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Digest of Education Statistics
2019 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 205.45. Number and percentage distribution of private elementary and secondary students, number of teachers and pupil/teacher ratio, and number and average enrollment size of schools, by religious affiliation of school: Fall 1999, fall 2009, and fall 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]    
Religious affiliation of school Students1 Teachers, 20152 Schools, 2015
Fall 1999 Fall 2009
total number
Fall 2015 Number Pupil/teacher ratio Number Average enrollment size
Total number Percentage distribution Total number Percentage distribution Total number Percentage distribution Number in prekindergarten through grade 8 Number in grades 9 through 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Total 6,018,280   (30,179) 100.0   (†) 5,488,490   (35,857) 100.0   (†) 5,750,520   (85,729) 100.0   (†) 4,304,470   (69,171) 1,446,060   (23,777) 481,560   (7,265) 11.9   (0.06) 34,580   (953) 166   (4.1)
Religiously affiliated 4,853,780   (26,450) 80.7   (0.11) 4,236,440   (32,943) 77.2   (0.16) 4,351,490   (80,288) 75.7   (0.51) 3,259,050   (63,688) 1,092,430   (23,546) 336,400   (6,712) 12.9   (0.10) 23,270   (878) 187   (6.6)
African Methodist Episcopal 1,630   (†) #   (†) 2,190   (†) #   (†) 1,180   (†) #   (†) 1,070   (†) 110   (†) 100   (†) 12.0   (†) 10   (†) 129   (†)
Amish 20,480   (1,483) 0.3   (0.02) 49,630 ! (21,679) 0.9 ! (0.39) 68,780 ! (24,246) 1.2 ! (0.42) 68,610 ! (24,246) 160   (†) 3,860 ! (1,552) 17.8   (1.63) 2,110 ! (637) 33   (2.3)
Assembly of God 91,170   (682) 1.5   (0.01) 51,660   (846) 0.9   (0.02) 42,080   (†) 0.7   (0.01) 35,120   (†) 6,960   (†) 2,980   (†) 14.1   (†) 250   (†) 171   (†)
Baptist 374,740   (4,831) 6.2   (0.07) 289,480   (7,176) 5.3   (0.13) 239,170   (8,492) 4.2   (0.16) 190,620   (6,345) 48,550   (2,694) 19,760   (716) 12.1   (0.06) 1,860   (153) 128   (8.8)
Brethren 9,490   (†) 0.2   (#) 8,150   (†) 0.1   (#) 5,860   (†) 0.1   (#) 4,590   (†) 1,260   (†) 590   (†) 9.9   (†) 70   (†) 89   (†)
                                                                         
Calvinist 43,360   (†) 0.7   (#) 28,770   (2,809) 0.5   (0.05) 23,120   (†) 0.4   (0.01) 17,540   (†) 5,590   (†) 1,620   (†) 14.3   (†) 100   (†) 226   (†)
Christian (no specific denomination) 609,210   (13,920) 10.1   (0.20) 699,800   (11,027) 12.8   (0.18) 876,430   (67,287) 15.2   (1.01) 646,900   (45,531) 229,530   (23,314) 77,310   (6,296) 11.3   (0.24) 5,410   (347) 162   (11.2)
Church of Christ 57,060   (†) 0.9   (#) 35,510   (†) 0.6   (#) 29,520   (†) 0.5   (0.01) 21,450   (†) 8,080   (†) 2,290   (†) 12.9   (†) 120   (†) 253   (†)
Church of God 19,120   (949) 0.3   (0.02) 14,260   (515) 0.3   (0.01) 10,370   (†) 0.2   (#) 7,720   (†) 2,650   (†) 750   (†) 13.7   (†) 80   (†) 130   (†)
Church of God in Christ 3,710   (321) 0.1   (0.01) 4,100 ! (1,348) 0.1 ! (0.02) 2,870   (†) #   (†) 2,010   (†) 860   (†) 120   (†) 23.2   (†) 20   (†) 143   (†)
                                                                         
Church of the Nazarene   (†)   (†) 18,490 ! (8,673) 0.3 ! (0.16) 9,250   (†) 0.2   (#) 8,280   (†) 970   (†) 590   (†) 15.6   (†) 70   (†) 132   (†)
Disciples of Christ   (†)   (†) 1,420   (†) #   (†) 1,780   (†) #   (†) 1,770   (†) 20   (†) 90   (†) 20.3   (†) 10   (†) 205   (†)
Episcopal 135,100   (16,971) 2.2   (0.28) 112,710   (919) 2.1   (0.02) 103,710   (†) 1.8   (0.03) 75,820   (†) 27,880   (†) 11,090   (†) 9.3   (†) 350   (†) 293   (†)
Friends 18,760   (471) 0.3   (0.01) 22,140   (†) 0.4   (#) 24,450   (†) 0.4   (0.01) 17,140   (†) 7,310   (†) 3,000   (†) 8.2   (†) 90   (†) 276   (†)
Greek Orthodox 5,520   (†) 0.1   (#) 4,670   (†) 0.1   (#) 6,310   (347) 0.1   (0.01) 5,910   (347) 400   (†) 540   (29) 11.8   (0.01) 40   (4) 168   (9.5)
                                                                         
Islamic 20,450   (993) 0.3   (0.02) 34,550   (1,547) 0.6   (0.03) 46,000   (1,653) 0.8   (0.03) 40,170   (1,653) 5,820   (†) 4,870   (335) 9.4   (0.32) 290   (44) 157   (18.8)
Jewish 198,580   (465) 3.3   (0.02) 256,250   (14,752) 4.7   (0.26) 334,410   (12,335) 5.8   (0.24) 255,970   (9,419) 78,430   (3,728) 32,670   (1,269) 10.2   (0.11) 1,120   (74) 299   (11.3)
Latter Day Saints 710   (†) #   (†) 1,720   (†) #   (†) 1,660   (†) #   (†) 1,210   (†) 440   (†) 140   (†) 11.6   (†) 10   (†) 305   (†)
                                                                         
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod 211,360   (1,658) 3.5   (0.03) 163,750   (33) 3.0   (0.02) 158,330   (5,416) 2.8   (0.10) 135,710   (4,069) 22,610   (3,575) 9,690   (364) 16.3   (0.18) 1,000   (45) 158   (5.5)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 32,530   (348) 0.5   (0.01) 20,370   (†) 0.4   (#) 16,410   (†) 0.3   (#) 16,050   (†) 360   (†) 950   (†) 17.2   (†) 130   (†) 126   (†)
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 37,230   (†) 0.6   (#) 35,420   (†) 0.6   (#) 33,920   (†) 0.6   (0.01) 27,970   (†) 5,950   (†) 2,260   (†) 15.0   (†) 320   (†) 107   (†)
Other Lutheran 5,100   (70) 0.1   (#) 5,300   (†) 0.1   (#) 6,530   (†) 0.1   (#) 5,930   (†) 600   (†) 410   (†) 16.1   (†) 70   (†) 89   (†)
                                                                         
Mennonite 24,800   (1,337) 0.4   (0.02) 29,260   (3,261) 0.5   (0.06) 30,530   (3,651) 0.5   (0.06) 24,880   (3,651) 5,650   (†) 2,860   (434) 10.7   (0.38) 610   (137) 50   (5.8)
Methodist 41,920   (1,401) 0.7   (0.02) 37,980   (1,437) 0.7   (0.03) 36,590   (1,692) 0.6   (0.03) 32,600   (1,692) 3,990   (†) 2,000   (26) 18.3   (0.61) 290   (26) 127   (5.4)
Pentecostal 38,370   (599) 0.6   (0.01) 20,570   (2,628) 0.4   (0.05) 21,490   (3,701) 0.4   (0.06) 16,420   (2,278) 5,060   (1,423) 2,210   (414) 9.7   (0.18) 430 ! (143) 50   (9.7)
Presbyterian 50,990   (†) 0.8   (#) 51,530   (360) 0.9   (0.01) 56,090   (4,379) 1.0   (0.07) 47,710   (4,272) 8,380   (251) 3,770   (274) 14.9   (0.79) 320   (65) 174   (25.6)
Roman Catholic 2,660,420   (4,831) 44.2   (0.24) 2,160,220   (3,494) 39.4   (0.25) 2,082,660   (42,791) 36.2   (0.66) 1,487,620   (42,646) 595,050   (2,166) 143,190   (1,958) 14.5   (0.13) 7,010   (121) 297   (5.1)
                                                                         
Seventh-Day Adventist 63,540   (240) 1.1   (0.01) 53,820   (365) 1.0   (0.01) 53,330   (550) 0.9   (0.02) 39,600   (550) 13,720   (†) 4,000   (46) 13.3   (0.05) 800   (46) 67   (3.2)
Other 76,690   (8,847) 1.3   (0.14) 22,720   (†) 0.4   (#) 28,670   (800) 0.5   (0.02) 22,640   (800) 6,030   (†) 2,700   (240) 10.6   (0.66) 300   (80) 94   (24.7)
                                                                         
Not religiously affiliated 1,164,500   (8,156) 19.3   (0.11) 1,252,050   (8,849) 22.8   (0.16) 1,399,030   (29,132) 24.3   (0.51) 1,045,410   (27,611) 353,620   (5,530) 145,160   (2,801) 9.6   (0.09) 11,300   (424) 124   (2.7)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
# Rounds to zero.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.
1 Includes students in prekindergarten in schools that offer kindergarten or higher grade.
2 Reported in full-time equivalents (FTE). Excludes teachers who teach only prekindergarten students.
NOTE: Tabulation includes schools that offer kindergarten or higher grade. 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, 2009-10, and 2015–16. (This table was prepared January 2019.)

2019 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest