Private School Universe Survey (PSS)
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Table 17. Number and percentage distribution of private school students, by school level and selected school characteristics: United States, 2017–18

  School level
  Total   Elementary   Secondary   Combined
Selected school characteristics Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent  
Total4,898,154  100.0  2,169,867  100.0  808,599  100.0  1,919,688  100.0  
                                 
Private school typology                                
Catholic 1,961,673   40.0   1,181,713   54.5   578,298   71.5   201,663   10.5  
Parochial 581,554   11.9   494,051   22.8   38,930   4.8   48,574   2.5  
Diocesan 960,310   19.6   609,420   28.1   304,985   37.7   45,904   2.4  
Private 419,809   8.6   78,242   3.6   234,382   29.0   107,185   5.6  
                                 
Other religious 1,857,777   37.9   636,989   29.4   119,859   14.8   1,100,929   57.3  
Conservative Christian 598,533   12.2   113,826   5.2   16,725   2.1   467,982   24.4  
Other affiliated 557,791   11.4   205,984   9.5   53,010   6.6   298,797   15.6  
Unaffiliated 701,452   14.3   317,179   14.6   50,125   6.2   334,149   17.4  
                                 
Nonsectarian 1,078,704   22.0   351,165   16.2   110,442   13.7   617,097   32.1  
Regular 705,713   14.4   196,454   9.1   78,201   9.7   431,057   22.5  
Special emphasis 261,878   5.3   141,970   6.5   22,870   2.8   97,039   5.1  
Special education 111,113   2.3   12,741   0.6   9,371   1.2   89,001   4.6  
                                 
Program emphasis                                
Regular elementary/secondary 4,345,691   88.7   1,933,500   89.1   755,395   93.4   1,656,797   86.3  
Montessori 120,465   2.5   89,062   4.1   ‡   ‡   30,518 ! 1.6 !
Special program emphasis 164,694   3.4   53,618   2.5   21,250   2.6   89,825   4.7  
Special education 121,630   2.5   14,778   0.7   10,159   1.3   96,693   5.0  
Vocational/technical 2,923   0.1   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡   ‡  
Alternative 106,881   2.2   45,353   2.1   19,371   2.4   42,158   2.2  
Early childhood 35,870   0.7   33,420   1.5   †   †   2,450 ! 0.1 !
                                 
Size (number of students)                                
Less than 50 298,837   6.1   196,050   9.0   19,173   2.4   83,614   4.4  
50–149 749,855   15.3   449,272   20.7   59,362   7.3   241,221   12.6  
150–299 1,205,630   24.6   749,095   34.5   91,508   11.3   365,028   19.0  
300–499 995,974   20.3   532,830   24.6   149,372   18.5   313,772   16.3  
500–749 699,184   14.3   162,175   7.5   201,939   25.0   335,069   17.5  
750 or more 948,675   19.4   80,445   3.7   287,246   35.5   580,984   30.3  
                                 
Region                                
Northeast 1,076,392   22.0   453,414   20.9   236,756   29.3   386,222   20.1  
Midwest 1,195,470   24.4   676,381   31.2   211,387   26.1   307,701   16.0  
South 1,705,923   34.8   602,142   27.8   201,371   24.9   902,409   47.0  
West 920,370   18.8   437,930   20.2   159,084   19.7   323,355   16.8  
                                 
Urbanicity type                                
City 2,153,089   44.0   926,396   42.7   394,222   48.8   832,471   43.4  
Suburban 1,906,478   38.9   908,292   41.9   314,670   38.9   683,516   35.6  
Town 311,956   6.4   158,354   7.3   32,271   4.0   121,331   6.3  
Rural 526,631   10.8   176,825   8.1   67,435   8.3   282,371   14.7  
† Not applicable.
! 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). A school is classified as elementary if it has one or more of grades K–6 and does not have any grade higher than grade 8. A school is classified as secondary if it has one or more of grades 7–12 and does not have any grade lower than grade 7. A school is classified as combined if it has one or more of grades K–6 and one or more of grades 9–12. Schools in which all students are ungraded (i.e., not classified by standard grade levels) are also classified as combined.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2017–18.

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