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Digest of Education Statistics
2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 205.15. Private elementary and secondary school enrollment, percentage distribution of private school enrollment, and private enrollment as a percentage of total enrollment in public and private schools, by school orientation and grade: Selected years, fall 1999 through fall 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Grade 1999 2005 2011 2013 2015
Total Catholic Other religious Nonsectarian
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
  Enrollment
Total, all
       grades
6,018,280   (30,179) 6,073,240   (42,446) 5,268,090   (24,908) 5,395,740   (50,342) 5,750,520   (85,729) 2,082,660   (42,791) 2,268,820   (68,162) 1,399,030   (29,132)
Prekindergarten
      through grade 8
4,788,990   (23,055) 4,724,310   (33,034) 3,976,960   (18,241) 4,083,860   (42,441) 4,304,470   (69,171) 1,487,620   (42,646) 1,771,440   (47,422) 1,045,410   (27,611)
Prekindergarten 763,790   (6,261) 926,430   (15,701) 773,240   (2,420) 819,320   (10,185) 846,920   (17,898) 181,190   (7,731) 336,000   (8,563) 329,730   (10,690)
Kindergarten 593,690   (4,053) 547,590   (4,887) 449,820   (2,989) 461,730   (5,429) 466,470   (8,411) 148,250   (4,592) 190,540   (4,799) 127,680   (4,513)
1st grade 472,110   (2,080) 421,120   (2,826) 348,730   (2,191) 357,860   (4,963) 373,850   (6,901) 141,450   (4,075) 165,900   (5,400) 66,510   (1,789)
2nd grade 449,090   (2,248) 405,470   (2,659) 340,230   (2,008) 344,520   (4,887) 368,450   (6,625) 144,700   (4,639) 159,360   (4,671) 64,390   (1,534)
3rd grade 436,730   (1,962) 398,120   (2,462) 336,150   (1,850) 338,840   (4,193) 364,290   (6,479) 144,160   (3,822) 156,890   (5,176) 63,240   (1,469)
4th grade 425,140   (1,956) 391,530   (2,297) 328,950   (1,921) 337,440   (4,508) 357,820   (6,202) 143,150   (4,268) 152,500   (4,499) 62,180   (1,144)
5th grade 407,590   (2,019) 389,720   (2,379) 330,390   (1,832) 337,950   (4,192) 354,710   (5,903) 143,180   (3,731) 148,220   (4,520) 63,310   (1,015)
6th grade 403,110   (2,094) 393,220   (2,280) 341,690   (1,766) 344,960   (4,820) 372,750   (7,276) 148,830   (4,623) 154,780   (5,440) 69,140   (980)
7th grade 384,140   (2,140) 390,550   (4,093) 336,770   (1,684) 343,370   (4,317) 367,920   (6,574) 144,190   (3,463) 151,970   (5,354) 71,760   (936)
8th grade 369,580   (2,285) 387,720   (4,024) 336,670   (1,951) 343,500   (3,717) 363,840   (7,047) 142,720   (3,446) 147,740   (5,919) 73,370   (1,228)
Elementary ungraded 84,000   (1,267) 72,830   (1,916) 54,300   (672) 54,380   (1,061) 67,440   (11,164) 5,810   (†) 7,540   (1,184) 54,090   (11,101)
Grades 9 through 12 1,229,290   (8,260) 1,348,930   (18,073) 1,291,130   (15,396) 1,311,880   (14,936) 1,446,060   (23,777) 595,050   (2,166) 497,390   (23,622) 353,620   (5,530)
9th grade 336,220   (2,131) 356,130   (4,333) 329,600   (3,875) 333,610   (3,612) 367,810   (6,279) 152,790   (606) 130,540   (6,197) 84,470   (1,463)
10th grade 313,310   (1,919) 348,190   (5,949) 324,540   (4,161) 330,710   (3,780) 367,250   (6,041) 151,290   (535) 126,220   (5,984) 89,740   (1,451)
11th grade 294,650   (2,193) 326,260   (4,456) 318,310   (3,647) 324,680   (3,850) 356,150   (5,906) 146,850   (485) 122,090   (5,881) 87,210   (1,327)
12th grade 280,380   (1,958) 315,290   (4,850) 314,500   (3,769) 319,720   (3,787) 348,600   (5,652) 143,830   (544) 116,950   (5,641) 87,820   (1,371)
Secondary ungraded 4,720   (1,404) 3,070   (†) 4,180   (92) 3,160   (14) 6,240   (†) 290   (†) 1,580   (†) 4,370   (†)
  Percentage distribution
Total, all
       grades
100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Prekindergarten
      through grade 8
79.6   (0.06) 77.8   (0.22) 75.5   (0.23) 75.7   (0.22) 74.9   (0.27) 71.4   (0.59) 78.1   (0.51) 74.7   (0.53)
Prekindergarten 12.7   (0.08) 15.3   (0.21) 14.7   (0.08) 15.2   (0.15) 14.7   (0.22) 8.7   (0.21) 14.8   (0.34) 23.6   (0.42)
Kindergarten 9.9   (0.04) 9.0   (0.06) 8.5   (0.04) 8.6   (0.08) 8.1   (0.08) 7.1   (0.08) 8.4   (0.13) 9.1   (0.18)
1st grade 7.8   (0.02) 6.9   (0.03) 6.6   (0.02) 6.6   (0.05) 6.5   (0.07) 6.8   (0.07) 7.3   (0.17) 4.8   (0.08)
2nd grade 7.5   (0.01) 6.7   (0.03) 6.5   (0.02) 6.4   (0.05) 6.4   (0.06) 6.9   (0.09) 7.0   (0.09) 4.6   (0.07)
3rd grade 7.3   (0.02) 6.6   (0.03) 6.4   (0.02) 6.3   (0.04) 6.3   (0.05) 6.9   (0.05) 6.9   (0.08) 4.5   (0.07)
4th grade 7.1   (0.01) 6.4   (0.03) 6.2   (0.02) 6.3   (0.04) 6.2   (0.05) 6.9   (0.07) 6.7   (0.06) 4.4   (0.06)
5th grade 6.8   (0.01) 6.4   (0.04) 6.3   (0.02) 6.3   (0.04) 6.2   (0.05) 6.9   (0.05) 6.5   (0.08) 4.5   (0.06)
6th grade 6.7   (0.02) 6.5   (0.03) 6.5   (0.02) 6.4   (0.05) 6.5   (0.07) 7.1   (0.10) 6.8   (0.10) 4.9   (0.09)
7th grade 6.4   (0.02) 6.4   (0.04) 6.4   (0.02) 6.4   (0.05) 6.4   (0.06) 6.9   (0.06) 6.7   (0.10) 5.1   (0.09)
8th grade 6.1   (0.02) 6.4   (0.04) 6.4   (0.02) 6.4   (0.04) 6.3   (0.06) 6.9   (0.06) 6.5   (0.11) 5.2   (0.11)
Elementary ungraded 1.4   (0.02) 1.2   (0.03) 1.0   (0.01) 1.0   (0.02) 1.2   (0.19) 0.3   (0.01) 0.3   (0.05) 3.9   (0.74)
Grades 9 through 12 20.4   (0.06) 22.2   (0.22) 24.5   (0.23) 24.3   (0.22) 25.1   (0.27) 28.6   (0.59) 21.9   (0.51) 25.3   (0.53)
9th grade 5.6   (0.02) 5.9   (0.05) 6.3   (0.06) 6.2   (0.05) 6.4   (0.07) 7.3   (0.15) 5.8   (0.13) 6.0   (0.13)
10th grade 5.2   (0.01) 5.7   (0.08) 6.2   (0.06) 6.1   (0.06) 6.4   (0.07) 7.3   (0.15) 5.6   (0.13) 6.4   (0.14)
11th grade 4.9   (0.02) 5.4   (0.06) 6.0   (0.05) 6.0   (0.06) 6.2   (0.07) 7.1   (0.15) 5.4   (0.13) 6.2   (0.13)
12th grade 4.7   (0.02) 5.2   (0.07) 6.0   (0.06) 5.9   (0.06) 6.1   (0.07) 6.9   (0.14) 5.2   (0.12) 6.3   (0.13)
Secondary ungraded 0.1   (0.02) 0.1   (#) 0.1   (#) 0.1   (#) 0.1   (#) #   (†) 0.1   (#) 0.3   (#)
  Private enrollment as a percent of total enrollment
Total, all
       grades
11.4   (0.05) 11.0   (0.07) 9.7   (0.04) 9.8   (0.08) 10.3   (0.14) 4.0   (0.08) 4.3   (0.12) 2.7   (0.06)
Prekindergarten
      through grade 8
12.6   (0.05) 12.2   (0.07) 10.3   (0.04) 10.4   (0.10) 10.9   (0.16) 4.1   (0.11) 4.8   (0.12) 2.9   (0.07)
Prekindergarten 55.4   (0.20) 52.3   (0.42) 40.4   (0.08) 41.5   (0.30) 41.6   (0.51) 13.2   (0.49) 22.0   (0.44) 21.7   (0.55)
Kindergarten 14.9   (0.09) 13.2   (0.10) 10.7   (0.06) 10.8   (0.11) 11.2   (0.18) 3.8   (0.11) 4.9   (0.12) 3.3   (0.11)
1st grade 11.4   (0.04) 10.2   (0.06) 8.5   (0.08) 8.4   (0.11) 9.0   (0.15) 3.6   (0.10) 4.2   (0.13) 1.7   (0.05)
2nd grade 10.9   (0.05) 10.1   (0.06) 8.4   (0.05) 8.3   (0.11) 8.8   (0.14) 3.6   (0.11) 4.0   (0.11) 1.6   (0.04)
3rd grade 10.6   (0.04) 10.0   (0.06) 8.3   (0.05) 8.3   (0.09) 8.6   (0.14) 3.6   (0.09) 3.9   (0.12) 1.6   (0.04)
4th grade 10.3   (0.04) 9.9   (0.05) 8.2   (0.04) 8.4   (0.10) 8.6   (0.14) 3.6   (0.10) 3.9   (0.11) 1.6   (0.03)
5th grade 10.2   (0.05) 9.7   (0.05) 8.2   (0.04) 8.4   (0.10) 8.7   (0.13) 3.7   (0.09) 3.8   (0.11) 1.7   (0.03)
6th grade 10.2   (0.05) 9.7   (0.05) 8.4   (0.04) 8.6   (0.11) 9.1   (0.16) 3.8   (0.11) 4.0   (0.13) 1.8   (0.03)
7th grade 9.8   (0.05) 9.4   (0.09) 8.4   (0.04) 8.4   (0.10) 9.0   (0.15) 3.7   (0.09) 3.9   (0.13) 1.9   (0.02)
8th grade 9.5   (0.05) 9.3   (0.09) 8.4   (0.04) 8.4   (0.08) 8.9   (0.16) 3.7   (0.09) 3.8   (0.15) 1.9   (0.03)
Elementary ungraded 16.8   (0.21) 22.8   (0.46) 40.3   (0.30) 38.6   (0.46) 46.9   (4.20) 7.1   (†) 9.0   (1.28) 41.4   (5.06)
Grades 9 through 12 8.4   (0.05) 8.3   (0.10) 8.1   (0.09) 8.2   (0.09) 8.8   (0.13) 3.8   (0.01) 3.2   (0.15) 2.3   (0.04)
9th grade 7.9   (0.05) 7.7   (0.09) 7.7   (0.08) 7.8   (0.08) 8.4   (0.13) 3.7   (0.01) 3.2   (0.14) 2.1   (0.03)
10th grade 8.4   (0.05) 8.3   (0.13) 8.0   (0.09) 8.1   (0.09) 8.7   (0.13) 3.8   (0.01) 3.2   (0.15) 2.3   (0.04)
11th grade 8.8   (0.06) 8.6   (0.11) 8.3   (0.09) 8.5   (0.09) 9.0   (0.14) 3.9   (0.01) 3.3   (0.15) 2.4   (0.04)
12th grade 9.1   (0.06) 9.0   (0.13) 8.4   (0.09) 8.5   (0.09) 9.0   (0.13) 3.9   (0.01) 3.2   (0.15) 2.4   (0.04)
Secondary ungraded 3.6   (1.03) 3.2   (†) 9.5   (0.19) 6.8   (0.03) 11.7   (†) 0.6   (†) 3.2   (†) 8.5   (†)
†Not applicable.
#Rounds to zero.
NOTE: Includes enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12 in schools that offer kindergarten or higher grade. Ungraded students are prorated into prekindergarten through grade 8 and grades 9 through 12. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 1999-2000 through 2015-16; and Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," 1999-2000 through 2015-16. (This table was prepared June 2017.)

2017 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest