.7	2,584	26.9	1,288	13.4	574	6.0	445	4.6
Urban fringe/large town	3,143	26.6	3,422	29.0	2,848	24.1	1,425	12.1	647	5.5	333	2.8
Rural/small town	3,556	51.0	2,127	30.5	892	12.8	287	4.1	77	1.1	37	0.5

‡ 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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