Private School Universe Survey (PSS)
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Table 21. Number and percentage distribution of traditional private schools, students, and full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, by selected school characteristics: United States, 2017–18

  Schools   Students   FTE teachers  
Selected school characteristics Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent  
Total 28,141   100.0   4,839,143   100.0   470,807   100.0  
                         
Private school typology                        
Catholic 6,948   24.7   1,959,425   40.5   152,576   32.4  
Parochial 2,400   8.5   581,040   12.0   43,280   9.2  
Diocesan 3,438   12.2   959,172   19.8   73,320   15.6  
Private 1,110   3.9   419,213   8.7   35,976   7.6  
                         
Other religious 13,424   47.7   1,842,756   38.1   180,400   38.3  
Conservative Christian 3,695   13.1   596,746   12.3   56,767   12.1  
Other affiliated 2,857   10.2   555,798   11.5   57,105   12.1  
Unaffiliated 6,873   24.4   690,213   14.3   66,528   14.1  
                         
Nonsectarian 7,768   27.6   1,036,962   21.4   137,831   29.3  
Regular 3,034   10.8   684,920   14.2   84,056   17.9  
Special emphasis 2,968   10.5   240,983   5.0   32,905   7.0  
Special education 1,766   6.3   111,060   2.3   20,870   4.4  
                         
School level                        
Elementary 15,770   56.0   2,110,856   43.6   188,603   40.1  
Secondary 2,845   10.1   808,599   16.7   73,686   15.7  
Combined 9,526   33.9   1,919,688   39.7   208,518   44.3  
                         
Program emphasis                        
Regular elementary/secondary 22,088   78.5   4,345,691   89.8   402,661   85.5  
Montessori 1,753   6.2   108,658   2.2   15,048   3.2  
Special program emphasis 1,021   3.6   164,444   3.4   19,522   4.1  
Special education 1,970   7.0   121,567   2.5   22,668   4.8  
Vocational/technical 22   0.1   2,923   0.1   295   0.1  
Alternative 1,126   4.0   90,197   1.9   10,007   2.1  
Early childhood 161 ! 0.6 ! 5,664   0.1   607   0.1  
                         
Size (number of students)                        
Less than 50 9,703   34.5   248,713   5.1   39,661   8.4  
50–149 8,126   28.9   746,636   15.4   90,890   19.3  
150–299 5,723   20.3   1,204,752   24.9   111,017   23.6  
300–499 2,593   9.2   995,511   20.6   87,486   18.6  
500–749 1,154   4.1   699,184   14.4   62,199   13.2  
750 or more 842   3.0   944,348   19.5   79,553   16.9  
                         
Region                        
Northeast 5,974   21.2   1,063,482   22.0   113,996   24.2  
Midwest 7,176   25.5   1,186,985   24.5   101,181   21.5  
South 9,763   34.7   1,683,126   34.8   171,753   36.5  
West 5,229   18.6   905,550   18.7   83,877   17.8  
                         
Urbanicity type                        
City 9,161   32.6   2,133,538   44.1   203,051   43.1  
Suburban 9,723   34.6   1,872,280   38.7   179,195   38.1  
Town 2,559   9.1   310,028   6.4   30,843   6.6  
Rural 6,697   23.8   523,297   10.8   57,718   12.3  
! 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).
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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