Private School Universe Survey (PSS)
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Table 5. Number and percentage distribution of private school students, by urbanicity type and selected school characteristics: United States, 2017–18
                           
    Total   City   Suburban   Town   Rural  
Selected school characteristic   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent  
Total   4,898,154   100.0   2,153,089   100.0   1,906,478   100.0   311,956   100.0   526,631   100.0  
                                           
Private school typology                                          
Catholic   1,961,673   40.0   913,102   42.4   800,772   42.0   163,901   52.5   83,898   15.9  
Parochial   581,554   11.9   259,533   12.1   228,043   12.0   71,714   23.0   22,264   4.2  
Diocesan   960,310   19.6   435,718   20.2   409,345   21.5   84,927   27.2   30,320   5.8  
Private   419,809   8.6   217,851   10.1   163,384   8.6   7,261   2.3   31,314   5.9  
                                           
Other religious   1,857,777   37.9   750,495   34.9   686,917   36.0   103,023   33.0   317,341   60.3  
Conservative Christian   598,533   12.2   199,011   9.2   259,968   13.6   39,717   12.7   99,837   19.0  
Other affiliated   557,791   11.4   254,526   11.8   216,806   11.4   26,548   8.5   59,912   11.4  
Unaffiliated   701,452   14.3   296,959   13.8   210,143   11.0   36,759   11.8   157,592   29.9  
                                           
Nonsectarian   1,078,704   22.0   489,491   22.7   418,789   22.0   45,031   14.4   125,392   23.8  
Regular   705,713   14.4   327,755   15.2   261,235   13.7   27,894   8.9   88,830   16.9  
Special emphasis   261,878   5.3   119,507   5.6   102,836   5.4   14,787   4.7   24,748   4.7  
Special education   111,113   2.3   42,229   2.0   54,719   2.9   2,350   0.8   11,814   2.2  
                                           
School level                                          
Elementary   2,169,867   44.3   926,396   43.0   908,292   47.6   158,354   50.8   176,825   33.6  
Secondary   808,599   16.5   394,222   18.3   314,670   16.5   32,271   10.3   67,435   12.8  
Combined   1,919,688   39.2   832,471   38.7   683,516   35.9   121,331   38.9   282,371   53.6  
                                           
Program emphasis                                          
Regular elementary/ secondary   4,345,691   88.7   1,917,129   89.0   1,667,813   87.5   285,934   91.7   474,815   90.2  
Montessori   120,465   2.5   53,915   2.5   49,721   2.6   8,256 ! 2.6 ! 8,574   1.6  
Special program emphasis   164,694   3.4   80,557   3.7   60,696   3.2   6,621   2.1   16,819   3.2  
Special education   121,630   2.5   46,689   2.2   59,904   3.1   2,656   0.9   12,380   2.4  
Vocational/technical   2,923   0.1   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡  
Alternative   106,881   2.2   40,409   1.9   47,498   2.5   7,096   2.3   11,879   2.3  
Early childhood   35,870   0.7   12,965   0.6   20,204   1.1   820   0.3   1,880 ! 0.4 !
                                           
Size (number of students)                                          
Less than 50   298,837   6.1   69,099   3.2   96,603   5.1   19,853   6.4   113,281   21.5  
50 -149   749,855   15.3   240,688   11.2   275,492   14.5   108,460   34.8   125,214   23.8  
150- 299   1,205,630   24.6   505,483   23.5   452,407   23.7   110,741   35.5   137,000   26.0  
300-499   995,974   20.3   447,668   20.8   437,881   23.0   42,199   13.5   68,226   13.0  
500-749   699,184   14.3   330,022   15.3   301,595   15.8   19,314   6.2   48,253   9.2  
750 or more   948,675   19.4   560,129   26.0   342,500   18.0   ‡   ‡   34,657   6.6  
                                           
Region                                          
Northeast   1,076,392   22.0   404,586   18.8   528,923   27.7   38,537   12.4   104,345   19.8  
Midwest   1,195,470   24.4   482,040   22.4   416,833   21.9   156,598   50.2   139,999   26.6  
South   1,705,923   34.8   746,900   34.7   650,546   34.1   82,555   26.5   225,922   42.9  
West   920,370   18.8   519,562   24.1   310,176   16.3   34,266   11.0   56,365   10.7  
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent (i.e. the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).
‡ Reporting standards not met. There are fewer than 15 sample cases.
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 that 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), 2017–18.

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