Private Schools: A Brief Portrait

Private school teachers are more likely than public school teachers to report being satisfied with teaching at their school.
Private school students are more likely than public school students to complete a bachelor’s or advanced degree by their mid-20s.
Private school students generally perform higher than their public school counterparts on standardized achievement tests.
Private high schools typically have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.
Private school graduates are more likely than their peers from public schools to have completed advanced level courses in three academic subject areas.
Private school teachers are more likely than public school teachers to report having a lot of influence on several teaching practices and school policies.
A majority of private school teachers express positive opinions about their principal and their school’s management.
On average, private schools have smaller enrollments, smaller average class sizes, and lower student/teacher ratios than public schools.

Private high schools are four times more likely than public high schools to have a community service requirement for graduation.
Students in the lowest SES quartile who attended a private school in 8th grade were nearly four times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than students from the same quartile who attended a public school.