Private school enrollment trends, read from official NCES data: in 2023-24, 5,096,365 students attended 30,553 private elementary and secondary schools in the United States. Religious schools enrolled 76 percent of those students, 39 percent of schools had fewer than 50 students, and California, Florida and New York enrolled the most.
Key takeaways
- In 2023-24, NCES counted 5,096,365 private school students in kindergarten through grade 12, at 30,553 schools.
- Read as published, that is the highest K-12 count in the NCES series shown here, which starts in 2009-10. NCES did not test the change between releases.
- Private schools enrolled between 9.7 and 10.3 percent of all PK-12 students in every count from 2009-10 to 2021-22, down from 11.7 percent in 1995-96.
- Two in three private schools had fewer than 150 students in 2023-24, and together they enrolled one in five private school students.
- Kindergarten and ninth grade held more private school students than the grades next to them.
Where the private school enrollment data comes from
Every figure here comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The main source is the Private School Universe Survey (PSS), which the U.S. Census Bureau conducts for NCES. The newest release covers the 2023-24 school year (NCES, PSS 2023-24 First Look). Earlier years come from the NCES Digest of Education Statistics, which compiles past survey rounds.
Two cautions before the tables:
- Scopes differ. The 2023-24 First Look counts students in kindergarten through grade 12, plus ungraded students. Digest totals also count prekindergarten students in schools that offer kindergarten or higher. To compare years, this article uses K-12 counts wherever the tables allow, and each table says which count it uses.
- NCES did not compare these years. The 2023-24 report presents its findings without comparisons over time, notes that its school-level categories differ from earlier surveys, and counts transitional kindergarten and transitional first grade within kindergarten. Figures shown side by side below are a reading of published numbers, not tested trends.
Private school enrollment by year
Private school students, kindergarten through grade 12
| School year | Students |
|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 4,700,120 |
| 2011-12 | 4,494,840 |
| 2013-14 | 4,576,420 |
| 2015-16 | 4,903,600 |
| 2017-18 | 4,898,150 |
| 2019-20 | 4,652,900 |
| 2021-22 | 4,731,300 |
| 2023-24 | 5,096,365 |
Sources: 2009-10 to 2021-22 from NCES Digest Table 205.20, kindergarten through grade 8 plus grades 9 through 12 (our sum, which matches the fall 2021 K-12 total in Digest Table 205.80). 2023-24 from the NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
Read as published, K-12 enrollment was lowest in 2011-12, rose by 2015-16, dipped in 2019-20 and reached its highest count in 2023-24. For the two years NCES did compare, it reported that private school enrollment "held steady overall" from 2019-20 to 2021-22, with enrollment in Catholic schools down 4 percent and in other religious schools up 8 percent (NCES, December 2023). The same release noted that enrollment in kindergarten through grade 4 increased between 3 and 9 percent across those grades, while grades 5 through 12 held steady except for 11th grade, which fell 3 percent.
Number of private schools
| School year | Schools |
|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 30,860 |
| 2019-20 | 30,490 |
| 2021-22 | 29,730 |
| 2023-24 | 30,553 |
Sources: 2011-12 to 2021-22 from NCES Digest Table 205.40, schools that offer kindergarten or higher. 2023-24 from the NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
NCES reported that the number of K-12 private schools decreased by 3 percent between 2019-20 and 2021-22. Read as published, the 2023-24 count is higher than either of those two.
Private school share of all students
Private school students and their share of all public and private students, prekindergarten through grade 12
| School year | Private students (thousands) | Share of all students |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 5,918 | 11.7% |
| 1997-98 | 5,944 | 11.4% |
| 1999-2000 | 6,018 | 11.4% |
| 2001-02 | 6,320 | 11.7% |
| 2003-04 | 6,099 | 11.2% |
| 2005-06 | 6,073 | 11.0% |
| 2007-08 | 5,910 | 10.8% |
| 2009-10 | 5,488 | 10.1% |
| 2011-12 | 5,268 | 9.7% |
| 2013-14 | 5,396 | 9.8% |
| 2015-16 | 5,751 | 10.3% |
| 2017-18 | 5,720 | 10.2% |
| 2019-20 | 5,486 | 9.8% |
| 2021-22 | 5,474 | 10.0% |
Source: NCES Digest Table 205.10, fall enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12 at schools that offer kindergarten or higher.
The private share peaked at 11.7 percent in this table, in 1995-96 and again in 2001-02, and has stayed between 9.7 and 10.3 percent since 2009-10. The table ends with 2021-22.
Private school enrollment trends by school type
Schools and students by religious orientation, 2023-24
| Orientation | Schools | Share of schools | Students | Share of students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 6,228 | 20.4% | 1,715,733 | 33.7% |
| Other religious | 14,157 | 46.3% | 2,147,469 | 42.1% |
| Nonsectarian | 10,169 | 33.3% | 1,233,162 | 24.2% |
| All private schools | 30,553 | 100% | 5,096,365 | 100% |
Source: NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Tables C-1 and C-2.
Within those groups, NCES counts 729,950 students in conservative Christian schools, 702,334 in other affiliated religious schools and 715,186 in unaffiliated religious schools. Among Catholic schools, diocesan schools enrolled 841,178 students, private Catholic schools 470,865 and parochial schools 403,691.
K-12 students by orientation and school year
| School year | Catholic | Other religious | Nonsectarian |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 2,009,640 | 1,752,010 | 938,470 |
| 2011-12 | 1,928,380 | 1,676,650 | 889,810 |
| 2013-14 | 1,891,390 | 1,711,350 | 973,680 |
| 2015-16 | 1,901,480 | 1,932,820 | 1,069,300 |
| 2017-18 | 1,961,680 | 1,857,780 | 1,078,710 |
| 2019-20 | 1,742,970 | 1,812,600 | 1,097,330 |
| 2021-22 | 1,665,000 | 1,962,890 | 1,103,420 |
| 2023-24 | 1,715,733 | 2,147,469 | 1,233,162 |
Sources: 2009-10 to 2021-22 from NCES Digest Table 205.20, kindergarten through grade 8 plus grades 9 through 12 (our sums). 2023-24 from the NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
Read as published, other religious schools have enrolled more K-12 students than Catholic schools in every count since 2019-20, nonsectarian enrollment rose in every count after 2011-12, and Catholic enrollment was lowest in 2021-22. The National Catholic Educational Association publishes its own yearly counts; our guide on how to increase Catholic school enrollment walks through them.
Schools and students by school level, 2023-24
| School level | Schools | Students | Share of students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary/middle | 17,598 | 1,988,438 | 39.0% |
| Secondary/high | 3,677 | 926,754 | 18.2% |
| Combined/other, including K-12 | 9,279 | 2,181,173 | 42.8% |
Source: NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
By program emphasis, NCES counts 2,378 Montessori schools enrolling 101,795 students in kindergarten and above. Our guide to Montessori school marketing covers what that size means for a Montessori enrollment plan.
Private school size: most schools are small
Private schools and students by school size, 2023-24
| Students per school | Schools | Share of schools | Students | Share of students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 50 | 12,035 | 39.4% | 270,841 | 5.3% |
| 50 to 149 | 8,148 | 26.7% | 749,388 | 14.7% |
| 150 to 299 | 5,430 | 17.8% | 1,144,617 | 22.5% |
| 300 to 499 | 2,838 | 9.3% | 1,088,247 | 21.4% |
| 500 to 749 | 1,125 | 3.7% | 676,945 | 13.3% |
| 750 or more | 978 | 3.2% | 1,166,327 | 22.9% |
Source: NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
By our arithmetic, schools with fewer than 150 students made up 66.1 percent of private schools and enrolled 20.0 percent of private school students. Schools with 750 or more students were 3.2 percent of schools and enrolled 22.9 percent of students.
Private school enrollment by state
The 10 states with the most private school students
| State | Schools, 2023-24 | Students K-12, 2023-24 | Students K-12, fall 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 3,096 | 563,877 | 543,280 |
| Florida | 2,774 | 486,463 | 422,170 |
| New York | 1,668 | 391,798 | 355,310 |
| Texas | 2,014 | 290,728 | 257,560 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,226 | 243,192 | 220,600 |
| Illinois | 1,244 | 206,639 | 185,920 |
| Ohio | 1,371 | 192,170 | 198,750 |
| New Jersey | 1,034 | 176,555 | 179,810 |
| Georgia | 894 | 169,916 | 151,510 |
| North Carolina | 800 | 151,586 | 127,730 |
Sources: 2023-24 from the NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-15. Fall 2021 from NCES Digest Table 205.80, kindergarten through grade 12 column.
By our arithmetic, these 10 states enrolled 2,872,924 private school students in 2023-24, or 56.4 percent of the national total. In eight of them the 2023-24 count is higher than the fall 2021 count, and in Ohio and New Jersey it is lower. Each estimate carries a margin of error, and NCES flags a few smaller jurisdictions, including the District of Columbia, Montana and South Dakota, to be interpreted with caution.
Students by region and community type, 2023-24
| Region or community | Students | Share of students |
|---|---|---|
| South | 1,932,540 | 37.9% |
| Midwest | 1,135,035 | 22.3% |
| Northeast | 1,037,760 | 20.4% |
| West | 991,030 | 19.4% |
| City | 2,299,043 | 45.1% |
| Suburban | 1,910,970 | 37.5% |
| Rural | 587,788 | 11.5% |
| Town | 298,563 | 5.9% |
Source: NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-1.
Private school enrollment by grade
Private school students by grade, 2023-24
| Grade | Students | Grade | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 472,558 | 7th | 385,147 |
| 1st | 388,754 | 8th | 382,839 |
| 2nd | 388,286 | 9th | 403,620 |
| 3rd | 376,540 | 10th | 386,827 |
| 4th | 369,774 | 11th | 375,231 |
| 5th | 367,829 | 12th | 361,275 |
| 6th | 382,998 | Ungraded | 54,687 |
Source: NCES PSS 2023-24 First Look, Table C-6. The kindergarten count includes transitional kindergarten and transitional first grade.
Kindergarten held more students than any other grade, 83,804 more than first grade. Ninth grade held 20,781 more students than eighth, and sixth held 15,169 more than fifth. In Catholic schools, ninth grade enrolled 156,711 students against 125,138 in eighth. These are counts from one school year, not the same students followed over time.
What private school enrollment trends mean for your plan
The survey counts schools, students and teachers. It doesn't tell you how many families toured your school and chose another one, why families left, or how many seats sit open in your grades. Those numbers live in your admissions records, and they shape your plan more than any national total. Six ways to put the NCES data to work beside them:
- Start with your state's row. Find your state in Table C-15 and in Digest Table 205.80, then set your own last three years of inquiries, tours and enrollments beside them. If your state's count rose while yours held flat, look first at how families find you and what happens after they reach out.
- Give entry grades their own campaigns. Kindergarten, sixth and ninth grade hold more students than the grades before them, which points to the years families make a new choice. Give each entry grade its own message, landing page and open house. Our guide to Google Ads for schools covers building campaigns by grade.
- Protect the transition years. If you run a K-8 school, eighth grade is when your families choose again. Start high school conversations early and track re-enrollment by grade, as the guide to increasing school enrollment lays out.
- Price every family at your size. At a school of 100 students, a family with two children is 2 percent of enrollment. The enrollment funnel guide shows how to find the stage that loses the most of them.
- Know your competitive set. Families also weigh public options, including charter schools, which enrolled 3.7 million students in fall 2021 (NCES, Condition of Education). Our guide to charter school marketing shows how those schools recruit.
- Count your own trend the way NCES does. Take your enrollment on the same date each fall, by grade and by source, and track cost per enrollment alongside it.
For the year-round plan built on those numbers, see our private school marketing strategies.
How we fix this for schools
Every engagement starts with your own numbers: inquiries, tours, applications and enrollments by grade and by campus, set beside your market. Each leak gets a dollar figure, and the most expensive one gets fixed first.
Your campaigns are built per market and per entry grade, with messaging around what families in each area weigh. Every inquiry gets a reply within minutes, every tour gets reminders and follow-up, and every enrollment traces back to the campaign that found it. Re-enrollment gets its own plan for the grades where families decide again.
Higher Ground Education, a global Montessori school network, worked this way across markets during a three-year engagement with Bloom Enrollment. Messaging was customized per market, from Texas to California to New York, around region-specific concerns such as cost, safety and teaching quality, with localized campaign assets aligned to zip-code-level targeting. Over the engagement, lead-to-tour conversion rose 50 percent and customer acquisition cost fell 80 percent (Higher Ground Education case study). The services page and our page on private school marketing show how each part works.
Look up your state's row in the NCES tables, then pull your own counts by grade for the last three years. If you'd like help reading them side by side, book a 30-minute enrollment review and we'll go through them with you.
