Independent of the public system
A private school is funded by tuition and private giving rather than public per-pupil dollars, so it answers to its board and families rather than to a public authorizer. “Independent” usually means a self-governing nonprofit with its own board (the NAIS model); “proprietary” means an owner- or company-operated school. Both can be accredited, but only a nonprofit can take tax-deductible gifts.
How light (or heavy) your state is
How much the state regulates private schools varies enormously. Start every plan from the U.S. Department of Education's State Regulation of Private Schools map, then go to your state agency. The spectrum:
Entity, building, staff, students
The founding backbone applies in full, see the ten-step process. The private-specific decisions are: choose nonprofit vs. proprietary (nonprofit for donations and most grants); meet your state's registration or licensure requirement (which may be nothing more than an annual affidavit); and decide your admissions and tuition model. Teacher certification is usually not required, Missouri, for example, states certification is “not required by Missouri state statute for teachers in nonpublic schools”, though background checks are mandated in some states.
Voluntary, but it opens doors
Accreditation is voluntary in most states, but it matters for credit transfer, college-admissions credibility, parent confidence and, in some states, school-choice funding eligibility. See our Accreditation section for how it works. Common K-12 accreditors include Cognia, the regional associations (Middle States, WASC, NEASC) and state independent-school associations.
- Cognia: membership first, then an Initial Accreditation Review granting a two-year initial term; “in general, Initial Accreditation can be completed within six months”, with continuing reviews at least every six years.
- Timeline reality: most accreditors only accept a school after it has operated for about a year, so expect 1–3 years after opening to reach full accreditation.
Tuition, aid and philanthropy
Private schools live on net tuition (gross tuition minus financial aid), plus annual-fund and capital giving, endowment and, increasingly, ESA and voucher dollars where the state allows. For scale, NAIS member benchmarks for 2024–25 show average day tuition of $32,251 and median enrollment of 364, but those describe established, well-resourced schools and overstate what a brand-new school can charge. Build your model on realistic local tuition and conservative enrollment ramp-up.
Related resources
See Faith-based schools for the religious variant, Microschools for very small programs, Accreditation for the review process, and Costs, timelines & funding to compare routes.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I have to register a private school with the state? It depends entirely on your state. Missouri does not regulate private schools at all, California requires only an annual affidavit, while Pennsylvania licenses secular private schools. Check the U.S. Department of Education's state regulation map.
- Do private-school teachers need to be certified? In most states, no. Some states require background checks or certain qualifications, but teacher certification is generally optional for private schools, unlike most charter and public schools.
- Is accreditation required for a private school? Usually not by the state, but it is often needed for credit transfer, college-admissions credibility and, in some states, eligibility for school-choice funding. It typically takes 1–3 years after opening.
- What is the difference between independent and private? “Independent” usually means a nonprofit school governed by its own board (the NAIS model). “Private” is the broader category and includes both nonprofit and for-profit (proprietary) schools.
- How is a private school funded? Mainly by tuition, plus charitable giving and endowment. In a growing number of states, families can also use education savings accounts or vouchers to pay tuition.