Skip Navigation

Were you contacted about the 2023–24 PSS? Please contact the U.S. Census Bureau pss@census.gov or 1-888-329-5890 for more information. Questions about the survey? Click here for PSS participant information!

Private School Universe Survey (PSS)

Data and Documentation


  • The most recent PSS data come from the 2021–22 collection. The next PSS collection will occur during the 2023–24 school year; we anticipate these data to become available in fall 2025.
  • Data are available for download in SAS, SPSS, and text formats. Text files are ASCII files in tab-delimited (TXT) format (1989–90 through 2011–12) or comma separated values (CSV) format (2013–14 and on) with a minimum of formatting and can be read into statistical processing programs or spreadsheet applications such as Excel.
  • To produce standard errors, the user needs a statistical application capable of estimating standard errors from a complex sample design (e.g., R Survey package; SAS SURVEY Procedures; SPSS Complex Samples; Stata svy functions; or SUDAAN). The BRR method (design) should be used.
  • When merging PSS data files from different survey years, "*PIN", the Permanent Identification Number, should be used for the merge variable.
  • If you utilize the variable TABFLAG, please see this document.
  • For 2001–02 and earlier years, information on the design, data collection methodology, and data processing procedures for each PSS collection is contained in the technical notes section of the PSS report for that respective collection.

Year Data Documentation
SAS SPSS Text General File Layout Questionnaire Codebook
2021-22 ZIP (4.7 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (5.0 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (4.3 MB)
Text File
PDF (2.6 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (24 KB)
Excel File
PDF (4.0 MB) PDF (681 KB)
ZIP (595 KB)
Word File
ZIP (15.0 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (10.9 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2019-20 ZIP (4.4 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.6 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.9 MB)
Text File
PDF (3.9 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (21.2 KB)
Excel File
PDF (482 KB) PDF (1.1 MB)
ZIP (132 KB)
Word File
ZIP (12.7 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (9.4 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2017-18 ZIP (5.4 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.8 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.8 MB)
Text File
PDF (2.9 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (22.1 KB)
Excel File
PDF (397 KB) PDF (1.23 MB)
ZIP (760 KB)
Word File
ZIP (12.4 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (9.4 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2015-16 ZIP (4.1 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.1 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.7 MB)
Text File
PDF (2.9 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (21.6 KB)
Excel File
PDF (253 KB) PDF (1.23 MB)
ZIP (560 KB)
Word File
ZIP (12.1 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (9.5 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2013-14 ZIP (4.3 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.0 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.8 MB)
Text File
PDF (10.1 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (26 KB)
Excel File
PDF (192 KB) PDF (179 KB)
ZIP (40 KB)
Word File
ZIP (13 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (11 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2011-12 ZIP (6.6 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (5.4 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (4.3 MB)
Text File
PDF (1.1 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (18 KB)
Excel File
PDF (226 KB) PDF (676 KB)
ZIP (599 KB)
Word File
ZIP (12 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (10 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2009-10 ZIP (5.5 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (5.0 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (4.0 MB)
Text File
PDF (946 KB)
Documentation
ZIP (18 KB)
Excel File
PDF (128 KB) PDF (410 KB)
ZIP (72 KB)
Word File
ZIP (14 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (11 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2007-08 ZIP (6.4 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (5.3 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (4.5 MB)
Text File
PDF (959 KB)
Documentation
ZIP (30 KB)
Excel File
PDF (108 KB) PDF (155 KB)
ZIP (83 KB)
Word File
ZIP (11 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (11 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2005-06 ZIP (6.0 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (5.7 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (4.4 MB)
Text File
PDF (1.2 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (17 KB)
Excel File
PDF (481 KB) PDF (142 KB)
ZIP (56 KB)
Word File
ZIP (12 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (8 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2003-04 ZIP (5.1 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.3 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.7 MB)
Text File
PDF (1.4 MB)
Documentation
ZIP (20 KB)
Excel File
PDF (451 KB) PDF (430 KB)
ZIP (257 KB)
Word File
ZIP (11 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
2001-02 ZIP (5.4 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (4.3 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.6 MB)
Text File
PDF (613 KB)
Report
ZIP (12 KB)
Excel File
PDF (100 KB) PDF (126 KB)
ZIP (74 KB)
Word File
ZIP (10 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1999–2000 ZIP (4.5 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (3.9 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.2 MB)
Text File
PDF (549 KB)
Report
ZIP (15 KB)
Excel File
PDF (94 KB) PDF (131 KB)
ZIP (60 KB)
Word File
ZIP (10 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1997–98 ZIP (4.6 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (3.9 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.3 MB)
Text File
PDF (597 KB)
Report
ZIP (11 KB)
Excel File
PDF (686 KB) PDF (115 KB)
ZIP (43 KB)
Word File
ZIP (10 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1995–96 ZIP (4.2 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (3.5 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.1 MB)
Text File
PDF (597 KB)
Report
ZIP (11 KB)
Excel File
PDF (577 KB) PDF (115 KB)
ZIP (38 KB)
Word File
ZIP (10 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1993–94 ZIP (4.7 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (3.9 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (3.2 MB)
Text File
PDF (268 KB)
Report
ZIP (12 KB)
Excel File
PDF (701 KB) PDF (117 KB)
ZIP (46 KB)
Word File
ZIP (10 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1991–92 ZIP (2.6 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (2.3 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (1.9 MB)
Text File
PDF (3.0 MB)
Report
ZIP (11 KB)
Excel File
PDF (428 KB) PDF (110 KB)
ZIP (39 KB)
Word File
ZIP (9 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax
1989–90 ZIP (3.2 MB)
SAS File
ZIP (2.6 MB)
SPSS File
ZIP (2.0 MB)
Text File
PDF (1.5 MB)
Report
ZIP (15 KB)
Excel File
PDF (240 KB) PDF (136 KB)
ZIP (63 KB)
Word File
ZIP (11 KB)
SAS Syntax
ZIP (7 KB)
SPSS Syntax

Top