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Enrollment Trends Update 2024-25

Author
Odelia Epstein
Date
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Enrollment Trends Update 2025

In the aftermath of the events of October 7, 2023, researchers at Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) have observed an “explosion in Jewish belonging,” known as “The Surge.” Jews are feeling “more invested in their identity and community and looking for ways to connect.” This new reality has particular implications for Jewish day schools and yeshivas, which provide high quality full-time education, nurture deep and lasting community, transmit living Jewish values, and cultivate responsibility for our people and our world.

Over recent years, Prizmah has tracked enrollment annually in Jewish day schools and yeshivas. In light of the Surge, while we continue to track enrollment and anticipate fieldwide statistics, we took advantage of the opportunity for a deeper analysis of data from a smaller segment of schools in order to understand new student enrollment more closely. Based on our survey of 107 schools, we observe an increase in day school enrollment in 2024-2025 of 1.3% from the preceding year.

This report offers valuable insights into how a deeper desire to be in community with other Jews, coupled with rising antisemitism and vulnerability relating to Israel, has influenced parents’ decisions regarding their children’s education. The findings underscore the importance of Jewish schools as academic institutions, as safe havens, and as centers of Jewish identity and community in a challenging climate. Based on these findings, Prizmah aims to empower schools and communities with actionable insights, fostering strategic investments to ensure a thriving Jewish future.

Methodology

Since 2018, Prizmah has hosted a Jewish day school and yeshiva benchmarking cohort and robust data analysis initiative using the Data and Analysis for School Leadership (DASL) tool, developed by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Prizmah’s DASL cohort enables Jewish day schools to collect, analyze, and compare key data metrics to inform strategic planning and decision-making.

For the 2024-2025 school year, alongside sections covering general areas such as enrollment, financial operations, and staff salaries, an additional section was introduced to examine new student enrollment more deeply. Specific questions tailored to Jewish day schools were included to assess the ways that features of the Surge have made an impact on enrollment.

Between June and October 2024, 132 schools participated in DASL, with 121 completing the section on new student enrollment. The findings are presented in the New Student Enrollment and The Surge sections of this report.

For the year-over-year enrollment analysis, data from schools that submitted total enrollment information for both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years were analyzed in the 2024-2025 Enrollment Trends section. A total of 107 schools provided data for both years, enabling an analysis of consecutive-year trends.

Jewish day schools and yeshivas that submit DASL data span many religious affiliations from Yeshivish, Centrist Orthodox, Modern Orthodox to Community, Conservative, Reform and Pluralistic. Analysis of the enrollment trends in the responding schools, coupled with the findings from the questions about new student enrollment, offer an important and significant perspective.

Key Findings

  • Total enrollment in this sample of Prizmah schools has increased by 1.3% from the 2023-2024 school year to the 2024-2025 school year.
  • Families who previously haven’t considered day school for their children are turning to Jewish day schools.
  • More than half of schools (51%) had an enrollment increase for 2024-2025, and 14% of schools had steady enrollment.
  • The Southeast region had the largest overall increase in enrollment, primarily in Florida.
  • 60% of schools reported new families turning to day school who would not have attended day school otherwise.
  • 55% of schools reported an increase in enrollment from students transferring from public and (not Jewish) independent schools, including lateral transfer students as well as students beginning kindergarten and elementary school.

 

I. 2024-2025 Enrollment Trends

The comparative aggregate enrollment findings are based on 107 schools who provided their enrollment data in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. The sample spans regions across the US and Canada and schools across the denominational spectrum.

Enrollment change: 1.3%
N=107 schools

51% of schools increased enrollment
14% of schools had steady enrollment
35% of schools decreased enrollment

Over the last year, the greatest enrollment increase was observed in the Southeast (4%) and Canada (2%). More than half of the increase in the Southeast region is attributable to one school that opened up more grades and saw incremental growth from previously non-day school families.

Table 1:
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Enrollment Trends Update 2025

Orthodox and Community/Non-denominational, Conservative, Reform and Pluralistic schools all experienced enrollment increases of over 1%.

Table 2:
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Enrollment Trends Update 2025

II. New Student Enrollment and The Surge

The three additional questions for the 2024-2025 school year, designed to assess the shifts in patterns since October 7, 2023, asked about new student enrollment from public and independent schools and those families’ reasons for enrollment. The goal was to understand the extent to which The Surge is already making an impact on parents’ and students’ school choices.

A total of 121 schools responded to these additional questions. Respondents span the denominational and geographic spectrum of the Prizmah network of schools.

The 2024-2025 school year has seen a notable shift in enrollment patterns in Jewish day schools. Sixty percent of schools (72 schools) identified new students who enrolled in Jewish day schools this school year as a result of the change in climate post 10/7. Over half (55%) reported an increase in enrollment from students transferring from public or other independent schools. Specifically, 45% of schools noted increased enrollment from public school students, while a third observed new enrollments from independent school students.

We asked the school professionals to identify the reasons for enrollment that they heard from these parents. These findings provide valuable insights into how external factors are shaping school choice decisions within the Jewish community this year.

Respondents provided these reasons most often shared by new families as to why they chose to enroll:

  1. Antisemitism Concerns
    Many families expressed concerns about the environment in public schools, citing experiences of antisemitism, bullying, or a general sense that the school atmosphere was unsafe for their children. This includes both direct experiences and concerns about safety and acceptance.
  2. Jewish Identity and Community
    Numerous families sought a stronger connection to Jewish identity, a sense of belonging, or an immersive Jewish community.
  3. Safety and Security
    Families expressed that a Jewish day school environment offered both physical and emotional security, where their children did not need to hide their Jewish identity.

These findings illustrate that schools across North America are witnessing and responding to the Surge of interest in Jewish connection. More parents than ever before, hungry for Jewish connection and belonging, are considering full-time Jewish education for their children. The enrollment increases reported by the schools in this study underscore the unique capacity of day schools to foster a strong and resilient Jewish future. The Surge challenges schools with a strategic opportunity to tailor their messaging, programs, and offerings to attract and retain even more new families.

Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools is dedicated to advancing the Jewish day school network by systematically collecting and analyzing fieldwide data to illuminate key trends and challenges. By conducting and publishing comprehensive landscape research, Prizmah equips school professionals, lay leaders, funders, and the broader Jewish educational community with a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape, fostering strategic, long-term planning and sustained success.

Appendix A: Additional DASL Questions for Prizmah Schools

Increase in Enrollment from Public Schools in Current Year
Did you experience an increase in enrollments from public school students for the current school year?

Increase in Enrollment From Independent or Private Schools in Current Year
Did your school experience an increase in enrollment from independent school or private school students (excluding Jewish day schools) for the current school year?

Reasons For Enrollment in Current Year
We are tracking the reasons families are providing for enrolling their children in Jewish day school who likely would not have prior to the change in climate after October 7th. Please provide reasons these parents have provided for enrolling at your school.