During the COVID-19 pandemic, many private schools offered in-person classes

In recent years, many private schools have seen enrollment increase

The pandemic realigned schools’ demographics, with steady enrollment increases reported since 2020. In school years 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 20225, 40% of private schools saw enrollments increase, though the overall trend appears to be slowing.

Private schools are generally smaller than public schools

As of 2021, 44% of private schools enrolled fewer than 300 students. By comparison, over 60% of public schools enroll more than 500 students.

Approximately 10% of American K-12 students are enrolled in private schools.

Some parents who began homeschooling their children during the COVID-19 pandemic said the experience convinced them it was more beneficial than traditional school.

After expanding significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has continued to grow since.

Private school demographics in the US

Private school is a costly alternative to public school. As a result, there are numerous demographic differences between public and private school attendees, typically tied to income level. This source presents the latest statistics about private school attendance, as well as a searchable database to see the differences for schools near you.

Economists warn that private schools can negatively affect public schools

Lower public school enrollment often means less public school funding. Private school parents, however, frequently argue that public schools simply aren't offering the right education for their children. This podcast episode investigates that back-and-forth in San Francisco, where 30% of children attend private schools, nearly three times the national figure.

Fewer middle-class students now attend private schools

Stanford professor Sean Reardon says there are two primary reasons behind this trend. The first is that many parochial schools, which tend to offer more affordable tuition, have closed. The second is that tuition for the remaining private schools has outpaced middle-class salaries.

Americans are divided over Christian prayer in public schools

A 2024 Pew survey found that over half (52%) of US adults favor allowing teachers in the public school system to lead their classes in prayers that mention Jesus, though results vary widely by state.

Private education offered an alternative for Black Americans

The early public school system was ostensibly designed for all Americans, but it was also racially segregated, offering substandard schools for Black Americans. Some private schools were founded to combat that problem, including St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, the United States' oldest predominantly Black Catholic high school.

Private schools don’t inherently boost student performance

High test scores in private schools often reflect affluent, selective student bodies—not superior instruction. Studies show that private school advantages stem largely from socioeconomic factors and admission policies, not institutional quality.

Private K-12 schools rely on tuition; colleges rely on funding for research

Tuition, endowments, donors, and grants often fund private schools, allowing them to eschew national curriculum standards. Private colleges and universities also charge tuition, but often rely on federal funding for research.

US public K-12 spending topped $857B in 2024

Public K-12 schools spent around $857B in 2024, averaging $17,277 per student. State and local sources shouldered nearly 90% of costs, and federal funds provided about $2,400 per pupil.

School choice allows families to use public funds for private education

Some private school advocates support school choice, a broad policy that provides families with public money (sometimes called “vouchers”) to spend on private education, including religiously affiliated schools.

The most expensive private schools in the US

Private schools can offer students specialized education and one-of-a-kind opportunities, but those often come with a price, with some schools charging close to six figures. Check out this list of the four most expensive American private schools, which charge more than most four-year colleges.

Private schools are free to experiment with teaching styles

Because they’re not beholden to national curricula, private school teachers can use different pedagogical approaches, like Harkness, which was developed at New Hampshire’s Phillips Exeter Academy. The method brings students to a large round oval table and encourages them to lead the lesson through inquiry.

15 states offer school voucher programs, serving nearly 350,000 students

Voucher programs direct public K–12 funding to families in the form of tuition grants for private schools and are typically targeted to low-income or special-needs students.

Visually explore the federal government's evolving role in education.

In 2020 digital coupons accounted for 29.3% of all coupon redemptions

That’s compared to 28% for physical coupons, representing the year the balance of power shifted in digital’s favor. The COVID-19 pandemic era’s lockdowns increased online shopping, which accelerated digital coupon adoption.

Explore 2024 polling on curriculum debates relating to social issues

A 2023 nationwide Pew survey found that 56% of K–12 teachers report discussing race or racial inequality in class, while only 29% mention LGBTQ topics. Many teachers (41%) say these debates have negatively impacted their work.

The earliest colonial schools were often religious

The earliest American schools were far from our notions of “public” or “private”—they were neighborhood institutions, often founded by religious groups, that sought to educate children academically and spiritually.

Driver education was largely removed from public schools in the 1990s

Maintaining fleets of cars proved too expensive for many school districts, relegating driver education to private classes taken outside of school.

The share of workers with remote-capable jobs working from home peaked in 2020

Every year, it seems like some study is claiming that remote work is over, and that employers are forcing workers to return to office en masse. This chart shows a much more nuanced picture of how remote work has fluctuated before, during, and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic—remote, hybrid, and in-person work levels have remained relatively stable since 2023.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in immunizations in the US and worldwide

Public health funds and resources that were diverted to COVID-19 response reduced efforts to combat polio and vaccinations for polio and other diseases declined during the pandemic, putting more people at risk for polio.

After public schools were integrated, segregation found a home in private schools

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling banned segregation in public schools, but it didn’t eliminate the problem: Many white families moved to “segregation academies,” which were private schools founded to skirt the new law

Find out ways to get lower rates on private loans, such as applying with a cosigner.

Catholic education has grown smaller in the 21st Century

Declining numbers of priests and nuns, who often worked in the schools for free, led schools to increase tuition, which inadvertently turned away the schools’ primary demographic: working-class immigrant families. At the same time, the sexual abuse scandals of the early 2000s left many others feeling like Catholic schools were dangerous.

Nearly half of billionaires planned to increase exposure to direct private equity investments in 2026.

9 states still offer prepaid tuition plans

Prepaid tuition plans, a type of 529 plan that locks in tuition rates when opened, are only offered in nine states for new enrollment. In addition to the nine states’ plans, there’s also a national plan for a network of 300 private colleges.

For-profit schools are not beholden to educational missions

While many private schools are nonprofit organizations, beholden to their missions and boards, some are for-profit entities owned by private individuals or corporations. In some cases, these institutions offer substandard courses and award unaccredited degrees.

School choice vouchers have had mixed results

This podcast breaks down the arguments for and against vouchers and untangles what data suggests about them. While some states showed vouchers improving student learning, studies in Louisiana and Indiana showed that students who left public schools for private schools performed worse.

Many private schools follow Dewey's experiential learning model

John Dewey is perhaps the biggest figure in American education. He is known for emphasizing active, experiential learning and founding one of the country’s most renowned private schools: the Experimental School, which would later become the Laboratory Schools in Chicago.

College sticker prices can be misleading, as most students don't actually pay the advertised price due to financial aid.

Roughly 10% of US apartments were owned by private equity firms as of 2025.

College sticker prices can be misleading, as most students don't actually pay the advertised price due to financial aid.

Peloton hit a million subscribers in June of 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in record-breaking sales for Peloton, as gyms closed and at-home fitness classes became the new norm. However, Peloton struggled to keep up with the increased demand. As the COVID-19 pandemic's lockdowns lifted, many people returned to the gym, reducing their need for on-demand at-home fitness classes. Some say Peloton's strong subscriber base is the ticket to helping the company eventually become profitable.

State and local governments fund very different services

Local governments allocate 39% of their spending to K-12 education, while states allocate less than 1% directly—although much of local education funding actually comes from state and federal grants to local communities. States instead allocate their budgets to public welfare and health programs (45%) and higher education (15%).

Student loans are typically just one part of a college student's overall financial package that will often include other categories as well, such as grants, scholarships, merit-based awards, and more.

The average cost of college has doubled in the 21st century

Even for students attending in-state, public universities, the cost of attending college has risen dramatically, exceeding $27K with fees and living expenses per year.

Teen depression levels jumped during the pandemic

US government data published in 2025 but gathered from August 2021 through August 2023 indicated that depression prevalence among teens aged 12 to 19 was at 19.2%. It was even higher among females of that age group—26.5%

Student loans weren't always so prevalent—decades of rising tuition and the 1965 Higher Education Act contributed to their proliferation.

US school distrists have greatly consolidated since 1940

Consolidation significantly decreased the number of independent school districts from approximately 117,000 in 1940 to just over 13,000 today, mainly driven by efforts to boost efficiency and balance funding across communities.

The average cost for an in-state, public university is close to $30K per year

To cover the cost, students turn to a variety of sources. Parental contributions plus savings funds cover about half of the expenses on average, with students relying on other sources—typically federal aid, in the form of scholarships and loans—to cover the rest.

A 1922 Oregon initiative that sought to ban private education inadvertently strengthened parents' ability to pursue options outside the public school system, building the legal case for homeschooling.

How did the pandemic affect mental health?

Read this research brief to learn more about why heightened mental health and substance use concerns persist three years after the outbreak of COVID-19. According to a recent survey, the vast majority of American adults view the nation as facing a...

70 years after Brown v. Board, segregation remains in American schools

Despite being ruled unconstitutional in 1954, racial segregation persists: large shares of Black and Hispanic students still attend schools where most classmates are students of color. Recent trends show that segregation has increased across many urban districts since the 1990s.

One private school network prefers AI to teachers

Alpha School, a private school network that uses AI tutors and human "guides" rather than teachers, is expanding across the US. Its founder says that two hours a day with AI-powered software frees students to pursue their passions. Critics, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, say the methods are untested.

Voter turnout in local elections is significantly lower than for national elections

While 64% of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2024 presidential election, turnout in municipal elections is usually below 15%. For school board elections—where members oversee more than 50 million students and $600B in spending—turnout is often around 5%-10%.

In a spring 2026 survey, more Americans said they support a ban on students using cellphones during the entire school day than oppose it.

Restaurants are where most of us contract food poisoning in the US.