A public school education, while free, poses significant challenges to students. These can include a lack of resources to further education, an often outdated building, and a high student-teacher ratio. A private school education, while more expensive than a public school education, can offer many benefits that could lead to a student’s continuous success, including enrolling in college.
There are approximately 31,000 private schools in the United States. They enroll 10% of students from PK-12 and account for roughly 24% of the nation’s schools. Compared to public schools, private schools are more likely to be found in urban areas and some private schools are religious-oriented. Here are three aspects of the benefits of private school education.
Lower Class Size. Students enrolled in private schools scored on average higher than their public school counterparts. One aspect that may contribute to this disparity is the smaller size of private schools.
- Classes in private school are generally smaller, with 12.5 students for each teacher compared to 15.4 students in public school.
- And private high schools are generally half the size of public high schools.
- This means more one-to-one teacher communication with a student.
Academic Achievement. Here are some raw statistics about the different achievement levels for students enrolled in private school compared to students enrolled in public school that speak to the benefits of private school education.
- The SAT scores for the average student were 497 in reading, 514 in Math, and 489 in writing.
- A student enrolled in private school scored 541 in reading, 579 in Math, and 550 in writing.
- 64 percent of high school graduates in 2010-2011 went on to attend a four-year by the fall of 2011.
Parent Satisfaction. The final measure to evaluate the benefits of private school education come from those paying to send their children there. Here are some statistics from the parents of the students and what they have to say about private school education.
- 80% of parents who send their children to private schools are happy with their school’s academic standards.
- 80% of parents who send their children to private schools say they are very satisfied with their child’s school.
- And 70% of parents who send their children to private schools strongly agreed that their school was safe.
There’s little doubt that a private school education for your child is an investment. Benefits of that investment can include an honors program, athletics, and a school library. And, as covered here, the benefits of a private school education can include increased academic achievement through smaller classes and more dedicated teachers as well.