Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
Public and private schools in the United States - statistics & facts
In the United States, ensuring a suitable educational environment for children can be complex. Although most Americans attend public school, which is free for all students from kindergarten through grade 12, some families plump for the privilege of a privately funded education instead; according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only about 11.2 million students were enrolled in private schools compared to 63 million public school students in 2021. Unlike government-funded public schools, private schools typically have high tuition fees to cover the lack of state support – as of 2025, Connecticut had the highest average private school tuition, totaling almost 30,000 U.S. dollars annually.
