Prizmah’s Enrollment Pulse Survey December 2022 reports on Jewish day school and yeshiva enrollment trends across the United States and Canada.
In the 2022-23 academic year, Jewish day schools continued to build on the positive growth trajectory of the past two years by maintaining previous enrollment increases. Seventy-two percent of students who enrolled due to the pandemic re-enrolled for the 2022-23 academic year, reflecting positively on the academic excellence and vibrant communities in our schools across North America.
In a positive sign for the future of day school enrollment, preschool programs experienced significant growth, reporting a 5% rise in enrollment this year.
The survey was fielded from August through October 2022, and data was collected from 136 schools across North America, representing broad geographic, religious, and enrollment diversity.
For K-12 schools, additional notable study findings include:
- From 2020-21 to 2022-23, 65% of the schools surveyed have either grown or had stable enrollment, with 34% reporting a decrease.
- Schools with enrollment over 500 experienced the greatest net increases in student enrollment.
- While Schools strengthened social-emotional support for students before and during the height of the pandemic, 20% of schools still report an increased need for social-emotional and student academic support in 2022-23
Schools attribute school reputation, academics, and student support services as key reasons for enrollment increases. School reputation, location/relocation out of the area, and family mission alignment to the school were reported as the primary reasons for enrollment decreases.
With strong academics, community support, values-based learning, and small class sizes, Jewish day schools were uniquely positioned to meet the needs of families during the pandemic. Prizmah’s Enrollment Pulse Survey Report, December 2022 confirms that by maintaining the enrollment growth of the past two years and boasting strong retention, we have solidified a strong foundation from which we can continue to build.