The American learning system comprises public and private schools, each with advantages and disadvantages. Selecting between a private and public school is difficult, as the two vary in cost, curriculums, funding, and governance.

So, how do parents and sponsors get details on how private and public schools differ? We’ll narrow this to the available statistics about each type of school. Once the parents have data about the schools, they can easily make enrollment decisions based on facts.

Public schools are government-sponsored, while private schools have various funding channels depending on who they affiliate with. Public schools form the largest number across different states and are the most preferred because of affordability.

In this article, we compare public vs private schools while sharing statistical data on enrolment numbers, student success, and curriculums. We also highlight factors that make the schools stand out and why parents prefer them.

School Enrollment Stats For Public and Private Schools in the U.S. 2022

A survey conducted in 2022 within the U.S. region revealed school enrollment data based on the different types of schools. The survey focused on students enrolling in nursery, kindergarten, elementary, high school, and college.

The results were released in October 2023, revealing that more students enrolled in public primary schools than private ones. In public high schools, 15.8 million students were enrolled against 1.36 million in private high schools.

The above statistics indicate the preferences parents have when it comes to enrolling students in the school. Private schools perform better than public schools in most cases due to class size, teacher qualification, enrolment, curriculum, and extracurricular activities. 

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Comparing the Public vs Private Schools by Enrolment

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has the data for all schools in USA, with over 13000 public school districts featuring 100,000 schools and over 30,000 private schools. Many learning institutions offer parents plenty of selection options for their children.

As much as the schools are in plenty, the distributions are not equal in all locations, with some having more schools and others having limited options for private schools. You may still come across private schools that offer only a few grade levels for the students.

Since there are many public schools, they tend to attract more students than private schools. For instance, in 2019, the number of students attending public schools was 50.8 million, while the private options had 4.7 million students. 

Compared to the previous years, the private schools had a drop from 5.7 million students in 2017.

Both public and private schools had low enrollment during the 2019 fall as the coronavirus pandemic affected the enrollment pattern, leading to a drop. However, in 2021, the enrollment increased, with public schools still ahead in the number of students admitted.

Based on the data above, educational researchers proposed a few things parents must check before enrolling students in public or private schools. Below are some of the critical considerations.

The Cost of Enrolling Learners in Public and Private Schools

The public schools get funding from taxpayers, with private schools relying on parents for sustainability. Parents will require more resources to have their children learn in private schools as the tuition fee is high.

Private schools have different categories, and each has a rate paid for the tuition. For example, the grades K-12 for the day private schools in 2022 September was $27,408. Conversely, private boarding schools were more costly for K-12 students, with parents paying an average of $63,650.

Some private schools run by organizations and other religious groups had affordable tuition fees annually. 

For example, analysis from Education Data revealed that a private Catholic elementary school in 2023 charged $4,840 for the whole year compared to $11,207 that other elementary private schools charge for the same period.

Other findings showed massive differences in the secondary schools, where Catholic schools charged $11,240 annual tuition fees while the private schools under no organization sponsorships cost $16,645 for the same period.

With the fee comparisons for private schools, many parents may enroll students in private schools sponsored by a religious institution rather than those funded by parents. 

Most public schools are free and often preferred as they have no cost implications for parents. However, some public schools have special programs that require parents to fund.

Class Size and Courses Offered

Public schools have many learners, meaning the classes will have more students than private institutions with fewer students. Most private schools have personalized teaching focusing on each student, opting for smaller classes. 

Even though the results from the impact of class sizes are mixed, classrooms with 11-18 students can show differences in outcomes compared to 25-30 students. 

The smaller classes have more interactions and student engagement, and the teacher can easily know each student’s areas of strength and weaknesses.

Most parents who opt for small-sized classes may have unique needs for their kids. Some students may be shy and suited for small classrooms. Others may be disruptive, and with small sizes, they tend to be calm.

On the other side, bigger classes have also shown better management in children and the ability to learn facts is always quick. Therefore, there is still debate about whether the class size for public and private schools makes a huge difference in the students.

In most public schools, the student-teacher ratio will be about 30:1 for elementary levels, which in most cases is attributed to a shortage of funding and a strained budget.

Not all regions have high student intake, and some public schools may still have less than 20 students per classroom, making individualized teaching easy.

Regarding the type of courses offered in the public and private schools, parents are keen to know the differences. High achievers may need top courses incorporating honors and advanced placements.

Parents must inquire from the schools about the records or timely graduations from the specific courses. It is also crucial to find out the number of students that enroll in colleges. 

Parents need to check the school’s SAT and ACT scores. The above indicators have affected how a student succeeds later in academics and life.

Comparison of Student Success in Public and Private Institutions

The student performance based on the specific school they attend reveals a lot about the quality invested in their education. Most research shows that private schools tend to have students performing better than public schools. 

The National Assessment of Educational Progress does the assessment. It assesses students in reading, writing, math, music, and science, among other subjects. The recent assessment data in eleven subjects all had private schools top in all categories.

For example, the 2022 NAEP reading test for an eighth grade showed a higher advantage point for a private school student with an average of about 20 points higher than the public school students. Testing fourth graders also showed similar outcomes.

When college entry tests like the SAT were done, similar results showed higher grades from private secondary school students outperforming public ones.

As much as private schools have better outcomes, researchers have also tried to find out whether it’s only the school that contributes to the success or if other factors like family attributes add to the advantage. 

One researcher named Pianta examined social, psychological, academic and attainment outcomes and concluded that the student’s success rate was related to family attributes. 

If the student’s parents had a college education and the school they attended, the student was likely to perform better while in a private school of a similar caliber.

The Teacher’s Qualifications, Training, and Certifications for the Schools

The teacher’s qualifications and certification are key when it comes to the selection of a school. Public school teachers undergo a mandatory certification before becoming tutors. Most private school teachers are not certified but are experts in the subject.

The private teachers may have higher education levels with advanced degrees, allowing them to give the students authoritative instruction. In contrast, the public school teachers may have a background in education.

In addition, private schools have more programs for their teachers for professional development to ensure the content they deliver to learners is top-notch.

Most private schools do not have standardized tests, letting tutors enjoy the flexibility of creating extracurricular programs that boost student learning. However, the lack of standardized tests makes some private schools fail to document how beneficial their programs are.

Certifications are crucial, and in most public schools, teachers are to be up to date with the latest curriculums. Therefore, public school teachers usually attend rigorous training that incorporates curriculum changes. 

The certifications are essential as they ensure the curriculum is always up to date with critical subjects like math.

While selecting a school for your child, you’ll need to find out whether the school has qualified teachers, and based on the level you want, you may opt for a public or private school.

The Composition of Races in the Public and Private Schools

Racial diversity in private and public schools is different, with private schools having the largest percentage of students enrolling. For instance, in the 2019-2020 year, 66% of the students in private schools were white, 12% Hispanic, 9% Black and 7% Asian. 

The remaining small percentage comprised students from the native Americans and biracial.

Public schools comprised 45% white, 28% Hispanic, 15% Black, 5% Asia, and 7% biracial and Natives. 

Based on the above comparisons regarding racial diversity, parents looking for a balance of diversity will likely send kids to public schools.

Students With Special Needs

Students with disabilities require specialized attention, and you are probably wondering, between public and private schools, which one is suitable for special needs cases. Experts recommended public schools to cater for special needs cases.

The law requires public schools to provide appropriate education to learners with disabilities. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, public schools must offer  “a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensure special education and related services to those children,”

The U.S. Department of Education revealed that about 7,5 million learners with disabilities received education in public schools in 2020-2021. 

Experts recommend that learners with disabilities be taken to public schools as the states and localities have the required resources to support learning.

It is also worth noting that public schools have strict regulations on the services they provide to special needs students, and they need to adhere to the requirements as they offer learning services to the students.

Although most recommendations require parents to take special needs children to public schools, private schools still have the right equipment to provide tailored programs for learners with special needs.

In most cases, parents who take their kids to private schools with programs catering to the student’s needs must pay more for the usually expensive programs. Families should determine the programs available for special needs students before enrolling them. This helps to serve the student’s specific needs.

Overall, public schools are common with programs that suit students with special needs, but a few private schools also have programs to cater to the student’s needs.

Benefits of Public Schools

1. Teachers in public schools possess more qualifications

In public schools, the teachers’ qualifications are key to ensure they deliver the best learning outcomes for the students. 

The National Center for Education Statistics shows public school teachers are more qualified than private school teachers. 

The teachers need to have more teaching hours and must pass several assessments to qualify teaching in a specific school. More qualifications like having a master degree also put the teachers in public schools ahead.

2. Public schools offer students time to study core subjects

In public schools, students will have about three more hours to study core subjects such as Maths, English, Science and Social studies.

3. More activities are sponsored in public schools

Extracurricular activities, clubs, contests, and more learning tools are found in public schools. Public schools have more space to allow extra activities, and the large number of students provides learners who can take part in the extra activities.

4. There is racial diversity in the student population

The public school education is affordable allowing parents to ensure children from different races. This provides good interaction as the children learn from each other about races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

5. The public schools are affordable

Public schools get funds from the government to run various programs. This makes the schools more affordable than private schools, where parents sponsor the programs.

6. Special education programs available

Public schools have strict rules for establishing better learning conditions for the students. The government has a budget to ensure that learners with disabilities receive quality education. Rules and regulations are also strict to keep the programs in check.

Benefits of Private Schools

1. The class size is smaller

Most private schools may have half the number of students in public schools for each class. This makes it easy for kids to learn and never get lost when learning. It is also a better way to create small communities that support each other.

Additionally, the student-teacher ratio is favorable, allowing for individualized attention when teaching.

2. Private schools do not abide by state regulations

Private schools do not follow the bureaucracies of the state. The schools invest more time in instruction and less in paperwork. In addition, the schools are not forced to focus more on tests, allowing teachers to have more creative time with the students.

3. Parents are more involved in the students school life

Parents with students in private schools have more time with them to learn about what they do and check if the students are participating in all the available programs. 

In addition, parents have a closer relationship with the teachers to ensure they help the students have a holistic learning experience.

4. Private schools tend to perform better in many subjects

Students in private schools will have higher scores in subjects than public school students. Most of the success is attributed to the commitment the teachers and parents have towards the learners.

Conclusion

The public vs private schools debate has been ongoing for a longer time. Experts believe that there are no major differences in terms of outputs, and neither of the schools affects the outcomes of the students. However, many things differentiate private and public schools.

The two types differ in enrolment capacity, race diversity, cost, expertise and student success rate. The public schools have a huge enrolment since most offer free education to the learners. Conversely, private schools are parent-sponsored and have specific needs that parents prefer.

Whether you are looking for a private or public school, there are plenty of options for you to select the school that meets your child’s needs.