Private School vs Public School
About 49.6 million U.S. students attended public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022, taught by 3.2 million full-time-equivalent teachers, with current spending of $15,591 per student in 2021-22. About 5.5 million attended private schools in fall 2021, with 0.5 million teachers. From 2020-21 to 2021-22, 84% of public and 82% of private school teachers stayed at the same school, while 8% and 12% left teaching. Choose by your child's needs, cost and the specific schools near you.
Private School
Privately run K-12 schools, religious or nonsectarian.
Families seeking a specific religious, educational or size fit
About 49.6 million U.S. students attended public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022, taught by 3.2 million full-time-equivalent teachers, with current spending of $15,591 per student in 2021-22. About 5.5 million attended private schools in fall 2021, with 0.5 million teachers. From 2020-21 to 2021-22, 84% of public and 82% of private school teachers stayed at the same school, while 8% and 12% left teaching. Choose by your child's needs, cost and the specific schools near you.
Deciding factor: Public for a free neighbourhood school; private for a specific religious, educational or size fit, usually with tuition.
Key fact: About 49.6 million U.S. students attended public schools (fall 2022) and 5.5 million private schools (fall 2021).
Public: about 49.6 million students, $15,591 current spending per student. Private: about 5.5 million students, tuition-based. Compare the individual schools near you.
Choose Private School if
Families seeking a specific religious, educational or size fit
Choose Public School if
Families wanting a free neighbourhood school
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Students:About 5.5 million (fall 2021) vs About 49.6 million (fall 2022)
- Teachers (FTE):0.5 million vs 3.2 million
- Teachers staying at same school:82% vs 84%
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Key Differences
4 attributes compared head-to-head
- About 5.5 million (fall 2021)StudentsAbout 49.6 million (fall 2022)
- 0.5 millionTeachers (FTE)3.2 million
- 82%Teachers staying at same school84%
- 12%Teachers leaving the profession8%
- Students
Private School
About 5.5 million (fall 2021)
Public School
About 49.6 million (fall 2022)
- Teachers (FTE)
Private School
0.5 million
Public School
3.2 million
- Teachers staying at same school
Private School
82%
Public School
84%
- Teachers leaving the profession
Private School
12%
Public School
8%
Full Comparison
| Attribute |  Private School | Public School |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 8 | 3.3 million | 32.5 million |
| Grades 9 to 12 | 1.4 million | 15.5 million |
| Funding | Tuition and private sources | Public funds; $15,591 per student (2021-22) |
| Enrollment in fall 2000 | 6.2 million | 47.2 million |
| Teachers moving to another school | 6% | 8% |
Private SchoolPros & Cons
6 pros·4 cons across both
Private School
Pros
Cons
Public School
Pros
Cons
Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions
About 5.5 million students were enrolled in private elementary and secondary schools in fall 2021.
About 49.6 million students were enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022.
Current expenditures were $15,591 per student in 2021-22, out of $768 billion in total current spending.
From 2020-21 to 2021-22, 82% of private and 84% of public school teachers stayed at the same school; 12% of private and 8% of public school teachers left the profession.
About 3.2 million full-time-equivalent teachers in public schools (fall 2022) and 0.5 million in private schools (fall 2021).
It depends on the specific schools and your child. Compare programs, class sizes, support services, travel and total cost for the schools you can choose from.
Analysis: Private School vs Public School
About 49.6 million U.S. students attended public elementary and secondary schools in fall 2022, taught by 3.2 million full-time-equivalent teachers, with current spending of $15,591 per student in 2021-22. About 5.5 million attended private schools in fall 2021, with 0.5 million teachers. From 2020-21 to 2021-22, 84% of public and 82% of private school teachers stayed at the same school, while 8% and 12% left teaching. Choose by your child's needs, cost and the specific schools near you.
Key takeaways
- Public schools: about 49.6 million students in fall 2022. - Private schools: about 5.5 million students in fall 2021. - Teachers: 3.2 million FTE in public schools (fall 2022), 0.5 million in private schools (fall 2021). - Public school current spending: $15,591 per student in 2021-22. - Teacher retention 2020-21 to 2021-22: 84% public, 82% private stayed at the same school.
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Enrollment
Of public school students in fall 2022, 1.5 million were in prekindergarten, 32.5 million in kindergarten to grade 8 and 15.5 million in grades 9 to 12. Of private school students in fall 2021, 3.3 million were in kindergarten to grade 8 and 1.4 million in grades 9 to 12. Private enrollment was 6.2 million in fall 2000 and 5.3 million in fall 2011.
Teachers
From 2020-21 to 2021-22, 8% of public school teachers and 6% of private school teachers moved to another school, and 8% of public and 12% of private school teachers left the profession.
Cost
1. Public schools are funded publicly; total current spending was $768 billion in 2021-22. 2. Private schools are generally funded by tuition and other private sources, so costs vary by school.
Who should pick which
Compare the specific schools available to you: class sizes, programs, support services, travel time and total cost. Visit, ask about teacher retention and review local results.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Wikipedia
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