Private Schools in
District of Columbia Public Schools

Compared to the local public schools, where the student body was predominantly Black, private schools in District of Columbia Public Schools had a much lower share of such students during the 2021–22 school year.

However, the private school student body had more racial diversity than the public schools.

Private Schools in District of Columbia Public Schools’ Boundaries
District of Columbia Public Schools

White
Black
Hisp.
Asian Am.
Am. Ind. / Ala. Nat.
Haw. / Pac. Isl.
Multi.
Not spec.

Source: Private School Survey, Common Core of Data (2021–22)

Find a Private School in District of Columbia Public Schools’ Boundaries

Since 2017, 65 private schools located within District of Columbia Public Schools’ boundaries have responded to the Private School Survey at least once. Use the search bar to quickly find a specific school by name, or click on “Use Your Current Location” to discover schools near you. Explore the map to see all schools in the area. Marker colors indicate the largest racial group of students at each school in its latest survey response.

Demographics Over Time

: Private Schools
: Public Schools

Religious Orientation

Religious orientation reflects a school’s religious orientation or affiliation.

Religious Orientation	Count
Nonsectarian	29
Roman Catholic	19
Christian	5
Episcopal	5
Jewish	2

School Type

School type reflects a private school’s classification, which can indicate specific approaches or academic focus.

School Type	Count
Regular elementary or secondary	42
Montessori	6
Special education	6
Special program emphasis	6
Early childhood/day care center	5

Private Schools in District of Columbia Public Schools’ Boundaries

School	Grades	Religion	Enrollment	Mostly …	Racial Difference*	Teachers	Founded	Type
St. Johns College High School	9th–12th	Roman Catholic	1,279	White	41%	120	1851	Regular elementary or secondary
Sidwell Friends School	PK–12th	Friends	1,120	White	29%	139	1883	Regular elementary or secondary
Georgetown Day School	PK–12th	Nonsectarian	1,053	White	45%	149		Regular elementary or secondary
Gonzaga College High School	9th–12th	Roman Catholic	956	White	63%	68	1821	Regular elementary or secondary
Washington International School	PK–12th	Nonsectarian	847	White	30%	96	1966	Special program emphasis
Maret School	KG–12th	Nonsectarian	650	White	36%	108	1911	Regular elementary or secondary
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School	9th–12th	Roman Catholic	509	White	59%	46	1799	Regular elementary or secondary
Blessed Sacrament School	KG–8th	Roman Catholic	508	White	68%	39	1923	Regular elementary or secondary
British Int’l School Washington	PK–12th	Nonsectarian	478	White	73%	43		Regular elementary or secondary
Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s	PK–8th	Jewish	460	White	79%	66		Regular elementary or secondary
St. Patricks Episcopal Day School	PK–8th	Episcopal	457	White	57%	59		Regular elementary or secondary
St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School	PK–8th	Episcopal	455	White	51%	59		Regular elementary or secondary
St. Patrick S. Episcopal Day School	PK–8th	Episcopal	427	White	53%	59	1956	Regular elementary or secondary
Archbishop Carroll High School	9th–12th	Roman Catholic	383	Black	12%	27		Special program emphasis
The Lab School of Washington	1st–12th	Nonsectarian	378	White	59%	5	1967	Special education
The Field School	6th–12th	Nonsectarian	347	White	63%	45	1972	Regular elementary or secondary
Edmund Burke School	6th–12th	Nonsectarian	333	White	42%	43	1968	Special program emphasis
Beauvoir the National Cathedral Elementary School	PK–3rd	Episcopal	318	White	45%	40	1933	Regular elementary or secondary
Holy Trinity School	PK–8th	Roman Catholic	314	White	60%	31	1818	Regular elementary or secondary
Lowell School	PK–8th	Nonsectarian	279	White	43%	47	1965	Regular elementary or secondary
National Presbyterian School	PK–6th	Presbyterian	254	White	51%	29	1969	Regular elementary or secondary
St. Anselm’s Abbey School	6th–12th	Roman Catholic	251	White	44%	23	1942	Early childhood/day care center
Sheridan School	KG–8th	Nonsectarian	230	White	45%	30	1928	Regular elementary or secondary
St. Augustine Catholic School	PK–8th	Roman Catholic	218	Black	20%	15	1858	Regular elementary or secondary
St. Peter School	PK–8th	Roman Catholic	206	White	66%	23	1868	Regular elementary or secondary

* About racial difference

About This Data

Where is this data from?

Most of the data we use comes from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Private School Universe Survey, which has aimed to gather information about U.S. private schools every other year since 1989. Because the regulation of private schools is handled differently by state, there is no comprehensive list of every private school in the country. The PSS attempts to approximate such a list using various sources, including state education departments, private school associations and religious organizations, and, in some areas, online yellow pages and local government offices.

What schools are included?

Why are private schools listed under public school districts?

What changes has ProPublica made?

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