The number of private schools in the United States has increased substantially in recent years, a report by the National Center for Education Statistics estimates.
“Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2001-2002 Private School Universe Survey” is available online from the National Center for Education Statistics.
The number of such schools increased from 27,223 to 29,273—or by 7.5 percent—from 1999 to 2001, the most recent years for which data are available, according to the federal report. Private schools also saw an increase in student enrollment during the same period. In fall 2001, they enrolled 5.3 million students, 179,000 more students than they had enrolled in fall 1999.
