Table 4. Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by urbanicity type and selected characteristics: United States, 2015

Private School Universe Survey (PSS)

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Table 4. Number and percentage distribution of private schools, by urbanicity type and selected characteristics: United States, 2015–16


Selected characteristic	Total		City		Suburban		Town				Rural
Selected characteristic	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number		Percent		Number	Percent
Total	34,576	100.0	11,476	100.0	12,662	100.0	2,900		100.0		7,539	100.0

Private school typology
Catholic	7,008	20.3	2,884	25.1	2,691	21.3	833		28.7		600	8.0
Parochial	2,734	7.9	1,021	8.9	1,116	8.8	354		12.2		244	3.2
Diocesan	3,129	9.0	1,356	11.8	1,142	9.0	415		14.3		215	2.9
Private	1,145	3.3	507	4.4	433	3.4	64		2.2		141	1.9

Other religious	16,264	47.0	4,552	39.7	4,604	36.4	1,632		56.3		5,476	72.6
Conservative Christian	4,154	12.0	1,054	9.2	1,485	11.7	659		22.7		955	12.7
Other affiliated	3,156	9.1	1,158	10.1	1,016	8.0	230		7.9		753	10.0
Unaffiliated	8,954	25.9	2,340	20.4	2,103	16.6	743		25.6		3,768	50.0

Nonsectarian	11,304	32.7	4,040	35.2	5,367	42.4	434		15.0		1,463	19.4
Regular	5,287	15.3	1,795	15.6	2,547	20.1	158		5.4		787	10.4
Special emhasis	4,408	12.7	1,715	14.9	2,028	16.0	188		6.5		477	6.3
Special education	1,610	4.7	530	4.6	792	6.3	89	!	3.1	!	199	2.6

School level
Elementary	21,907	63.4	7,342	64.0	8,551	61.7	1,781		61.4		4,223	56.2
Secondary	2,946	8.5	1,217	10.6	930	7.3	198		6.8		601	8.0
Combined	9,723	28.1	2,917	25.4	3,181	25.1	921		31.8		2,704	35.9

Program emphasis
Regular elementary/secondary	23,524	68.0	7,496	65.3	7,285	57.5	2,394		82.6		6,349	84.2
Montessori	3,449	10.0	1,278	11.1	1,756	13.9	147		5.1		267	3.5
Special program emphasis	1,017	2.9	432	3.8	292	2.3	40		1.4		‡	‡
Special education	1,857	5.4	605	5.3	924	7.3	94	!	3.2	!	235	3.1
Vocational/technical	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡		‡		‡	‡
Alternative	1,147	3.3	456	4.0	316	2.5	106	!	3.7	!	268	3.6
Early childhood	3,563	10.3	1,204	10.5	2,079	16.4	117		4.0		164	2.2

Size (number of students)
Less than 50	15,993	46.3	4,178	36.4	5,648	44.6	1,243		42.9		4,925	65.3
50-149	8,293	24.0	2,749	24.0	2,884	22.8	1,034		35.7		1,625	21.6
150-299	5,692	16.5	2,409	21.0	2,195	17.3	415		14.3		673	8.9
300-499	2,514	7.3	1,123	9.8	1,070	8.5	109		3.8		212	2.8
500-749	1,288	3.7	561	4.9	568	4.5	‡		‡			0.9
750 or more	796	2.3	456	4.0	298	2.4	‡		‡			0.5

Region
Northeast	7,771	22.5	1,945	17.0	3,667	29.0	294		10.1		1,865	24.7
Midwest	8,985	26.0	2,428	21.2	2,639	20.8	1,201		41.4		2,717	36.0
South	11,328	32.8	4,173	36.4	3,998	31.6	921		31.8		2,235	29.6
West	6,491	18.8	2,930	25.5	2,357	18.6	483		16.7		722	9.6
! 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, or CV for this estimate is 50 percent or greater.
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), 2015–16.

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