Survey says: Huge parent satisfaction differences by school type

A recent national survey of more than 20,000 U.S. parents and guardians of K-12 children found that those who send their kids to nonpublic schools or who homeschool are significantly more satisfied than those whose child attends a traditional public school.

Conducted by Edge Research and 50CAN (The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now), the survey looked at student and parent experiences across eight different types of schools. “The differences are striking,” according to the study. Seventy percent of parents who send their children to a parochial/religious school expressed they were “very satisfied,” 65 percent whose children attend a private school, and 65 percent who homeschool. Compare that to the 39 percent of parents satisfied with their child’s traditional public school.

Percentage of parents who say they are very satisfied
with their child’s school by school type, 2024

This isn’t the only survey to reveal school satisfaction differences. EdChoice’s 2024 Schooling in America survey of just over 2,300 respondents with K-12 children found that private school and homeschool parents are more likely than district school parents to say they are “very satisfied” with their child’s schooling experience, and overall satisfaction is higher as well.

Parent satisfaction by school type, 2024

School satisfaction levels, though, reflect past experiences, and “they don’t necessarily represent what people want,” writes EdChoice.

Both surveys also asked parents where they would send their child if they could choose any school.

For the 50CAN survey, 87 percent of private school parents and 82 percent of parochial/religious school parents would make the same choice, while the number drops to 59 percent for traditional public school parents.

Percentage of parents who say if they could send their child to any school,
they would send their child to the school they go to today by school type, 2024

For the EdChoice survey, three out of five parents would choose a school other than public school. While 40 percent stated they would prefer a public district school, this is “roughly half the share of children who, in fact, attend public district schools,” points out EdChoice.

Notably, over a third of parents (36 percent) responded they would prefer to enroll their children in a private school setting, which is “four times the rate of students enrolled in private schools (9 percent),” continues EdChoice.

School type preference vs. enrollment, 2024