Public School vs Private School 2026: Which Is Right for Your Child?

Public schools are tuition-free and serve the broadest range of students; the best public schools in strong districts rival or outperform most private schools on college placement. Private schools cost $5,100–$65,000 per year and offer smaller class sizes (11:1 student-teacher ratio vs 16:1 public), more specialized curricula, and dedicated college counseling. When researchers control for socioeconomic factors, the academic performance gap between public and private schools narrows significantly. The right choice depends on your local public school quality, your child's specific needs, and whether the private school's specific environment or program is genuinely better for them — not on a universal assumption that private always outperforms public.