U.S. Private School Enrollment Trends 2026: National Statistics & Charts
The latest NCES Private School Universe Survey estimates 5,096,365 K–12 students enrolled in 30,553 private schools during school year 2023–24. The survey also estimates 517,780 full-time-equivalent teachers.
Private K–12 enrollment increased by 365,062 students, or 7.7 percent, from the 2021–22 PSS estimate of 4,731,303. The 2023–24 pupil-teacher ratio remained 9.8 students per FTE teacher.
Private School Enrollment Statistics
The latest national estimates come from the 2023–24 Private School Universe Survey. The 2021–22 values remain the prior PSS comparison point.
K–12 Private Enrollment Trend, 2011–2023
Comparable PSS K–12 enrollment estimates from the 2011–12 through 2023–24 survey collections.
K–12 private enrollment increased from 4.73 million in 2021–22 to 5.10 million in 2023–24, a rise of 365,062 students or 7.7 percent.
Recent enrollment movement
- The 2023–24 estimate is the highest point in the comparable K–12 series shown here from 2011–12 onward.
- Enrollment rose 13.4 percent from 2011–12 to 2023–24.
- The 2021–22 to 2023–24 increase is a comparison of weighted survey estimates, not a count of individual student transfers.
| Measure | 2021–22 | 2023–24 | Change | Percent change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private schools | 29,727 | 30,553 | +826 | +2.8% |
| K–12 students | 4,731,303 | 5,096,365 | +365,062 | +7.7% |
| FTE teachers | 482,571 | 517,780 | +35,209 | +7.3% |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 9.8 | 9.8 | 0.0 | 0.0% |
Historical Enrollment Series, 1995–2021
This historical Digest series includes prekindergarten students enrolled in schools that also offer kindergarten or higher grades. It is retained separately from the K–12 PSS trend above because the coverage differs.
| Fall year | Private enrollment | Private share | PK–8 | Grades 9–12 | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 5,918,000 | 11.7% | 4,756,000 | 1,163,000 | 1,509,000 | 1,525,000 | 1,744,000 | 1,141,000 |
| 1997 | 5,944,000 | 11.4% | 4,759,000 | 1,185,000 | 1,496,000 | 1,528,000 | 1,804,000 | 1,116,000 |
| 1999 | 6,018,000 | 11.4% | 4,789,000 | 1,229,000 | 1,507,000 | 1,520,000 | 1,863,000 | 1,127,000 |
| 2001 | 6,320,000 | 11.7% | 5,023,000 | 1,296,000 | 1,581,000 | 1,556,000 | 1,975,000 | 1,208,000 |
| 2003 | 6,099,000 | 11.2% | 4,788,000 | 1,311,000 | 1,513,000 | 1,460,000 | 1,944,000 | 1,182,000 |
| 2005 | 6,073,000 | 11.0% | 4,724,000 | 1,349,000 | 1,430,000 | 1,434,000 | 1,976,000 | 1,234,000 |
| 2007 | 5,910,000 | 10.8% | 4,546,000 | 1,364,000 | 1,426,000 | 1,352,000 | 1,965,000 | 1,167,000 |
| 2009 | 5,488,000 | 10.1% | 4,179,000 | 1,309,000 | 1,310,000 | 1,296,000 | 1,842,000 | 1,041,000 |
| 2011 | 5,268,000 | 9.7% | 3,977,000 | 1,291,000 | 1,252,000 | 1,263,000 | 1,747,000 | 1,006,000 |
| 2013 | 5,396,000 | 9.8% | 4,084,000 | 1,312,000 | 1,201,000 | 1,326,000 | 1,840,000 | 1,028,000 |
| 2015 | 5,751,000 | 10.3% | 4,304,000 | 1,446,000 | 1,314,000 | 1,408,000 | 1,965,000 | 1,062,000 |
| 2017 | 5,720,000 | 10.2% | 4,252,000 | 1,468,000 | 1,229,000 | 1,378,000 | 2,030,000 | 1,082,000 |
| 2019 | 5,486,000 | 9.8% | 4,066,000 | 1,420,000 | 1,133,000 | 1,240,000 | 2,037,000 | 1,076,000 |
| 2021 | 5,474,000 | 10.0% | 4,071,000 | 1,402,000 | 1,116,000 | 1,231,000 | 2,055,000 | 1,071,000 |
Regional movement in the historical series
- The South accounted for 2.06 million students, or about 37.5 percent of the 2021 total.
- From 1995 to 2021, Southern enrollment rose 17.8 percent; the Northeast, Midwest, and West recorded lower totals.
- Grades 9–12 reached their series high in 2017, while the broader PK–8 count peaked in 2001.
Historical Private School Sector Composition, 2011–2021
The orientation and grade-level tables below retain the 2011–2021 PSS series as historical context.
Other Religious Schools Became the Largest Orientation Group by 2021
K–12 enrollment by Catholic, other religious, and nonsectarian orientation.
The three orientation groups sum to the K–12 total. Prekindergarten enrollment is excluded from this comparison.
Orientation changes from 2011 to 2021
- Catholic enrollment declined from 1.93 million to 1.67 million, a decrease of about 13.7 percent.
- Other religious enrollment rose from 1.68 million to 1.96 million, an increase of about 17.1 percent.
- Nonsectarian enrollment rose 24.0 percent to 1.10 million.
| Fall year | K–12 total | Catholic | Other religious | Nonsectarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 4,494,850 | 1,928,390 | 1,676,650 | 889,810 |
| 2013 | 4,576,420 | 1,891,390 | 1,711,350 | 973,680 |
| 2015 | 4,903,600 | 1,901,470 | 1,932,820 | 1,069,300 |
| 2017 | 4,898,160 | 1,961,670 | 1,857,770 | 1,078,710 |
| 2019 | 4,652,900 | 1,742,970 | 1,812,600 | 1,097,330 |
| 2021 | 4,731,300 | 1,665,000 | 1,962,880 | 1,103,410 |
High School Enrollment Grew Faster Than K–8, 2011–2021
K–8 enrollment
Fall 2021 enrollment was 3.9 percent above the fall 2011 level.
Grades 9–12 enrollment
Fall 2021 enrollment was 8.6 percent above the fall 2011 level.
2021 enrollment split
K–8 students accounted for 70.4 percent of K–12 private enrollment; grades 9–12 accounted for 29.6 percent.
2021–22 School Size Distribution
The school-size table uses 2021–22 PSS estimates and remains historical. School counts describe institutions in each enrollment band, not the share of students in that band.
| Enrollment band | Schools | Share of schools |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 50 | 11,878 | 40.0% |
| 50–149 | 8,075 | 27.2% |
| 150–299 | 5,260 | 17.7% |
| 300–499 | 2,536 | 8.5% |
| 500–749 | 1,139 | 3.8% |
| 750 or more | 839 | 2.8% |
School count concentration
- 67.2 percent of private schools enrolled fewer than 150 K–12 students.
- Schools with 750 or more students represented only 2.8 percent of institutions.
- Small-school prevalence explains why the national school count can move differently from total student enrollment.
What the Enrollment Data Shows
The newest PSS estimates raise the national K–12 enrollment, school, and teacher totals above their 2021–22 levels.
Enrollment rose between the two latest PSS collections
K–12 private enrollment increased from 4,731,303 in 2021–22 to 5,096,365 in 2023–24. The point-estimate change was 365,062 students, or 7.7 percent.
Schools and teacher FTE also increased
The estimated number of private schools rose from 29,727 to 30,553, while teacher FTE increased from 482,571 to 517,780.
The pupil-teacher ratio remained 9.8
The national private-school pupil-teacher ratio was 9.8 in both 2021–22 and 2023–24 after rounding to one decimal place.
Historical and current series use different scopes
The older Digest series includes prekindergarten students in schools that also offer kindergarten or higher grades. The current PSS headline and the main 2011–2023 trend use K–12 enrollment, so the two series are shown separately.
Source Years and Definitions
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2023–24 Private School Universe Survey, NCES 2026-015, published May 2026. NCES 2023–24 PSS report.
2023–24 PSS estimates: 30,553 private schools, 5,096,365 K–12 students, and 517,780 FTE teachers.
2021–22 PSS tables provide the prior estimates of 29,727 schools, 4,731,303 K–12 students, and 482,571 FTE teachers. NCES 2021–22 PSS tables.
Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 205.10, selected fall years from 1995 through 2021. This broader series includes qualifying prekindergarten enrollment.
Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 205.20, PSS collections from 2011–12 through 2021–22.
Private schools in the 50 states and District of Columbia that provide classroom instruction for one or more K–12 grades or comparable ungraded levels.
Measurement boundary: The 2023–24 headline total and the main K–12 trend exclude prekindergarten. The historical 1995–2021 Digest table includes prekindergarten students enrolled in private schools that also offer kindergarten or higher grades. Those totals are not treated as the same series. The 2021–22 school-size and orientation tables remain historical sections and are labeled by period.
Change calculations: Enrollment change equals 5,096,365 minus 4,731,303, or 365,062 students. The percentage change is 7.7 percent. School count increased by 826, or 2.8 percent, and teacher FTE increased by 35,209, or 7.3 percent. Percentages are calculated from the published point estimates and rounded to one decimal place.
Survey estimate: PSS national totals are survey estimates rather than direct administrative counts of every private-school student. The year 2026 identifies the publication cycle; the latest observations refer to school year 2023–24.