It’s Easy to Start a Private School. Find Out Where You Can Open Yours.

Take Our
Quiz
A person holds a pair of binoculars up to their eyes. In the lenses, a student waves from a school made of pencils, a student sits on a swing set made of rulers and a fountain erupts from a glue bottle.

Ever imagine yourself as a private school operator? It’s not such a wild idea. Hundreds of new private schools have popped up all over the country in recent years, fueled by a new wave of public money for students to pay tuition.

But the rules for opening a private school vary wildly from state to state. While some states require that you check the backgrounds or certifications of the teachers you hire, some don’t. Almost none scrutinize the founders themselves. Many states invite anyone with a dream and a heartbeat to start a school. ProPublica even founded a couple this year.

Want to see what it takes to open a private school in America? Take this 10-question quiz to find out just how easy it can be.