December 7, 2023

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released data from the 2021-22 Private School Universe Survey (PSS). According to a summary from the Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE) at the U.S. Department of Education:

• The number of students enrolled in K-12 U.S. private schools during the 2021–22 school year was about 4.7 million; there were also about 4.7 million private school students in the 2019-20 academic year, which coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• During that same time period, the number of K-12 private schools decreased by 3 percent, from about 30,500 in 2019–20 to 29,700 in 2021–22.
• Between 2019–20 and 2021–22, increases in the enrollments for grades K–4 varied in the range of 3 to 9 percent depending on the grade. There was no measurable change in the enrollments for grades 5 through 12 during that time period, except for a decrease of 3 percent in grade 11.

Other Key Findings from the New Data

• Enrollment in grades K-4 increased between 3 and 9 percent across these grade levels. Enrollment in grade levels 5-12 held steady, except for 11th grade, where there was a 3 percent decrease compared with 2019-20.
• Enrollment in combined/other private schools (schools that comprise one or more of grades K-6 and one or more of grades 9-12, or schools that are ungraded) increased by 8 percent.
• Enrollment in Catholic schools decreased by 4 percent, while enrollment in other religious schools (Conservative Christian, other affiliated, and unaffiliated religious schools) increased by 8 percent.
• The number of elementary/middle schools decreased 6 percent.
• The number of Catholic schools decreased by 5 percent.
• The number of teachers in elementary/middle schools decreased by 3 percent, while the number of teachers in combined/other schools increased by 5 percent.
• The number of teachers in Catholic schools decreased by 4 percent, while the number of teachers in other religious schools increased by 4 percent.