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Private School Universe Survey (PSS)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many private schools, students, and teachers are there?

In the 2007-08 school year there were 33,740 private schools, enrolling 5,072,451 students and employing 456,266 full-time-equivalent teachers in the United States. For more information on the number of schools and their characteristics see Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2007-08 Private School Universe Survey (NCES 2009-313).

Can I access information for a particular private school or group of private schools on the NCES web site?

The PSS offers a private school search option for schools responding to the 2007-08 PSS that allows you to search for private schools by selected characteristics and retrieve their data.

I need my NCES school ID code, how do I find it?

For private schools responding to the 2007-08 PSS, you can get the NCES school codes from the private school search option.

Does NCES post private school rankings or test scores?

NCES does not rank private schools or have test scores for individual private (or public) schools. Assessment scores for private school students in general, are available on the National Assessment of Educational Progress website.