Because the expenditure for private school education is sizeable, it is understandable that parents seek a process to justify the cost relative to the benefit of what they expect to derive.  When it comes to private school education, however, there are no consumer guides or prospectuses that can be used to compare the cost and value of various schools.  And to the dismay of many parents, there is no system for ranking private schools like the ranking that exists for colleges and universities.

Parents who independently set out to conduct a cost-benefit analysis as a means to justify the costs associated with private schools learn quickly that the process creates tremendous confusion and consternation.  It is advisable, therefore, that parents put aside the notion of a cost justification and seek to understand what a particular school can offer their child in terms of educational programming and personal growth and development opportunities

To successfully arrive at the all-important student-school fit, and to do so in an effective manner, you are encouraged to use The Private School Admission Guide published by The Private School Journal as the basis for your school identification and selection process.  The guide consists of a series of tools that help parents define and articulate their goals for their child’s education and a means to evaluate the ability of individual private schools to support and accommodate their goals.

October 2005