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Digest of Education Statistics
2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

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Table 205.50.Private elementary and secondary enrollment, number of schools, and average tuition, by school level, orientation, and tuition: Selected school years, 1999-2000 through 2020-21
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
School orientation and tuitionKindergarten through 12th-grade enrollmentTotal schools  Average tuition charged1 (in current dollars)Average tuition charged1 (in constant 2022-23 dollars2), total
TotalElementary/middle  Secondary/highCombined/other TotalElementary/
middle  
Secondary/highCombined/other
1234567891011
1999-2000
   Total 5,262,850 (131,001)2,926,670(54,391)906,130(36,962)1,430,050(88,535)27,220 (239)$4,570 (107)$3,230(156)$6,260(131)$6,230(236)$8,080(189)
Catholic 2,548,710 (23,352)1,812,390(18,301)643,070(28,813)93,250(11,560)8,100 (24)3,200 (55)2,420(44)4,950(109)6,320(170)5,670(98)
Other religious 1,871,850(86,782)834,150(40,667)134,690(11,707)903,020(66,141)13,270 (237)3,990 (127)3,450(99)6,890(476)4,050(86)7,060(224)
Nonsectarian 842,290 (61,373)280,130(28,917)128,370(13,248)433,790(44,077)5,850 (76)9,970 (547)7,810(1,128)12,150(863)10,730(215)17,650(968)

2003-04
   Total 5,059,450 (104,287)2,682,930(55,527)913,570(63,020)1,462,960(75,481)28,380 (262)$6,070 (143)$4,300(103)$8,770(421)$7,640(311)$9,780(231)
Catholic 2,320,040 (49,156)1,648,890(41,137)599,220(33,062)71,930(13,721)7,920 (35)4,050 (91)3,250(94)6,070(142)5,310(878)6,520(147)
Other religious 1,746,460 (63,090)717,270(29,198)131,300!(43,607)897,900(49,073)13,660 (203)5,290 (147)4,540(135)9,780(1,042)5,240(243)8,530(236)
Nonsectarian 992,940 (71,519)316,760(30,682)183,050(29,552)493,130(57,692)6,810 (136)12,190 (395)9,200(402)16,880(1,535)12,360(510)19,620(636)

2007-08
   Total 5,165,280 (104,435)2,473,600(58,136)976,730(48,339)1,714,960(86,575)28,220 (328)$7,840 (167)$5,630(163)$11,040(350)$9,220(378)$11,110(236)
Catholic 2,224,470 (49,385)1,462,590(31,984)664,230(39,920)97,650(16,631)7,400 (34)5,710 (171)4,510(192)8,020(265)8,030(1,149)8,090(241)
Other religious 1,975,980 (81,216)713,950(36,508)163,000(17,787)1,099,030(74,822)13,950 (282)6,460 (228)5,470(208)10,710(1,086)6,470(365)9,150(322)
Nonsectarian 964,830 (55,074)297,060(25,066)149,490(16,342)518,280(46,582)6,860 (119)15,600 (540)11,520(563)24,860(1,451)15,260(788)22,080(765)

2011-12
   Total 4,479,530(105,651)2,146,310(60,819)895,410(63,671)1,437,810(96,597)26,230(541)$9,950(310)$6,570(190)$15,050(792)$11,820(780)$13,100(408)
  Less than $3,500 618,710(45,753)409,820(36,796)46,220!(14,235)162,670(22,703)7,950(581)1,950(96)2,100(117)1,230!(386)1,770(170)2,560(126)
  $3,500 to $5,999 1,351,550(64,739)951,150(56,653)43,140!(13,772)357,270(29,286)7,800(326)4,660(42)4,620(46)4,720(182)4,730(86)6,130(56)
  $6,000 to $9,999 1,167,820(80,517)468,030(41,824)294,730(30,424)405,070(62,451)5,070(279)7,650(94)7,490(129)8,000(158)7,580(215)10,070(124)
  $10,000 to $14,999 534,560(45,926)144,190(19,021)228,120(40,218)162,260(36,558)1,840(150)12,310(150)12,220(179)11,980(219)12,860(324)16,220(198)
  $15,000 or more 806,880(69,846)173,130(25,163)283,210(41,586)350,540(62,334)3,570(194)26,710(935)20,650(778)28,680(1,842)28,110(1,527)35,170(1,232)

Catholic
1,892,480(59,899)1,253,800(37,246)536,970
(44,762)101,710(16,883)6,760(39)6,530(185)4,830(120)10,070
(404)8,850(1,412)8,610(244)
  Less than $3,500 307,610(35,036)262,940(33,399)(†)(†)1,730(170)2,340(113)2,410(111)(†)(†)3,090(148)
  $3,500 to $5,999 781,420(53,974)720,960(50,160)(†)(†)3,070(187)4,640(57)4,630(60)(†)(†)6,110(75)
  $6,000 to $9,999 516,660(48,765)243,570(35,924)238,770(30,191)(†)1,320(126)7,500(136)7,160(191)7,970(195)(†)9,880(179)
  $10,000 to $14,999 221,150(36,032)(†)189,570(35,553)(†)440(68)12,100(222)(†)11,980(239)(†)15,940(293)
  $15,000 or more (†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)

Other religious
1,604,900(84,424)611,440(38,349)155,840
(33,254)837,620(76,144)13,040(550)7,880(401)6,710(426)15,740
(1,902)7,270(496)10,370(528)
  Less than $3,500 243,840(25,511)137,750(18,905)(†)100,230(12,690)5,190(518)1,830(138)1,560(206)(†)2,230(150)2,420(182)
  $3,500 to $5,999 507,660(38,017)214,270(23,446)(†)284,690(27,944)4,280(259)4,680(58)4,620(56)(†)4,700(91)6,160(76)
  $6,000 to $9,999 532,720(61,948)144,110(26,978)54,430(9,824)334,190(59,374)2,220(228)7,650(155)7,760(231)8,100(150)7,530(223)10,080(204)
  $10,000 to $14,999 165,130(32,486)(†)(†)(†)630(89)12,150(218)(†)(†)(†)16,000(287)
  $15,000 or more 155,550(33,317)(†)(†)(†)720(126)24,020(2,254)(†)(†)(†)31,630(2,968)

Nonsectarian
982,140(67,032)281,080(21,637)202,590
(32,379)498,470(63,021)6,430(68)19,910(994)14,020(819)27,720
(2,120)20,060(1,656)26,220(1,309)
  Less than $3,500 67,260(15,092)(†)(†)(†)1,040(140)540!(219)(†)(†)(†)720!(289)
  $3,500 to $5,999 (†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
  $6,000 to $9,999 118,440(21,597)80,360(7,859)(†)(†)1,530(119)8,270(170)7,990(141)(†)(†)10,890(223)
  $10,000 to $14,999 148,280(33,642)59,820(11,840)(†)(†)770(106)12,810(286)11,940(300)(†)(†)16,870(377)
  $15,000 or more 585,680(66,696)115,850(20,781)165,600(28,800)304,230(59,515)2,640(165)27,920(1,088)21,540(988)32,400(2,155)27,900(1,533)36,760(1,433)

2020-21
   Total 4,417,240(267,437)1,898,180(79,214)1,069,270(242,324)1,449,780(88,450)24,090(159)$12,790(791)$9,210(295)$15,420(4,322)$15,550(887)$14,570(901)
  Less than $3,500 564,300!(244,986)187,860(24,276)(†)100,930(15,206)4,890(315)980(275)1,490(186)640(100)980(173)1,120(314)
  $3,500 to $5,999 863,500(83,686)561,780(38,150)(†)294,210(72,676)5,920(341)4,850(52)4,940(56)(†)4,680(78)5,520(59)
  $6,000 to $9,999 1,151,250(52,373)633,370(39,883)158,060(16,943)359,820(33,054)6,200(256)7,730(66)7,550(92)8,420(137)7,740(112)8,800(75)
  $10,000 to $14,999 678,520(71,046)251,180(63,886)239,110(23,539)188,230(26,880)2,500(187)11,960(132)11,620(188)12,140(165)12,190(246)13,620(151)
  $15,000 or more 1,159,670(59,836)263,990(27,179)389,080(23,667)506,600(49,610)4,580(182)29,960(679)25,480(1,073)30,940(1,096)31,550(1,156)34,120(773)

Catholic
1,645,050
(47,485)999,730(35,474)524,400(25,815)120,930(24,430)6,370(108)9,720(417)6,760(314)13,960(491)15,850(3,597)11,070(475)
  Less than $3,500 107,760(18,937)(†)(†)(†)830(122)1,770(264)(†)(†)(†)2,010(300)
  $3,500 to $5,999 422,780(34,566)396,860(32,113)(†)(†)2,190(157)4,950(74)4,960(73)(†)(†)5,640(84)
  $6,000 to $9,999 554,610(40,034)413,230(33,270)111,870(14,627)(†)2,140(142)7,770(109)7,500(118)8,640(143)(†)8,840(124)
  $10,000 to $14,999 315,160(31,366)(†)218,470(22,786)(†)690(80)11,980(149)(†)12,210(173)(†)13,650(169)
  $15,000 or more 244,730(28,636)(†)174,810(18,524)(†)520(62)22,990(1,463)(†)20,770(1,115)(†)26,190(1,667)

Other religious
1,589,900
(81,405)624,360(68,625)150,080(15,295)815,460(42,818)11,760(142)10,910(403)8,810(514)21,930(1,515)10,500(595)12,430(459)
  Less than $3,500 148,010(21,278)86,650(16,576)(†)59,350(11,464)3,130(273)1,390(186)1,310(247)(†)1,560(258)1,590(212)
  $3,500 to $5,999 330,240(34,135)147,550(21,223)(†)180,980(25,758)3,330(279)4,790(65)4,830(102)(†)4,740(84)5,450(74)
  $6,000 to $9,999 514,280(40,432)179,380(26,708)(†)294,830(30,693)3,110(212)7,640(90)7,460(174)(†)7,690(115)8,700(102)
  $10,000 to $14,999 283,110(64,091)(†)(†)135,470(24,769)990(123)11,690(219)(†)(†)11,970(303)13,310(250)
  $15,000 or more 314,250(31,507)81,500(18,809)87,930(13,033)144,820(23,263)1,190(111)26,510(1,186)22,810(1,769)31,280(2,043)25,690(1,880)30,190(1,350)

Nonsectarian
1,182,290
(254,716)274,090(18,751)

(†)
513,400(74,208)5,950(146)19,590(4,965)19,030(1,084)

(†)
23,490(2,535)22,310(5,655)
  Less than $3,500 (†)(†)(†)33,000(8,682)930(122)(†)(†)(†)#(†)(†)
  $3,500 to $5,999 (†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)(†)
  $6,000 to $9,999 82,360(13,020)(†)(†)(†)950(134)8,040(185)(†)(†)(†)9,150(210)
  $10,000 to $14,999 80,240(16,163)43,560(8,043)(†)(†)810(116)12,850(271)12,400(316)(†)(†)14,640(309)
  $15,000 or more 600,680(35,980)156,930(16,594)126,340(12,597)317,420(32,138)2,870(133)34,610(924)27,010(1,193)44,770(1,936)34,320(1,462)39,410(1,052)
†Not applicable.
#Rounds to zero.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1Each school reports the highest annual tuition charged for a full-time student; this amount does not take into account discounts that individual students may receive. This amount is weighted by the number of students enrolled in each school and averaged.
2Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis.
NOTE: School levels are assigned based on the current Common Core of Data (CCD) school level definitions. For more information about the CCD school levels, see https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/doc/11_Changes_SCH_LEA_Level_Assignments_7.31.2023.docx. Excludes schools not offering first or higher grade. Excludes prekindergarten students. Includes a small percentage of schools (about 7 percent in 2020-21) reporting tuition of 0; these private schools are often under contract to public school districts to provide special education services. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and cell suppression. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Private School Data File," 1999-2000, 2003-04, 2007-08, and 2011-12; and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), "Private School Data File,"  2020-21. (This table was prepared October 2023.)  

2023 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest

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