INVESTING IN EDUCATION
Five key factors when considering public and private school environments
Choosing where your child goes to school is about more than tuition, test scores, or location. A school environment shapes how students learn, the relationships they build, and the values reinforced each day.
There are excellent public and private schools, and no single model is right for every student. Understanding some of the structural differences can help families determine what matters most to them.
1. Choice Begins Differently
For most families, public school enrollment starts with geography. In Georgia, students are generally assigned to a school based on the attendance zone in which they live, though transfer programs and other school-choice options may be available.
Private education shifts that starting point. Families can look beyond their residential zone and consider schools based on academic approach, culture, mission, or faith tradition.
That changes the question from “Which school are we zoned for?” to “Which school best reflects what we want our child’s education to look like?”
2. Curriculum Can Offer Different Levels of Flexibility
Public schools operate within state academic standards and accountability requirements. Private schools must also comply with applicable state requirements, but they typically have more flexibility in shaping curriculum around their educational philosophy. Georgia, for example, requires private schools to provide instruction in core academic areas while allowing schools discretion in how that instruction is delivered.
That difference can show up in the classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 95.1 percent of private-school teachers surveyed in 2020–21 reported having at least some control over the instructional materials they used, compared with 84.1 percent of public-school teachers. Private-school teachers also reported greater control over what content and skills were taught.
For families, that flexibility may create more room for specialized programs, interdisciplinary learning, or intentional integration of a school’s mission into academics.
3. Class Size Can Influence Relationships
Smaller classes do not automatically make a school better, but they can change the way students and teachers interact.
NCES data from 2020–21 found average private-school class sizes generally around 14 to 16 students, depending on grade level and instructional format. Public-school averages generally ranged from about 17 to 22 students nationally across comparable classroom formats.
The number itself may be less important than what a school does with it. Families can ask whether class size allows teachers to know students well, provide meaningful feedback, and respond when a student needs more support or challenge.
4. Mission and Values Can Shape the Experience
Private schools have the ability to organize the student experience around a defined institutional mission. This can be especially meaningful for families considering faith-based education.
NCES data shows that approximately two-thirds of private schools in the United States have a religious orientation. In those schools, faith can extend well beyond a religion class or weekly gathering. It may shape relationships, service, and the way the school approaches student growth.
For families exploring private education, this creates an important question: Do the values reinforced at school complement the values we are building at home?
5. Tuition is Part of the Equation, but so is Financial Aid
A private education requires families to consider a financial investment, but the published tuition rate does not always tell the entire story.
Among member schools of the National Association of Independent Schools, nearly $3.6 billion in need-based financial aid was awarded during the 2024–25 school year. NAIS also reports that approximately one-quarter of students at its day schools receive financial aid.
Families considering private education should look at affordability early in the process and explore the financial-aid programs available at individual schools.
Finding the Right Fit
Ultimately, choosing a school is rarely as simple as deciding whether public or private education is better.
A more useful comparison looks at the individual environment. How well will teachers know the student? What guides classroom instruction? What opportunities are available? How does the school define growth? What happens when a student needs additional support?
Education is a significant investment. Choosing where to make that investment starts with understanding what your family values most and finding a school that can support it.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey, 2020–21: teacher autonomy and average class size.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Private School Universe Survey, 2019–20: religious orientation of U.S. private schools.
- U.S. Department of Education, Georgia State Regulations of Private and Home Schools.
- U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, guidance regarding IDEA and parentally placed private-school students.
- Georgia.gov, public-school enrollment and attendance-zone guidance.