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AP or Advanced Placement Program is a three-year sequence of high school coursework offered by the in over 34 subject areas. The idea behind offering AP courses is to provide college-bound high school seniors with a level of academic playing field. You see, it doesn't matter whether you are a high school student in Dubuque, Iowa, or Darien, Connecticut, AP courses and the end of course examinations are the same wherever they are offered. The course content is the same. The teaching objectives are the same. The preparation for the final examinations is the same. Because the standard is the same everywhere and the final examinations are proctored and graded by the College Board, college admissions professionals can compare student academic achievements with confidence. They know exactly what AP means when they see it on your transcript. They know exactly what your AP scores represent.

This brief video explains the impact of AP credit and placement.

That is the intrinsic value of AP Courses and their examinations from a college admissions point of view. Admissions professionals want to know that the math courses that an applicant took at a public high school in Kansas are the same as those an applicant from a private school in Tennessee took. In other words, they want to compare apples to apples. When one applicant is offered a high school math course that is not an

American private high schools generally prepare their graduates for academic work after graduation. With that in mind, let's take a look at the various academic options which you will find in American private schools.

Because private schools are indeed private or independent, as opposed to being state schools, they can set their own curricula and the qualifications of their faculty. Most private high schools meet or exceed the course requirements mandated by the state education department for the state in which the school is located.

For example, here are the 's graduation requirements:

Minnesota students are required to complete three kinds of requirements by the time they graduate. Students must: * Satisfactorily complete the state course credit requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.024. * Satisfactorily complete all state academic standards or local academic standards where state standards do not apply. * Meet graduation assessment requirements.

### Course Credits Students complete the academic standards by taking a core course of study that equips them with the knowledge and skills they need for success in postsecondary education, highly skilled work, and civic life. In order to graduate, your child’s high school coursework must include at least the minimum state course credit requirements. A course credit is equivalent to a student successfully completing an academic year of study or mastering the subject matter, as determined by the local school district. Students must complete a minimum of 21.5 course credits as follows: * 4 credits of language arts * 3 credits of mathematics, including

If you live abroad and are thinking about sending your child to an American private school, you need to be aware of several things about American schools. If you are being transferred to the United States by your employer, your move may entail help finding and paying for private schools for your school-age children. Let's explore five characteristics of American private schools you need to know.

1. The U.S. has many private schools.

First of all, like everything else in the U.S., the number of private K-12 schools in the United States is overwhelming. According to the latest data from the , there are approximately 30,000 private schools in the United States. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools continue to educate about 10% of K-12 students. For an overview of the private school landscape, see ²ÝÁñÉçÇø School Review's guide to What's a ²ÝÁñÉçÇø School?.

In North America, "public" refers to a school that receives funding from a government entity. The federal, state, and local authorities support our public schools with tax dollars. Generally, public schools are largely funded by property taxes at the local municipal level. ²ÝÁñÉçÇø schools, on the other hand, are generally supported almost exclusively by their own resources. These include tuition fees, fundraising campaigns, and endowments. While many states now offer school choice scholarships or education savings accounts that families may use toward tuition, private schools generally remain independently governed. Another difference in nomenclature is the use of the word "college." College

State regulation of private schools remains an important topic for parents, educators, policymakers, and school administrators. Every state establishes its own legal framework governing private education, resulting in significant differences in oversight, accreditation requirements, health and safety standards, and public benefits available to private school students.

This article summarizes the legal principles that continue to shape private school regulation while incorporating important developments through 2026. Readers seeking state-specific requirements should consult the latest resources published by the and their respective state departments of education.

State Regulation of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools

State Regulation of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Schools provides a brief description, by state, of the legal requirements that apply to private schools. In addition, each state entry includes statistics on private schools by type in the state. This manual was originally intended to serve as a reference for public and private school officials, state policymakers, and researchers. While this publication updated a 1993 analysis prepared by the former Office of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Education, readers should note that current guidance is now maintained by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE), which periodically updates state regulatory information.

To ensure the accuracy of the original analysis, contact persons in each state were designated by the Chief State School Officer. Each state summary was submitted to the appropriate state department of education for consideration and approval. The individuals who reviewed and amended these summaries contributed significantly to the publication's accuracy. The manual