About Private Schools

I was musing the other day about how things might have turned out differently if this or that had happened in my life. The same exercise applies to just about any subject. So let's do it with private schools.

What if you can't make up your mind about whether to send your daughter to grade school or to high school?

You won't be alone if you are in a quandary about sending your child to primary grades or to high school. I wrote about this at length in Should You Send Your Child to Private Primary or High School? It is a catch 22 situation. The primary school lays the foundation for solid achievement in high school, while high school lays the foundation for solid achievement in college. If either academic foundation is constructed with less than the best materials, the educational structure built on that foundation will have deficiencies.

The solution is to find a private school which meets as many of your requirements as possible. I explain how to do this in The Search Process: A 5 Point Checklist

What if you think you cannot afford to send your child to a private school?

It is discouraging when you discover that a day school can cost $35,000 or more. And that's just for tuition. Add in fees and sundries such as music lessons, and you are probably looking at more than $40,000. Luckily, you have several options available to you. The first and most

As you research private schools, you will find yourself coming back to a handful of websites again and again. Why? Because they are informative, useful, and easy to use. Here are my picks for 'must have' websites when it comes to finding out about private K-12 schools.

The Association of Boarding Schools

http://www.boardingschools.com/

The Association of Boarding Schools site is dynamic and clean. I want to find information quickly with as few clicks as possible. The TABS site is one of those well-designed sites which allows you to do just that. You can drill down to member boarding schools, learn about recruiting fairs, financing, boarding school life, and just about anything to do with boarding schools. This site is a 'must have' for parents living outside the United States who are thinking about sending their children to American boarding schools.

Google Maps

maps.google.com

I included maps.google.com on this list of 'must have' websites because it allows me to zoom in and look at the street view. That is not important for schools and locations I know. But when I am researching a school in another state, Google Maps allows me to get the lay of the land quickly and efficiently. Also, because it is available as an app, I can plug the address in on my smartphone and get directions to the campuses of the schools which I am visiting.

SSAT

www.ssat.org/

Standardized admissions testing is an important component

Many parents tend to dismiss the idea of sending their children to private school without exploring it in depth. Similarly, many teachers flirt with the idea of teaching in a private school without delving into the matter deeply. Supporting your alma mater financially is another concept many alumni figure is somebody else's job. Of course, it isn't.

Send my child to private school?

You would want to send your child to private school for several reasons. The public schools in your area may not offer all the academic programs you want your child to have as she prepares for college a couple of years from now. The local public schools may have had to cut extracurricular activities because of financial constraints. You want your child to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities. Sports programs may have been cut as well. Many school districts are struggling with their budgets and that impacts academics, extracurricular activities, and athletic programs across the board. Those kinds of fiscal pressures make the extras problematic at best. Who wouldn't want their child to be in academic surroundings where anything is possible as this short video suggests.

In this video, a student explains his math project.

Making the decision to send your child to private school requires some serious analysis and discussion of your aims and objectives. When we were having that discussion, we had two concerns:

1. Stretching out children academically

This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.

Late Night Show host David Letterman retired at the end of May 2015. So, with his famous Top Ten lists in mind, here is my list of Top Ten Facts About Private Schools.

10. There are schools for just about every need you can imagine.

Perhaps this should be number one on the list. In any case, it is true. There are private schools for just about any need or requirement you can think of. Private schools come in all shapes and sizes. There are primary schools, K-8 schools, junior boarding schools, Roman Catholic schools, military schools, schools that offer programs for students with learning differences, schools in urban areas, schools out in the country, large schools, small schools, schools with instruction in languages other than English and on and on. According to the latest available National Center for Education Statistics Private School Universe Survey, there were 29,727 private schools serving approximately 4.7 million students in the United States in 2021-22. With approximately 30,000 private schools in the United States, the chances of finding what you are looking for are pretty good.

9. Private schools are more affordable than you think.

Private school is an extra expense and a substantial sacrifice for many families. On the other hand, most private schools offer need-based financial aid. The individual schools determine the amount of aid. Some schools even provide a tuition-free education if your family's

1. How many private schools are there in the U.S.A.?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys private schools through its Private School Universe Survey. According to the latest data published by the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 4.7 million students attend private schools nationwide, representing about 9% of all K-12 students in the United States.

Families interested in enrollment trends and school selection may also enjoy reading Choosing the Right Private School Path: Cost, Readiness, and Fit.

2. How many boarding schools are there?

The Association of Boarding Schools reports nearly 300 member schools in the United States, Canada, and abroad. While membership numbers change slightly from year to year, the total remains just under 300 schools.

3. Which private school offers the most Advanced Placement courses?

Quite a few private schools offer more than 25 Advanced Placement courses, which is impressive considering that the College Board now offers more than 40 AP subjects.

Rather than identifying a single school as the leader, it is more accurate to say that many large college-preparatory schools offer extensive AP programs, while others have shifted toward International Baccalaureate programs, dual enrollment, capstone research, or advanced school-designed courses.

As advanced academics continue to evolve, many schools are expanding beyond AP coursework. For additional insight, see How Private Schools Teach Tech & AI Skills, Not Just Tools.

In this video, an expert answers questions about the optimal number of AP courses a student