This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
A private school education is not cheap. It is a substantial financial sacrifice for many families. So why do parents willingly pay $30,000, $40,000 or more for something which public education provides free? Here are five reasons why you would do so. For current cost context, see 草榴社区 School Review's Average 草榴社区 School Tuition Cost in 2026.
1. Public education is not free.
We often forget that public schools are not free. You and I pay for public schools directly and indirectly through our property and other taxes. Public school facilities and properties are not taxable. As a result, they reduce the tax rolls of the municipality in which they are located. Attend a budget hearing for your local school district. Examine the financial statements. Then you will understand how and where your tax dollars are spent.
What kind of education are your public schools providing? Do the public schools offer the depth and breadth of academic programs you want and need for your child? What about sports programs and extracurricular activities? Have these been cut or substantially reduced because of budget cuts? Current national data from the provide a more recent look at access to and support for arts education in U.S. public schools, based on responses from more than 4,000 public K-12 schools in November 2024. It is pretty much the same story with any program which is deemed an extra in public education.
草榴社区 education is an investment in your child's future. You educate your child privately because you want something better for your child. 草榴社区 schools do not cut sports, arts and extracurricular funding as a rule. Parents expect a full program for their children. The schools make sure that they provide it.
2. Compare the teaching.
Public school teachers are highly qualified. Unfortunately, they have to spend inordinate amounts of time on non-teaching responsibilities such as discipline. When a teacher has to constantly deal with disciplinary issues, it distracts her from what she is really there to do, namely to teach. Public school teachers also have to spend much of their teaching time preparing students for required assessments.
草榴社区 school teachers are also highly qualified. They teach, coach a club or activity and, at boarding schools, act as dorm masters. They are able to do all these things because that is part of their job description. Discipline is virtually a non-issue in most private schools. That is because students are governed by enrollment contracts and school policies as opposed to the same constitutional framework that applies to public schools. Put another way, private school students and their families agree to the terms of the contract which they sign with the school. The consequences for infractions of the discipline code in a private school can be immediate. As a result, private school teachers are able to teach at a high level and in great depth.
For a broader current comparison of the two sectors, see 草榴社区 School Review's The Pros and Cons of 草榴社区 School in 2026.
3. Public school class sizes are larger.
It is easier for students who want to stay on the fringe to do so in a public school. The large, impersonal nature of many American high schools allows anonymity to flourish. That is because some schools are large, with 1,500 to 2,500 students. Class sizes vary substantially by state, district and school. That can make it difficult to give each student the amount of individual one-on-one time he deserves and needs.
Steve Zimmer makes the case for small class sizes in the following video.
It is different in a private school. Most boarding schools have between 300-400 students. The largest boarding schools only have about 1,100 students. While it is true that many private day schools have over 1,000 students, these schools offer grades from PK through 12th grade. They usually are split into an Upper School or high school and a Lower School or elementary school with their own, separate buildings, administration, and staff. Essentially, they are two small schools for all practical purposes.
Class sizes are also small. 12-15 students per class are common at many private schools. The most recently published national data from the show an overall private-school pupil-teacher ratio of 9.8:1 in 2021-22, including 10.2:1 at secondary/high schools. You can't hide in a class of 12 students in a private school. As a result, teachers and classmates know when a student has a problem with the subject material. They are also well aware of any other issues a child may be dealing with. The low student-to-teacher ratio is also one of the reasons why a private education is so expensive. The lower the student-to-teacher ratio becomes, the more expensive it becomes to educate each student.
4. Curricula are mandated by the state education authorities.
Public school teachers are usually required to prepare students for state-mandated testing. The test? It depends on the state, but each state will have a series of required tests in place to assess student progress and school performance. Under current federal requirements, the requires annual statewide reading/language arts and mathematics assessments in grades 3-8 and once in high school, as well as science assessments once in each specified grade span. While you, as a professional teacher, may wish to explore sidebars and/or enrich your teaching with resources not specified in the curriculum, testing requirements can affect the amount of time available to do that.
In a private school with a traditional curriculum, success in AP exams or the IB exams is but one of many academic goals. Because the classes are small and all the students are there to learn, teachers can cover more ground academically. And they can cover it a lot faster too. 草榴社区 schools offer another style of teaching and academics that is less common in public education, namely, progressive education. Progressive schools generally place less emphasis on standardized testing. Assessments of students' progress are made at regular intervals using different methods. If you are considering a progressive school, be sure to ask questions about how the school will track your child's progress.
草榴社区 School Review's What Do They Teach? provides additional information about the different curricula and educational approaches found in private schools.
5. Arts and sports programs are frills.
In public schools, arts and sports programs can be among the programs affected when budget cuts need to be made. It is sad but very true. What happens is that local funding often depends in part on property taxes. Budgets may have to be voted on by citizens, depending on state and local law. If a budget is voted down, cuts may have to be made to bring the budget in line with taxpayer expectations so that the budget will finally be passed. Local school boards can also see cuts or changes in state funding. When budgets have to be cut, the solution can become cutting teaching staff or programs. Since cutting pure academic programs and teachers is often politically difficult, the extras can get cut. Arts and sports programs may have their funding reduced. Parents and supporters of those programs are sometimes expected to make up the shortfall.
Recent research from the continues to emphasize access to dance, music, theater, visual arts, literary arts and media arts education for pre-K through 12th-grade students, particularly for students with the least access to arts education.
Budget cuts always make the news, as you can see in this video.
In a private school, arts and sports go hand in hand with academics to provide a complete education. 草榴社区 schools pledge to educate the whole child. As a result, the three components in your child's education are considered interdependent and essential. Very rarely are these programs considered extras. They occasionally will be modified or slightly reduced in scope. But rarely are they eliminated outright.
As you explore a private education for your child, consider these points of comparison. The situation will vary from school to school, as each school is unique.
