Special Needs Care Network Data Report

Private schools listed under “Special education,” by state

Name: Special Education Private Schools by State Statistics
Creator: Special Needs Care Network
Published: 2026-08-19
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A federal NCES category count, shown state by state. The map compares the number of records per 100,000 children ages 5–17 so states of different sizes can be read side by side.

Latest federal snapshot 1,546

private schools returned across the 50 states and D.C. when NCES is filtered to “Special education.”

Primary source: NCES Private School Universe Survey, 2023–24 Population comparison: U.S. Census, 2024 Updated: August 19, 2026

01 See your state

The map is about rate, not raw size

Map color Schools per 100k children ages 5–17 Color represents the rate. Select a state for its exact figure.

Lower rateHigher rate

Choose a state to see its count and rank.

See your state

Choose a state

Start with your state

We’ll show its raw count, rate, rank, and a link you can share with the source attached.

This rate makes states of different sizes easier to compare. It is not a count of available placements.

02 Compare every state

Where your state sits in the full ranking

Ranking uses the same population-adjusted rate as the map. D.C. is included for completeness.

Highest rate #1 Vermont 17.73 per 100k children ages 5–17

Choose a state above to place it in the national ranking.

Browse all 51 rows


1	16	17.73
2	29	14.85
3	18	9.22
4	15	9.19
5	47	8.12
6	86	8.04
7	107	6.70
8	138	6.63
9	201	5.69
10	145	4.66
11	67	4.44
12	46	4.20
13	4	4.16
14	77	3.60
15	33	2.59
16	4	2.31
17	45	2.21
18	16	2.16
19	3	2.09
20	37	2.00
21	134	1.95
22	21	1.94
23	38	1.90
24	18	1.83
25	10	1.82
26	3	1.76
27	3	1.61
28	18	1.47
29	7	1.35
30	10	1.25
31	16	1.16
32	11	1.14
33	4	1.13
34	4	1.11
35	4	1.05
36	7	1.03
37	9	1.00
38	1	0.98
39	55	0.93
40	3	0.81
41	7	0.80
42	6	0.73
43	2	0.73
44	5	0.62
45	3	0.54
46	6	0.36
47	2	0.35
48	3	0.24
49	1	0.17
50	1	0.10
51	0	0.00

03 Method

What exactly is being counted?

For each state and the District of Columbia, we queried the NCES Private School Search using its “School Type or Program Emphasis” filter set to “Special education.” The locator identifies the source as the 2023–24 Private School Universe Survey (PSS). We collected only the state-level result total, then published the aggregate—not a school directory.

Per 100,000 children ages 5–17 = the PSS result count divided by the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2024 state population estimates for every single year of age from 5 through 17, multiplied by 100,000. This helps compare states of different sizes. The denominator is a standardizing tool; it is not the enrollment population of these schools.

Data collected August 19, 2026. NCES can revise or update its locator, so rerun the report’s build script before treating a future snapshot as current.

04 Reuse the work

Built for a post, a reporter note, or a story pitch

This source file is available under CC BY 4.0. Please link to this report and keep the scope note when republishing the figures.

Download the data

All 51 aggregate rows, with source year and collection timestamp.

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Copy the citation

Special Needs Care Network. “Private Schools Listed Under ‘Special Education,’ by State.” August 19, 2026. https://specialneedsusa.com/data/private-special-education-schools-by-state

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Next step

Looking for a special-education school in your state?

This report counts what the federal survey recorded. It cannot tell you which of those schools would suit your child. Tell us what your child needs and Special Needs Care Network will match you with schools and therapy providers, free.

Find schools near you

Primary sources

National Center for Education Statistics, Search for Private Schools. We used the site’s “Special education” value within “School Type or Program Emphasis.” Each result page identifies the source as “PSS Private School Universe Survey data for the 2023–24 school year.”
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 State Population Estimates: Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin. We sum the total population in each state for ages 5–17.
NCES, Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2023–24 Private School Universe Survey.

Source: NCES PSS 2023–24 + U.S. Census 2024 Open the full report