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Private vs. Public Schools: What's the Difference?

Your goal is to find a school that will meet your child's needs. But how do you choose between a public school and a private school?
     

    Cost

    Public schools cannot charge tuition. They are funded through federal, state and local taxes. When you pay your taxes, you are paying for your child's education and the education of other children in your community.

    Private schools cost money. Private schools do not receive tax revenues, but instead are funded through tuition, fundraising, donations and private grants. According to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the median tuition for their member private day schools in 2005-2006 in the United States was close to $14,000 for grades 1 to 3, $15,000 for grades 6 to 8 and $16,600 for grades 9 to 12. The median tuition for their member boarding schools was close to $29,000 for grades 1 to 3, $32,000 for grades 6 to 12. Note that of the 28,384 private schools in the United States, about 1,058 are affiliated with NAIS. The Digest of Education Statistics 2005 from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that for the 1999-2000 school year, the average private school tuition was about $4,700.

    Public or Private? The Debate Rages

    Private school students typically score higher than public school students on standardized tests, but a study by the National Center for Education Statistics released in 2006 that took into account students' backgrounds told a different story.

    Public school students in fourth and eighth grade scored almost as well or better in reading and math, except that private school students excelled in eighth-grade reading. (Downloading the PDF file of the study requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download for free if you click here.)

    A Harvard University study challenged the results, using the same data but different methods. Researchers found that private schools came out ahead in 11 of 12 comparisons of students.

    Earlier in 2006, an analysis of math scores by two University of Illinois researchers found similar results to the NCES study. The authors of Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement found that "after accounting for the fact that private schools serve more advantaged populations, public schools perform remarkably well, often outscoring private and charter schools."

    But as this dissenting view from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation's Education Gadfly newsletter shows, the debate over which schools do a better job is far from settled.

    Parochial schools generally charge less. According to the National Catholic Educational Association, in their annual statistical report in 2005-2006, the average elementary school tuition for Catholic schools (in 2005) was $2,607; the average freshman tuition (for 2002-2003) was $5,870. Catholic Schools enroll more students (49%) than any other segment of private schools.

    Admissions

    Public schools admit all children. By law, public schools must educate all children, including students with special needs. To enroll in a public school you simply register your child by filling out the necessary paperwork.

    Private schools are selective. They are not obligated to accept every child, and in many private schools admission is very competitive.

    Governance

    Public schools must follow all federal, state and local laws in educating children. Such laws usually include specifics about funding, program development and curriculum.

    Private schools are not subject to as many state and federal regulations as public schools. Since private schools are funded independently, they are not subject to the limitations of state education budgets and have more freedom in designing curriculum and instruction.

    Curriculum

    Public schools offer a general program, designed for all children, which usually includes math, English, reading, writing, science, history and physical education. In addition to these key subjects, many public schools offer programs in music and art. In a public school, the substance of what children learn is mandated by the state and learning is measured through state standardized tests.

    NOTE: The charter school movement is picking up momentum in many states; these schools are public, but many offer specialized programs and smaller classes.

    Private schools have the flexibility to create a specialized program for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Private schools can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many also choose to use standardized tests.

     
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    Comments from GreatSchools.net readers

    07/7/2009:
    "This article is informative and balanced except for a gross oversight. Public schools must be secular - meaning that they may not teach foundational truths or values. Most private schools, on the other hand, build upon the values and beliefs of the home. This tends to build tighter relations between home and school, and children develop deeper philosophical views on life."
    07/7/2009:
    "I don't understand the numbers on private school costs: if parochial schools educate approximately 49% of the students and the average elementary school tuition was $2,607 (high school: $5870) then how does the mean tuition for all private schools jump to $14,000 for grades 1 to 3 & $15,000 for grades 6 to 8 (high school: $16,600)? The mean should be the 50% mark."
    06/24/2009:
    "This article is very intresting and very true,"
    06/11/2009:
    "I think that some of the criticisms mentioned about private schools are totally false. It is a MYTH that only the rich can afford private schools. My husband and I are very much middle-class people--as are roughly two-thirds of the families with children in our school. How do people like us do it? We cut back in other areas of spending; some of us also receive financial aid from the school. We even have a number of low-income students at our school whose tuition is being paid by outside charitable organizations. To parents who would like to send their children to private schools but think the price is out of their reach, I say this: Check out your options! Find out if you qualify for financial aid or a work/study program. What kind of lifestyle do you live? Are you willing to cut back on the 'extras' in your life? Are you willing to live in a smaller, less expensive home or drive older vehicles? If you are willing to make some lifestyle changes, you may find that you can afford private school after all. Has it been worth the sacrifice? From our perspective, absolutely YES! "
    06/8/2009:
    "I will tell you the fundamental differences between public and private schools. Public schools have a limited amount of time to spend on each subject, which places each child at risk for ending up in special education courses. I was shockled to discover that the public schools now pull children from the classroom during lesson time in order to meet with reading, math, and content mastery specialist. Keep in mind the children are not slow learners but because the schools are so focused on testing they have all kinds of crap going on now. School is no longer just school its a lot of pressure. Not only that the main difference with public and private schools is that you cannot have a real conversation with the public schools because they work as 'TEAMS' now, which means they are ready when you come in and they are very defensive! It will shock you. Now if you don't care about your child and your not involved then the public school administration will love you because you will n! ever question them. However, if you care about your child and them not getting labeled then guess what? They will be ready for a fight as opposed for a partnership. I have gone through this crap for the first time and they only care about themselves and they also seem very paranoid.........I wish I had private school money...."
    05/18/2009:
    "I love rock!"
    05/18/2009:
    "I really appreciate this article. It is simple and easy to read and really outlines the fundamental differences between most private schools and most public schools. It would be helpful if there could be more articles on GreatSchools, written by members and contributors, that focused more on the issues and if they were tailored to a specific metro or state. I am looking at a possible move to the Boston, Massachusetts area and am having a difficult time learning the differences between their local school systems and their private schools."
    05/11/2009:
    " Good grief! What's going on out there? 'Chield', 'there instead of their', complete lack of punctuation & other errors too numerous to mention! Ninety-five percent of you have NO place critiquing ANY sort of education considering the fact that you can't even string a coherent sentence together. After returning to the US after nearly 20 years in the UK, I'm convinced that the American collective IQ has fallen about 50% since my departure in 1990. It's embarrassing and scary how 'dumbed down' our country has become. (Rent the movie 'Idiocracy'..it really IS where we are heading. No joke.) Trying to find ANY US school which measured up to my child's primary and secondary schools in London has been impossible. Tell me, where can I send him where he won't come home saying any of the following? 'Yo, dude, bro, like, totally....' And the list goes on..... The average American has lost the art of conversation. Adults talk to children like babies here with the end result being inarticulate teenagers with poor vocabulary who struggle to express themselves. I don't care where one goes to school. Our only hope is to expect a higher standard of behavior from the kids, parents AND teachers. Parents and teachers need to LEAD BY EXAMPLE and speak to kids as if they DO have brains in their heads and with RESPECT. Parents and teachers need to start walking the walk now. Treat others with respect and the chance of having that respect returned is greatly increased. We need to hold our kids to a higher academic and behavioral bar. A teacher gets sworn at once? Immediate parent conference and suspension. Teaching to the 'lowest common denominator' in the classroom, accepting diabolical spelling errors and slang in school projects ISNT acceptable. Being fluent in ebonics ISNT going to get a high school grad into a good college! In trying to be so politically correct and 'accepting', we are doing American students a DISSERVICE. A lot of school age kids will be competing in an international market for careers in 10-15 years and let me tell you, when compared to an Asian or European education, your typical non-ivy league American education falls far behind. We've got to stretch our kids’ minds more than we do today. Stop underestimating them. They're all sponges, regardless of background, and we are doing them a disservice by molly-coddling them. It's a big, tough world out there. By comparison, the US just isn’t preparing our students like Asia and Europe are. Fact. "
    05/8/2009:
    "public schools are alot beter they are about kids alot more because they don't do kids with special needs my teacher is sweet comes to my home everyday it's called homebound public school will always be better then private school they don't care about anybody."
    05/5/2009:
    "When you go for a job, they look at your degrees, not where you went to school at. They look for your intelligence, not whether you went to a private school or public school. Those who go to public schools receive a wonderful education and reach milestones in life. Similar to those of the private education. Whichever path others choose, in the end, your child will need to work in the real world, so if you let them interact with others in their youth, the far better off will they stay in life. Co-operation is a must, and we as parents need to teach that to our kids. I have the option of sending my kids to private school too, but I want them to learn from life, and become independant."
    05/4/2009:
    "Our family has been very disappointed in private schools. We've found the staff to be less than caring, concerned only about the bottom line. They survive by appealing to parents' vanity. Standards are low to null. Frankly private schools are not even able to 'teach to the test', never mind encourage creative, critical thinking. "
    04/29/2009:
    "Thank you for such insightful site. You have certainly confirmed my doubts :)"
    04/27/2009:
    "The person who wrote the 04/07/09 comment about how they went to a private school and they thought was better than public did not learn how to write. The way you write 'child' is not 'chields' and it was not once that the mistake was made but a couple of times...and many other words that were writen were wrong. You should not be proud to say you went to a private school...it looks like you didn't learn how to write."
    04/23/2009:
    "We are interested in sending our granddaughter to a private school, what is the cost per year? We heard that the Charter School was free, is this true?"
    04/23/2009:
    "The most important thing to remember in this comparison is that the measuring system for public vs. private schools is very different. Public schools answer to the state or township (via standard test scores and % scoring at/above grade level). Private schools answer to the parents and students they serve (whose objectives differ from the township/state). That causes the focus of the intitutions to differ. You can get a good education or poor education at either type of school, but if you undertand the school's priorities, it can help in your decision."
    04/17/2009:
    "This so helped my essay in school."
    04/10/2009:
    "Some have said that this article is biased towards public schools. I have to disagree. I find that this article clearly states the facts about public and private schools. Also, I find it funny that many people have posted their comments here complaining about the education of their children and have horrible grammar/spelling. "
    04/10/2009:
    "I see nothing 'biased' about this article whatsoever. I'm not sure what everyone's complaining about. I find it very informative and straight-forward. Or are the complaints here that the information is false?"
    04/9/2009:
    "I have taught in two public school districts, one of which ranks among the bottom 10 percentile in California and the other somewhere in the middle. From what I have witnessed I have seen many high school students whose mental aptitiude is equivalent to a 4th grader. I'm serious. I have subbed in remedial math, English and history classes. I was baffled and appalled out poor their performance was. I attribute it to a number of factors: low aptitude, poor discipline, ADDHA, cognitive disorders and behavioral problems. My 2nd grade daughter attends a parachiol school and her reading comprehension exceeds most of the middle high kids I've taught as well as some high school kids. Perhaps my daughter is gifted, but she needs to learn in an environment where she can stretch and grow. She would be misplaced in an element where she was surrounded by poor students, because the stupidity and influence from the other children would have a scathing effect on her academic skills, I belie! ve."
    04/9/2009:
    "I have taught in two public school districts, one of which ranks in the lower ten percentile in California and the other somewhere in the middle. With all honesty I was appalled and baffled at how academically inept the students where at these schools. I have taught remedial courses in history, math, and English. With all honesty the majority of thee kids had the reading comprehension of a 4th grader. Some had trouble with basic arithmatic. I attribute this deficiency to various cases: low aptitude, poor discipline, poor concentration, poor behavior and poor social skills. The only people who seem to benefit from public schools are the select few who cannot afford private and take their studies more seriously than the norm. If the school offers an IB program that can exhalt them from the others it will be more beneficial to them. My 2nd grade daughter attends a private school and her reading skills and comprehension are superior to most of the middle school children and some! of the high school kids I've taught. No joke. My daughter is perhaps gifted and would not benefit in a public school where the academic deficiencies of the other students would have a negative effect on her growth. I am glad to have my daughter in this prestigious parochial school and would never under any circumstances consider a public school. My final verdict is that public schools falter in far too many areas."
    04/7/2009:
    "I think that public schools are better just based on the amount of social interaction you get in a public school over a private school."
    04/7/2009:
    "Hi, with all due respect, I went to private and public schools. And by far private schools are not just school size, teachers care more about the chield and parent, they put all there efforts on the line just so the chield cand feel not only good but rather be successful in school and life. Paying for the education is not that hard if you care for the future of your chield. Stop wasting your mony on materialisitic thing anp pay for your chields education because the GOV want's to keep your chield back especialy those that need nurture over nature. I have not seen any private schools student not to be successfull if not always , maby 98% of the time , remember my friends public education dose not work in USA, And our teachers don't care enough about your chield in public schools, why ? because there is no boby that can force them , if they try the teacher can start teaching at another school and will quit, because she/he will get the same amount of mony at another school , ! and dose not have to take the BS. Private school teacher have there masters digree in education and they love being a teacher.Now those teachers get paid better and can be found in grate schools. Attention public schools, if you have a teacher that cares and is the best pay them, don't loose them, because if you do then the private schools will take them and you will end up with the avrage JO, and trust me there is lots of them in all public schools. "
    04/2/2009:
    "All of you think that public schools are bad, I am currently a 9th grader at a boarding school in MN, I also play hockey. People say that there are cliques in public schools, its the same in private schools. I went to a public school my whole life until now, and which do I like better? Private. The school is so much harder, and as time as went on, I have become a much more organized and efficient kid. I have to balance hockey with school with my social life at school and my social life back home. If you as a parent, has the option to send your son/daughter to a private school. I highly recommend looking into it. It is a great experience, and it differs greatly compared to the public aspect"
    03/19/2009:
    "The person/people that wrote this must have been through private schools and hated it. I've never been to a private school and I can't say that I know what it is like there. I have gone to public school my whole life. I haven't really liked it. There are always the people stuck up jocks and the geeks and the bully's and all the other kids that don't really fit in. But I have always wanted to try out private schools. I think that we all have out opinions on each type of school and we should decide for ourselves if we like it or not. This article has really no point. If you are going to set up something like this, then you should list the good and bad of each thing."
    03/19/2009:
    "STOP making private schools look bad! A lot of people agree wtih this site and are going to public school"
    03/19/2009:
    "Dear 1/28/09, Your English is horrible! 'are runned by parents with no masters degree' is my favorite quote of yours. You must be the parent with the Masters Degree?? I learned much better English at my private school education. I also have a priceless experience to take with me my whole life. My three children are a Catholic School and we love every minute. Our teachers are not waiting out big pensions. They teach out of love and service. I canot say enough about what Christian based education has to offer!! Check out your local schools and you will see and feel the difference. Give your children the gift of a life time!!"
    03/18/2009:
    "The least you could do is show the pros to private schools as well or this really sucks ass"
    03/18/2009:
    "I feel as if the pros to private schools should be posted as well "
    03/12/2009:
    "I don't like the way this article puts down private schools and gives public schools a good name. I recentely graduated high school. For my entire life, from Pre-K until 10th grade, I went to public schools because my family could not afford private schools. In my lifetime, I was noted to be above grade level in school, and I was a lot more mature. Because of this, in every single public school I went to (six in all!), I was socially outcasted. Plus, the curriculum did not help my situation. The teachers couldn't help me get ahead because they had to spend all of their time helping the other kids get by. Plus, it didn't prepare me for college at all, all it did was teach me how to take tests. In the middle of my tenth grade year, I put my foot down: I would not go to public school any longer. I went online and looked for private schools, and found the perfect one: Annie Wright School, an all girls, formal dress code, boarding school in Tacoma, Washington. Thankfull! y, the school understood our financial needs, and I was able to get a merit scholarship. At first I was afraid that I would be with a bunch of rich snobs, and I was nervous because I would be living on my own, but I absolutely loved it! I didn't care about the uniforms, or the rigorous acedemics. Because it was such a small community (140 girls in all), everyone was really close to each other. The standards were very high, and unlike my public school, the smarter a student was, the more popular she became! At private school, they didn't teach me to take tests, they taught me to love learning. I plan to send all of my own children the private school from Pre-K to the end of high school, because it makes all the difference."
    03/2/2009:
    "I feel like this is pointless. You only listed the cons of Private school. You pushed public schools and made private schools sound like they are horrible"
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