Frequently Asked Questions

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

In the 2021-22 school year, there were 29,727 private schools, enrolling 4,731,303 students and employing 482,571 full-time teachers in the United States.

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

You can find a school's NCES ID by utilizing the private school search tool.

I cannot find my school's NCES School ID code, how do I get one?

Private schools receive an NCES ID code and appear on the private school search tool after participating in the PSS. If your private school does not appear in the private school search tool, you can fill out this form to register your school to become part of the PSS.

I need to correct information about my school that appears on the private school search tool, what can I do?

If you need to correct or update information about your school, please contact Marie Diederich (Marie.Diederich@ed.gov). In the email, please include the name of your school and your NCES ID. For schools that already appear on the search tool, the following types of information can be updated between PSS data collections: school name, school address, and school phone number. Information appearing under the "School Characteristics" and "Enrollment Characteristics" can only be updated from participating in the PSS and cannot be changed between collection cycles. Schools cannot be added to the search tool between collection cycles.

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.