Table 3. Percentage distribution of private schools, by program emphasis and selected characteristics: United States, 2009

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Table 3. Percentage distribution of private schools, by program emphasis and selected characteristics: United States, 2009–10
Selected characteristic	Regular elementary/ secondary	Montessori	Special program emphasis		Special education		Vocational/ technical programs
										Early childhood
								Alternative		Early childhood
Total	67.6	8.0	2.7		5.3		‡	4.0		12.4

Private school typology
Catholic	96.3	0.8	0.6		0.7		‡	0.4	!	1.1
Parochial	99.1	‡	‡		0.0		‡	‡		0.5
Diocesan	97.4	‡	0.7		0.9		‡	0.0		0.7
Private	84.5	3.7	1.9		2.6		‡	2.7	!	4.5

Other religious	84.3	1.1	1.9		0.9		‡	3.0		8.7
Conservative Christian	89.4	‡	1.7		0.5		‡	4.4		3.7
Other affiliated	85.6	0.8	2.9		1.4		‡	2.4		7.0
Unaffiliated	80.9	1.6	1.8		1.0		‡	2.5		12.1

Nonsectarian	24.0	22.8	5.3		14.9		‡	7.7		25.2
Regular	48.8	†	†		†		†	†		51.2
Special emphasis	†	63.6	14.9		†		‡	21.5		†
Special education	†	†	†		100.0		†	†		†

School level
Elementary	64.5	11.4	1.9		1.3		‡	1.7		19.2
Secondary	73.8	‡	3.7		9.9		‡	12.3		†
Combined	73.2	2.3	4.4		13.4		‡	6.8		0.0

Size (number of students)
Less than 50	45.3	13.5	2.5		6.4		‡	5.7		26.5
50–149	76.8	6.1	3.6		7.9		‡	4.4		1.2
150–299	92.2	1.6	2.5		2.3		‡	1.1		‡
300–499	94.8	‡	2.5		0.9		‡	1.3		‡
500–749	97.1	‡	2.2		‡		‡	‡		0.0
750 or more	97.5	‡	‡		0.0		‡	‡		‡

Region
Northeast	62.4	5.8	2.1		9.2		‡	3.7		16.7
Midwest	80.7	6.6	1.3		2.3		‡	2.2		6.8
South	66.7	7.8	3.8		5.3		‡	5.0		11.4
West	58.7	12.2	3.5		4.7		‡	5.0		15.8

Urbanicity type
City	65.9	8.7	3.1		5.9		‡	4.1		12.3
Suburban	58.9	10.2	2.3		6.2		‡	3.5		18.8
Town	74.2	5.7	4.1	!	4.7	!	‡	3.8	!	7.5
Rural	80.5	4.5	2.3	!	3.5		‡	4.6		4.6
† Not applicable.
! 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 include private schools which provide instruction for one or more of grades kindergarten through twelve (or comparable ungraded levels).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2009–10.