Table 8. Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by school size and selected characteristics: United States, 2005

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Table 8. Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by school size and selected characteristics: United States, 2005–06
Selected characteristic	Less than 50 students		50–149 students		150–299 students		300–499 students		500–749 students				750 or more students
	Less than 50 students		50–149 students		150–299 students		300–499 students		500–749 students				750 or more students
	Num- ber	Per- cent	Num- ber	Per- cent	Num- ber	Per- cent	Num- ber	Per- cent	Num- ber		Per- cent		Num- ber	Per- cent
Total	9,520	32.8	8,277	28.5	6,202	21.4	2,843	9.8	1,342		4.6		812	2.8

NCES typology
Catholic	297	3.9	1,666	21.8	3,052	40.0	1,539	20.2	707		9.3		372	4.9
Parochial	79	2.1	838	22.8	1,628	44.4	760	20.7	287		7.8		79	2.1
Diocesan	65	2.2	629	21.2	1,224	41.2	608	20.5	301		10.1		145	4.9
Private	153	15.5	200	20.1	201	20.2	171	17.2	119		12.0		149	15.0

Other religious	6,175	42.7	4,419	30.6	2,322	16.1	861	6.0	405		2.8		263	1.8
Conservative Christian	2,147	37.6	1,835	32.2	994	17.4	415	7.3	195		3.4		118	2.1
Affiliated	1,181	32.3	1,232	33.7	731	20.0	279	7.6	131		3.6		100	2.7
Unaffiliated	2,846	56.0	1,353	26.6	596	11.7	167	3.3	79		1.5		45	0.9

Nonsectarian	3,049	44.1	2,192	31.7	828	12.0	443	6.4	230		3.3		176	2.5
Regular	841	30.4	742	26.8	485	17.5	344	12.4	202		7.3		155	5.6
Special emphasis	1,422	54.2	865	32.9	215	8.2	80	3.1	24	!	0.9	!	20	0.8
Special education	785	51.6	584	38.4	128	8.4	19	1.2	‡		‡		‡	‡

School level
Elementary	5,189	30.9	5,065	30.1	4,262	25.4	1,678	10.0	527		3.1		90	0.5
Secondary	793	27.1	609	20.8	476	16.3	402	13.7	330		11.3		315	10.8
Combined	3,538	38.2	2,602	28.1	1,464	15.8	763	8.2	484		5.2		406	4.4

Program emphasis
Regular elementary/secondary	6,556	28.1	6,407	27.4	5,682	24.3	2,672	11.4	1,284		5.5		766	3.3
Montessori	870	59.0	489	33.1	102	6.9	‡	‡	‡		‡		0	0.0
Special program emphasis	428	34.8	377	30.7	213	17.3	123	10.0	52		4.2		38	3.1
Special education	916	52.6	662	38.0	140	8.0	19	1.1	‡		‡		‡	‡
Vocational/technical	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡
Alternative	619	61.8	300	30.0	62	6.2	‡	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡
Early childhood	114	72.2	41	25.8	‡	‡	0	0.0	0		0.0		0	0.0

Region
Northeast	1,973	30.1	1,784	27.3	1,623	24.8	707	10.8	271		4.1		190	2.9
Midwest	2,130	29.6	2,279	31.7	1,569	21.8	745	10.3	317		4.4		161	2.2
South	3,318	36.0	2,517	27.3	1,737	18.8	855	9.3	472		5.1		325	3.5
West	2,099	34.8	1,697	28.2	1,272	21.1	537	8.9	283		4.7		137	2.3

Urbanicity type
City	2,301	23.5	2,699	27.6	2,513	25.7	1,227	12.6	596		6.1		438	4.5
Suburban	2,689	27.7	2,622	27.0	2,350	24.2	1,166	12.0	563		5.8		330	3.4
Town	1,135	35.6	1,208	37.9	611	19.2	171	5.4	52		1.6		‡	‡
Rural	3,395	53.8	1,748	27.7	728	11.5	279	4.4	132	!	2.1	!	33	0.5
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation for this estimate is larger than 25 percent.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or missing values in cells with too few sample cases. These estimates do not include private schools for which kindergarten is the highest grade.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2005–2006.

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