There are 128,966 K-12 schools in the USA, including 99,239 public schools and 29,727 private schools, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The total number of schools in the U.S. has more than halved over the past 100 years. In the 1920s, there were more than 270,000 schools. However, the average number of students per school has accordingly doubled since then. So the decline in the number of schools probably occurred not because there were fewer pupils, but because larger schools replaced smaller ones.
10 Key School Statistics in the USA
- There are about 128,966 K-12 schools in the US in 2025.
- Among them, 99,239 are public schools and 29,727 are private schools.
- Currently, there are 27,145 high schools in the US, of which 23,519 are public and 3,626 are private.
- California has the most schools of any USA state, with 13,471, of which 10,326 are public and 3,145 are private.
- The number of public schools in the United States has more than halved from 271,319 in 1920 to 99,297 in 2023–24.
- Private schools make up 23% of all schools in the United States.
- In 2021, there were more than 55.5 million students enrolled in U.S. schools, with 49.4 million of those students enrolled in public schools.
- The average public school U.S. enrollment is 528 students per school.
- The number of all public elementary schools (schools beginning with grade 6 or below and ending with grade 8 or below) increased 4 percent between 1970–71 and 2006–17 (64,000 and 66,800, respectively).
- Of the 88,925 elementary schools in the US, 70,055 are public schools.
Number of Schools in the US by Level of Institution
There are 27,145 high schools in the United States, of which 23,519 are public and 3,626 are private, according to the latest NCES data. The number of elementary schools in the United States is more than three times the number of high schools. There are about 88,925 elementary schools in the United States, of which 70,055 are public schools and 18,870 are private schools.
High school enrollment is generally declining due to factors such as graduation rates, dropout rates, and alternative education pathways. Elementary schools are often smaller and more localized to serve specific areas, while high schools tend to aggregate students from larger geographic areas, resulting in fewer but larger institutions.
Does further data analysis ask questions like: how many students graduate from high school? Which students in each geographic region of the U.S. tend to do better on standardized tests? Some argue ACT scores do not matter in the long run, while others may strongly disagree.
Are private schools worth the extra money, or can you receive a satisfactory education in today’s modern public school system? The school facts and data say no, you cannot earn a satisfactory education in the public school system if you plan to enroll in college, however, enrollment has still increased across the board for public schools, both in elementary and secondary categories.
How Many Public Schools in the US?
There were 99,239 public schools in the U.S. in 2021-22 and 99,297 public schools in 2023-24 in the United States. California has 10,326 public schools, the highest number of any state in the United States. Public schools outnumber private institutions by more than three to one, underscoring the central role of publicly funded education in the U.S. school system.
About 55.5 million students were enrolled in U.S. schools in 2021, with more than 89% (49.4 million) enrolled in public schools. Nearly 71% of public schools in the United States are elementary schools. As of 2021, there were 70,055 public elementary schools and 23,519 public secondary schools.
Since the 1920s, the number of public schools in the United States has been declining. By comparison, there were 271,319 public schools registered in the United States in 1919–20, but only 99,297 public schools in 2023–24, representing a more than twofold decrease in the number of these educational institutions.
Other key statistics on the number of public schools in the U.S.:
- Between 2000 and 2016, public schooling statistics show that enrollment increased for 32 states. To date, 2019 will be the highest enrollment count for public schools, ever. (nces.ed.gov)
- The highest demographic for public school students is White students at 23.7 million. The highest leading minority enrollment is Hispanic students at 13.9 million. The lowest percentage demographic is Pacific Islander students at 0.2 million. (educationdata.org)
- There are about 50.8 million public schools in us. Since an estimated $680 billion will be spent to fund them, it is estimated that each student will cost about $13,440. (edweek.org)
- While enrollment statistics are positive for growth in public schools, the leading minority matriculate close to half the number of white students.
- The total amount of spending on public schools is expected to reach $680 billion.
How Many Private Schools in the US?
According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the number of private schools in the United States increased from 18,374 in the 1961–62 school year to a peak of 35,895 in 2001–02. After reaching its peak, the number of private schools began a gradual decline, falling to 29,727 by the 2021–22 school year, comprising approximately 23% of the nation’s total schools.
The state of California has the most private schools, totaling 3,145, while Wyoming has the fewest, with only 33 private schools.
Of USA private schools, the most dominant religious sect is Catholic, with 38.8% of the total sample. The last ranked private school by popularity is Islamic, with 0.8% of the sample, according to capenet.org. Private school statistics show, however, that this gap has been decreasing over the years. From 1991 to 1992, Catholicism sampled for 53% of private schools, while Islamic accounted for 0.1%, meaning Catholicism went down 14.2% and Islamic went up 0.7%.
Private schools offer different benefits compared to their public school counterparts. While public schools are mostly funded through the government, private schools do not receive the same funding. US School statistics show, however, that private schools tend to score higher on the ACT.
Other key statistics on private schools in the US:
- The U.S. Census Bureau reports that of the 10.9 million families with children in grades K-12 that also earn over $75,000, only 11% of them have children in private schools. This means, in the majority of cases, families in the highest income bracket send their kids to public schools. (US Census Bureau)
- Private schools rely heavily on student enrollment as a main source of income, to compensate for lack of government funding. Industry revenue is expected to grow 1.5% alone in 2019, increasing at an annualized rate of 3.8% to $87.5 billion over the five years to 2019. (Ibisworld.com)
- Private schools tend to score higher on composite ACT scores. Private schools scored on average a mean composite score of 23.8, whereas public school graduates scored on average a mean composite score of 20.7. Overall, the scores remained consistent across the different sections of the ACT. (Cape Outlook)
How Many High Schools are in the US?
The total number of high schools in the U.S. is expected to reach about 26,727, according to Educationdata.org. This means that high schools will comprise about 31% of all schools K-12. Between public and private high schools, there are 23,882 public schools and 2,845 private schools, respectively. Combined, private and public schools will host a total of 15.1 million high school students, which means there will be about 565 students per school. In 2020, approximately 3.3 million students will graduate from public high school and 0.4 million from private high schools.
Other key facts about high schools in the US:
- Of the total high schools in the USA, there are 15.3 million students. This number has been steadily increasing as there were 13.5 million students in 2000 and 13.2 million in 1980.
- 70 percent of graduates who went on to postsecondary education either had earned a credential in an occupational field by 2016 or found a job in a related field. This means that about 1/5 of high school graduates will drop out of college. More than 1/3 will still be in college after 6 years.
- The compensation for teachers varies by geographic location. Teachers in New York, for example, make about $84,000, while teachers in Mississippi make about $45,000. In other words, teachers in New York get back close to 100% more than teachers in Mississippi.
Number Of Schools in the USA by State
In 2024, California had the most schools in the USA, with 13,471, followed by Texas with 10,931, and Florida with 6,870.
In 2024, California had the most public schools in the United States at 10,326, followed by Texas at 9,217, and New York at 4,814.
In 2024, California had the most private schools in the United States at 3,145, followed by Florida at 2,641 and Pennsylvania at 2,156.
In 2024, Delaware had 234 public schools, the fewest of any state, while Wyoming had the fewest private schools, with only 33 schools.
Table 1. Number of Schools in the U.S. by State, 2023-24
| USA State | Number of Public Schools | Number of Private Schools |
| Alabama | 1524 | 367 |
| Alaska | 494 | 38 |
| Arizona | 2427 | 408 |
| Arkansas | 1101 | 149 |
| California | 10326 | 3145 |
| Colorado | 1908 | 382 |
| Connecticut | 1010 | 322 |
| Delaware | 234 | 112 |
| District of Columbia | 245 | 79 |
| Florida | 4229 | 2641 |
| Georgia | 2327 | 830 |
| Hawaii | 295 | 136 |
| Idaho | 801 | 158 |
| Illinois | 4400 | 1233 |
| Indiana | 1917 | 817 |
| Iowa | 1318 | 225 |
| Kansas | 1348 | 224 |
| Kentucky | 1544 | 484 |
| Louisana | 1316 | 361 |
| Maine | 593 | 130 |
| Maryland | 1408 | 681 |
| Massachusetts | 1832 | 661 |
| Michigan | 3485 | 701 |
| Minnesota | 2696 | 513 |
| Mississippi | 1032 | 255 |
| Missouri | 2475 | 629 |
| Montana | 821 | 134 |
| Nebraska | 1098 | 207 |
| Nevada | 762 | 133 |
| New Hampshire | 507 | 189 |
| New Jersey | 2558 | 1052 |
| New Mexico | 888 | 164 |
| New York | 4814 | 1632 |
| North Carolina | 2716 | 703 |
| North Dakota | 507 | 53 |
| Ohio | 3577 | 1355 |
| Oklahoma | 1778 | 189 |
| Oregon | 1296 | 346 |
| Pennsylvania | 2926 | 2156 |
| Rhode Island | 312 | 107 |
| South Carolina | 1270 | 390 |
| South Dakota | 712 | 85 |
| Tennessee | 1905 | 540 |
| Texas | 9217 | 1714 |
| Utah | 1096 | 156 |
| Vermont | 306 | 121 |
| Virginia | 2129 | 946 |
| Washington | 2553 | 635 |
| West Virginia | 682 | 121 |
| Wisconsin | 2224 | 886 |
| Wyoming | 358 | 33 |
American Charter VS Traditional Public Schools Statistics
- A charter school is a school that typically relies on public funding but is also governed by another group under legislative contract. There were more than 7,010 charter schools in 2017, the last recorded date for charter schools in the U.S. Currently, there are also 99,154 traditional public schools. (educationdata.org)
- There is a difference in ethnic enrollment for charter schools. 57.4% of charter schools had more than 50% of white enrollment, whereas 8.8% of charter schools had more than 50% black enrollment, strongly construing that the enrollment of whites is much higher than that of blacks, or Hispanics. Hispanics we are in the middle, with 50% of enrollment in 16.3% of charter schools. (nces.ed.gov)
- Charter school enrollment has grown more than 7% from 2009-10 to 2015-16, according to NCES. Charter schools with over 300 students have increased enrollment, however, those with less have decreased their enrollment. (nces.ed.gov)
- In 1991, the first law allowing the establishment of public charter schools was made to pass in Minnesota. In 2016, that same law would be passed in 43 states, meaning charter schools are most likely not going anywhere. (nces.ed.gov)
- In 2016-2017, about two-thirds of charter schools were independently created and maintained by groups of teachers, community groups, universities, foundations, businesses or faith-based groups. One-third, however, were created by management organizations that operate multiple schools. The latter is a combination of non-profit and for-profit. (nces.ed.gov)
Quick Look About Specializing Public Schools
Special Education Schools: School geared towards people with special needs including conditions like down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or even behavioral issues.
- In 2017, 13.7% of all students were special education students. This means that roughly 1 in 10 students are students with special needs. (nces.ed.gov)
- States with the highest amount of special education students include New York and Massachusetts at about 17%, whereas states such as Texas and Hawaii have lower rates at about 10%. (thejournal.com)
Magnet Schools: Schools that are public but also offer specialized courses. Magnet schools typically receive specialized funding from the government to maintain their specialized courses.
- The number of magnet schools in the United States reached 3,421 in 2018. This is a slight increase from the previous year, which had about 3,164 magnet schools. (statista.com)
- Fall enrollment for magnet schools in 2015 reached 2,609,104, equating to roughly 4% of total students, which is 50,009,771 students total. (nces.ed.gov)
Vocational Schools: Schools that provide practical skills training as opposed to academic study, or a traditional school route. This school is a useful path for people who are looking to enter the industry for the first time, reenter the workforce, or pursue a new field.
- Common programs for vocational schools include welding, cosmetology, plumbing, carpentry, locksmithing, electrical installation and maintenance, motorcycle and automotive repair, floral design, medical transcription, and hotel and restaurant management. These professions require technical knowledge, but not as much of the rigorous academic pressure a biology major might be dealt with. (www.study.com)
Alternative Schools: Schools that offer specific accommodations for the behavioral or medical needs of students that can not be relied on in a traditional education setting.
- Common students may have experiences with substance abuse, personality disorders, depression, violence, and other personal issues that can inhibit functioning in a traditional environment. (nces.ed.gov)
- Roughly 32% of students enroll after facing some degree of educational failure in the traditional school system. (nces.ed.gov)
What is the Average School Size?
The average school size in the U.S. is approximately 526 students. The average school size varies further when considering the location. City schools, for example, average about 591 students, while suburban schools average about 656 students. Town level students see a decrease at an average of 444 students and rural even further at an average of 358 students.
Other key facts about school sizes in the U.S.:
- There are 13,598 school districts in the U.S. If there are 130,930 schools in the U.S., that means there are on average about 10 schools per district. (edweek.org)
- The current average quantity of students in school is up 8 students average from 2011. The number, however, is an increase for elementary schools, and a decrease for secondary schools. (edweek.org)
Conclusion
The number of schools is changing, and while some areas like elementary schools are growing larger, other systems like secondary schools are closing. The trade-off, in these statistics, however, is the secondary schools are gaining more students, while the elementary schools are losing students.
Some crucial factors like racial diversity are still uneven, however, they have been improving over the years. Whites, for example, accounted for over 50% of students in 2000, but now they account for about 38%. The United States has about 77 million students in total, which means there are a lot of minorities out there. Every state is different, however, and some need more assistance than others. Overall, enrollment rates will continue to rise at a steady rate.
Special schools, vocational schools, alternative schools, and magnet schools are also on the rise as more and more legislators, teachers, parents, and organizations work together to create more flexible educational opportunities for children with special needs.
Above all else, it’s important to keep tracking our educational standards and to create equal and fair opportunities for everyone to succeed.