Private School Universe Survey (PSS)
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Number and percentage distribution of private school students, by school level and selected characteristics: United States, 2003–04
 
Selected characteristic Total   Elementary   Secondary   Combined
Number Percent   Number Percent   Number Percent   Number Percent
                       
                       
Total  5,122,772 100.0   2,694,494 100.0   845,083 100.0   1,583,194 100.0
                       
NCES typology                       
Catholic  2,365,220 46.2   1,658,769 61.6   609,601 72.1   96,850 6.1
Parochial  1,097,417 21.4   1,006,023 37.3   74,572 8.8   16,821 1.1
Diocesan  908,583 17.7   592,824 22.0   290,947 34.4   24,813 1.6
Private  359,220 7.0   59,921 2.2   244,082 28.9   55,217 3.5
                       
Other religious  1,835,559 35.8   734,408 27.3   116,986 13.8   984,165 62.2
Conservative Christian  773,847 15.1   216,009 8.0   24,700 2.9   533,138 33.7
Affiliated  553,305 10.8   263,694 9.8   60,890 7.2   228,721 14.4
Unaffiliated  508,407 9.9   254,705 9.5   31,395 3.7   222,307 14.0
                       
Nonsectarian  921,993 18.0   301,318 11.2   118,497 14.0   502,179 31.7
Regular  603,442 11.8   178,559 6.6   87,404 10.3   337,479 21.3
Special emphasis  213,986 4.2   108,763 4.0   21,308 2.5   83,914 5.3
Special education  104,566 2.0   13,996 0.5   9,784 1.2   80,786 5.1
                       
School level                       
Elementary  2,694,494 52.6   2,694,494 100.0   † †   † †
Secondary  845,083 16.5   † †   845,083 100.0   † †
Combined  1,583,194 30.9   † †   † †   1,583,194 100.0
                       
Program emphasis                       
Regular elementary/secondary                       
4,639,235 90.6   2,510,998 93.2   783,644 92.7   1,344,593 84.9
Montessori  83,110 1.6   72,296 2.7   ‡ ‡   9,678 0.6
Special program emphasis  170,196 3.3   58,875 2.2   27,667 3.3   83,654 5.3
Special education  114,829 2.2   15,940 0.6   10,551 1.2   88,338 5.6
Vocational/technical  ‡ ‡   ‡ ‡   ‡ ‡   ‡ ‡
Alternative  109,947 2.1   31,968 1.2   21,147 2.5   56,832 3.6
Early childhood  4,518 0.1   4,418 0.2   † †   ‡ ‡
                       
Size (number of students)                       
Less than 50  223,772 4.4   129,176 4.8   16,005 1.9   78,590 5.0
50–149  759,730 14.8   490,492 18.2   54,725 6.5   214,513 13.5
150–299  1,352,489 26.4   953,075 35.4   92,355 10.9   307,059 19.4
300–499  1,153,619 22.5   698,941 25.9   154,941 18.3   299,737 18.9
500–749  777,224 15.2   328,073 12.2   168,630 20.0   280,521 17.7
750 or more  855,938 16.7   94,738 3.5   358,426 42.4   402,774 25.4
                       
Region                       
Northeast  1,273,012 24.9   683,316 25.4   296,128 35.0   293,568 18.5
Midwest  1,270,736 24.8   817,570 30.3   233,419 27.6   219,747 13.9
South  1,611,775 31.5   656,584 24.4   160,380 19.0   794,810 50.2
West  967,249 18.9   537,023 19.9   155,156 18.4   275,070 17.4
                       
Community type                       
Central city  2,182,282 42.6   1,142,014 42.4   445,266 52.7   595,002 37.6
Urban fringe/large town  2,291,408 44.7   1,274,408 47.3   323,578 38.3   693,422 43.8
Rural/small town  649,082 12.7   278,072 10.3   76,238 9.0   294,771 18.6
                       
† Not applicable.
! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation for this estimate is larger than 25 percent. The standard error for this estimate is presented in the corresponding table in appendix C.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding or missing values in cells with too few sample cases.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2003–2004.

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