According to a recent report from an arm of the National Education Association (NEA), a national teachers’ union, Oklahoma public schools had $15,111 in revenue receipts per student, based on average daily attendance, during the 2024-2025 school year.

That exceeds the tuition rate at at least 80 percent of Oklahoma private schools serving K-12 students, according to a survey conducted by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA).

The Oklahoma Tax Commission lists more than 200 private schools that participate in the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit (PCTC) program, which provides refundable tax credits of $5,000 to $7,500 per child to cover the cost of private school tuition, with the largest credits going to those with the lowest income.

Of 209 private schools that primarily serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade, OCPA was able to obtain tuition rates for 187 schools. Tuition data were obtained from the Oklahoma School Choice Hub, individual private-school websites, and direct communication with some private-school officials.

Of the 187 schools for which tuition rates could be obtained, 19 had rates of more than $15,000 per child. And four of the private schools charging more than $15,000 primarily serve students with special needs, such as autism.

At least 123 private schools charge tuition of $10,000 or less, meaning Oklahoma’s public schools have per-pupil revenue that exceeds tuition at those private schools by at least 50 percent.

Ben Scafidi, an economist who directs the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University, said it is not shocking that many private schools charge tuition rates that are lower than public schools’ per-pupil funding.

He noted that market incentives encourage private schools to both maximize customer benefits and keep costs lower. Unlike public schools, if private schools’ per-pupil prices get too high, the private schools can lose customers and the associated revenue.

“Private schools must charge tuition, while public schools have no tuition because taxpayers pay their substantial costs of operation and buildings,” Scafidi said. “Thus, it is not surprising that private schools are cost-conscious, because they have a strong incentive to do so to attract students.”

At 71 private schools in Oklahoma, the maximum $7,500 Oklahoma parental choice tax credit will cover all tuition costs.

New Life Christian Academy in Muskogee is among them.

Danny Harrison, principal at New Life Christian Academy, said the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit program has helped many families afford a private-school education for their children while making small private schools more financially viable in areas outside of the state’s urban centers.

“That has enabled so many more parents to be able to enroll their students here in the school,” Harrison said. “It’s been amazing for us.”

New Life Christian Academy is in its fourth year of operation. Harrison said most students at the school are from “middle- to lower-middle-class” families, including students from “a single-parent family, kids being raised by grandparents, things like that.”

The number of children using the PCTC program has increased every year since its launch in spring 2024, and thousands have used the program to switch from public school to private school.

Total PCTC participation numbers for the 2026-2027 school year are not yet available because an additional $25 million in tax credits became available in mid-August, and those tax credits have only recently been awarded to applicants.

Scafidi said the financial reality of private schools is often in stark contrast to stereotypes, noting that many private schools are designed to reach working-class families, not just people with significant financial means.

“School choice opponents often use the tuition level at one of the most expensive private schools in the largest city in their state to claim that awards to choice students will not open private-school doors for students,” Scafidi said. “However, the reality in Oklahoma, and elsewhere, is that many private schools are accessible given the scholarships and awards given by states to choice students.”