Private School Universe Survey (PSS)
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Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by urbanicity type and selected characteristics: United States, 2013–14

 
Selected characteristic Total   City   Suburban   Town   Rural
Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent   Number   Percent
Total33,619 100.0 10,632 100.0 12,108 100.0 2,892 100.0  7,987 100.0
                     
Private school typology                    
Catholic6,695 19.9 2,720 25.6 2,567 21.2 923 31.9  485 6.1
Parochial2,712 8.1 1,045 9.8 1,014 8.4 474 16.4  178 2.2
Diocesan2,977 8.9 1,208 11.4 1,151 9.5 404 14.0  213 2.7
Private1,007 3.0 466 4.4 402 3.3 45 1.5  94 1.2
                     
Other religious16,387 48.7 4,103 38.6 4,492 37.1 1,406 48.6  6,386 80.0
Conservative Christian4,255 12.7 1,107 10.4 1,571 13.0 541 18.7  1,036 13.0
Other affiliated3,035 9.0 1,191 11.2 1,058 8.7 253 8.8  532 6.7
Unaffiliated9,098 27.1 1,805 17.0 1,863 15.4 612 21.2  4,817!60.3
                     
Nonsectarian10,537 31.3 3,808 35.8 5,049 41.7 563 19.5  1,116 14.0
Regular5,229 15.6 1,862 17.5 2,662 22.0 188 6.5  517 6.5
Special emhasis  3,701 11.0 1,334 12.5 1,649 13.6 334 11.5  384 4.8
Special education1,607 4.8 613 5.8 738 6.1 41 1.4  215 2.7
                     
School level                    
Elementary22,509 67.0 6,977 65.6 8,229 68.0 1,883 65.1  5,419!67.9
Secondary2,701 8.0 1,124 10.6 922 7.6 189 6.5  467 5.8
Combined8,409 25.0 2,531 23.8 2,958 24.4 819 28.3  2,101 26.3
                     
Program emphasis
                    
Regular elementary/secondary 23,203 69.0 6,918 65.1 7,134 58.9 2,221 76.8  6,929 86.8
Montessori2,754 8.2 940 8.8 1,332 11.0 292!10.1  190 2.4
Special program emphasis 894 2.7 363 3.4 348 2.9 40 1.4  144 1.8
Special education1,844 5.5 704 6.6 840 6.9 51 1.7  249 3.1
Vocational/technical ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡  ‡ ‡
Alternative907 2.7 319 3.0 269 2.2 52 1.8  267 3.3
Early childhood4,009 11.9 1,383 13.0 2,180 18.0 236 8.2  209 2.6
                     
Size (number of students)                    
Less than 5016,237 48.3 3,881 36.5 5,312 43.9 1,251 43.3  5,793 72.5
50-1497,730 23.0 2,552 24.0 2,783 23.0 1,043 36.1  1,352 16.9
150-2995,350 15.9 2,185 20.6 2,163 17.9 442 15.3  560 7.0
300-4992,439 7.3 1,058 10.0 1,075 8.9 121 4.2  184 2.3
500-7491,119 3.3 524 4.9 502 4.1 27 0.9  66 0.8
750 or more743 2.2 431 4.1 273 2.3 ‡ ‡  32 0.4
                     
Region                    
Northeast7,363 21.9 1,736 16.3 3,561 29.4 288 10.0  1,778 22.3
Midwest 9,523 28.3 2,077 19.5 2,444 20.2 1,113 38.5  3,888!48.7
South 10,272 30.6 3,844 36.2 3,780 31.2 915 31.6  1,733 21.7
West6,461 19.2 2,975 28.0 2,323 19.2 576 19.9  588 7.4
! Interperet 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 12 (or comparable ungraded levels).
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2013–14.

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