Parents who are fortunate enough to have a choice in their child’s schooling may feel overwhelmed by the options. There are public schools, private schools, charter schools—or you could even homeschool your child. So, how does a parent make this choice? Which of these options results in the best outcome for students?

About 10 percent of children in the United States attend private school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Yet, private school requires a significant investment for most families, so many parents wonder if private school is worth the cost. How does a private school education really compare to a public school education?

Attending a private school is associated with many advantages, including enhanced academic ability, social skills, more positive psychological adjustment, and enhanced long-term success, yet this effect seems to disappear when controlling for family factors such as income. In other words, the advantages associated with private schools are likely related to wealthier and more educated parents being more likely to send their children to private schools rather than private schools themselves. Previous research also finds that when low-income public school students are given “vouchers” to attend private schools, their academic achievement seems to decline, although this effect may depend on the quality of the private school. In addition, observational research finds no differences in the quality of instruction, teacher-student interaction, or overall emotional climate between public and private school classrooms.

Translation: Private schools, in general, do not provide an advantage over public schools. However, this does not mean there are no........

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