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Digest of Education Statistics
2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 71. Private elementary and secondary enrollment, number of schools, and average tuition, by school level, orientation, and tuition: 1999–2000, 2003–04, and 2007-08
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
School orientation and tuition Kindergarten through 12th-grade enrollment1 Schools Average tuition charged to students2  (in current dollars)
Total Elementary Secondary Combined Total Elementary Secondary Combined Total Elementary Secondary Combined
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1999-2000                                                  
Total 5,262,850 (131,001) 2,920,680 (55,057) 818,920   (34,102) 1,523,240 (88,816) 27,220 (239) 16,560 (278) 2,580 (126) 8,080 (276) $4,978 (157.3) $3,737 (248.6) $6,085 (174.6) $6,762 (260.9)
Catholic 2,548,710 (23,352) 1,810,330 (18,134) 616,200   (25,935) 122,190 (15,613) 8,100 (24) 6,650 (54) 1,130 (57) 330 (26) 3,344 (57.2) 2,597 (47.3) 4,835 (91.9) 6,889 (690.1)
Other religious 1,871,850 (86,782) 831,060 (41,035) 115,010   (10,981) 925,780 (66,926) 13,270 (237) 7,020 (231) 790 (78) 5,460 (252) 4,439 (153.5) 4,072 (129.7) 6,402 (455.6) 4,524 (280.1)
Nonsectarian 842,290 (61,373) 279,290 (28,987) 87,720   (11,774) 475,270 (43,377) 5,850 (76) 2,900 (155) 670 (100) 2,290 (154) 11,120 (774.7) 10,128 (1,921.0) 14,447 (1,460.6) 11,089 (801.5)
                                                   
2003-04                                                  
Total 5,059,450 (104,287) 2,675,960 (55,714) 832,320   (54,051) 1,551,170 (82,059) 28,380 (262) 17,330 (262) 2,660 (206) 8,400 (217) $6,600 (144.5) $5,049 (119.5) $8,412 (433.4) $8,302 (289.7)
Catholic 2,320,040 (49,156) 1,645,680 (41,231) 584,250   (32,236) 90,110 (14,746) 7,920 (35) 6,530 (50) 1,060 (39) 320 (39) 4,254 (95.9) 3,533 (105.9) 6,046 (130.6) 5,801 (883.0)
Other religious 1,746,460 (63,090) 714,860 (28,935) 107,980 ! (33,776) 923,630 (48,379) 13,660 (203) 7,280 (200) 640 (175) 5,740 (182) 5,839 (143.9) 5,398 (161.4) 9,537 (962.6) 5,748 (230.3)
Nonsectarian 992,940 (71,519) 315,430 (30,820) 140,080   (27,556) 537,440 (59,332) 6,810 (136) 3,510 (141) 960 (108) 2,340 (144) 13,419 (379.1) 12,169 (468.5) 17,413 (1,987.6) 13,112 (480.4)
                                                   
2007-08                                                  
Total 5,165,280 (104,435) 2,462,980 (58,830) 850,750   (38,553) 1,851,550 (91,348) 28,220 (328) 16,370 (291) 3,040 (149) 8,810 (254) $8,549 (176.0) $6,733 (180.6) $10,549 (355.5) $10,045 (371.6)
Less than $2,499 455,850 (33,102) 271,960 (21,952)   (†) 173,660 (24,693) 6,100 (347) 3,450 (229) (†) 2,370 (226) 1,670 (80.6) 1,938 (80.7) (†) 1,313 (175.7)
$2,500 to $3,499 666,450 (42,950) 478,050 (33,038)   (†) 168,440 (26,113) 3,930 (257) 2,820 (225) (†) 1,020 (119) 3,428 (41.0) 3,453 (43.2) (†) 3,416 (116.5)
$3,500 to $5,999 1,790,410 (77,850) 1,066,750 (45,444) 143,510   (19,815) 580,150 (53,528) 9,110 (341) 6,100 (263) 550 (76) 2,460 (192) 5,206 (41.6) 5,218 (49.3) 5,081 (80.0) 5,214 (89.0)
$6,000 to $9,999 1,155,290 (60,342) 366,470 (37,396) 455,840   (33,376) 332,980 (36,574) 4,460 (232) 2,390 (188) 1,050 (85) 1,020 (114) 8,264 (100.6) 9,231 (286.7) 7,657 (104.7) 8,031 (191.9)
$10,000 or more 1,097,280 (67,145) 279,740 (31,540) 221,210   (23,837) 596,320 (60,614) 4,630 (232) 1,620 (156) 1,070 (96) 1,940 (150) 20,272 (513.4) 19,510 (1,006.4) 21,202 (1,081.1) 20,285 (712.1)
                                                   
Catholic 2,224,470 (49,385) 1,457,960 (32,114) 620,840   (32,581) 145,680 (25,445) 7,400 (34) 5,950 (57) 1,080 (46) 370 (39) 6,018 (180.3) 4,944 (211.6) 7,826 (231.8) 9,066 (964.2)
Less than $2,499 190,800 (20,946) 174,580 (20,080)   (†) (†) 1,130 (102) 1,050 (96) (†) (†) 2,144 (75.7) 2,166 (74.7) (†) (†)
$2,500 to $3,499 428,610 (35,795) 396,980 (32,130)   (†) (†) 1,680 (131) 1,630 (126) (†) (†) 3,352 (42.8) 3,385 (45.8) (†) (†)
$3,500 to $5,999 826,120 (37,974) 683,980 (32,576) 111,770   (16,043) (†) 3,040 (131) 2,680 (117) 280 (43) (†) 4,896 (48.8) 4,864 (56.7) 5,150 (80.2) (†)
$6,000 to $9,999 607,980 (49,329) 165,120 (28,123) 395,900   (30,158) (†) 1,170 (102) 470 (72) 630 (49) (†) 7,682 (116.3) 7,785 (240.4) 7,650 (116.7) (†)
$10,000 or more 170,960 (27,585) (†)   (†) (†) 380 (62) (†) (†) (†) 16,536 (1,704.9) (†) (†) (†)
                                                   
Other religious3 1,975,980 (81,216) 709,730 (36,666) 128,550   (15,136) 1,137,700 (75,038) 13,950 (282) 7,170 (228) 960 (85) 5,820 (192) 7,117 (237.1) 6,576 (241.5) 10,493 (1,336.5) 7,073 (358.7)
Less than $2,499 221,810 (25,272) 94,820 (10,131)   (†) 122,890 (21,602) 4,160 (294) 2,320 (215) (†) 1,780 (185) 1,577 (129.3) 1,552 (178.6) (†) 1,601 (185.7)
$2,500 to $3,499 208,200 (24,333) 77,840 (11,714)   (†) 129,590 (23,401) 2,020 (208) 1,120 (175) (†) 880 (115) 3,520 (84.3) 3,758 (170.4) (†) 3,380 (74.7)
$3,500 to $5,999 860,370 (59,588) 340,150 (27,800)   (†) 489,390 (49,116) 5,030 (257) 2,640 (170) (†) 2,160 (175) 5,372 (74.8) 5,568 (110.6) (†) 5,269 (100.8)
$6,000 to $9,999 384,850 (39,687) 103,280 (15,561) 57,150   (10,809) 224,420 (33,273) 1,640 (137) 680 (94) 370 (65) 600 (72) 8,045 (155.1) 8,807 (429.9) 7,683 (187.6) 7,787 (163.8)
$10,000 or more 300,750 (34,146) 93,640 (19,216)   (†) 171,400 (31,330) 1,100 (114) 420 (72) (†) 420 (81) 17,497 (759.9) 15,209 (632.4) (†) 18,008 (1,196.0)
                                                   
Nonsectarian 964,830 (55,074) 295,280 (25,191) 101,370   (12,739) 568,180 (48,321) 6,860 (119) 3,240 (143) 1,010 (87) 2,620 (138) 17,316 (555.2) 15,945 (702.2) 27,302 (1,506.3) 16,247 (795.3)
Less than $2,499 43,250 (6,840) (†)   (†) (†) 800 (113) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
$2,500 to $3,499 (†) (†)   (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
$3,500 to $5,999 103,930 (18,494) 42,610 (7,809)   (†) (†) 1,040 (143) 770 (139) (†) (†) 6,289 (352.1) 8,094 (687.4) (†) (†)
$6,000 to $9,999 162,450 (24,872) 98,070 (16,434)   (†) (†) 1,650 (168) 1,250 (151) (†) (†) 10,963 (530.4) 12,111 (792.2) (†) (†)
$10,000 or more 625,570 (45,837) 148,810 (20,542) 90,480   (12,896) 386,280 (43,701) 3,150 (177) 1,070 (129) 660 (77) 1,410 (131) 22,628 (703.0) 21,232 (1,046.6) 30,265 (1,589.3) 21,377 (983.4)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Only includes kindergarten students who attend schools that offer first or higher grade.
2 Each school reports the highest annual tuition charged for a full-time student; this amount does not take into account discounts that individual students may receive. This amount is weighted by the number of students enrolled in each school and averaged.
3 For a complete list of other religions that schools could select, please see question 21 of the “Private School Questionnaire” at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/pdf/0708/sass3b.pdf.
NOTE: Excludes schools not offering first or higher grade. Elementary schools have grade 6 or lower and no grade higher than 8. Secondary schools have no grade lower than 7. Combined schools have grades lower than 7 and higher than 8. Excludes prekindergarten students. Includes a small percentage of schools reporting tuition of 0; these private schools are often under contract to public school districts to provide special education services. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and cell suppression. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Private School Questionnaire," 1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2007-08. (This table was prepared in January 2012.)

2012 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest