Primary Education Schools and Programs in The United States

Primary Education Studies in The United States

Primary education in the United States is called elementary education. It starts with kindergarten at age five and normally runs to grade 5 or 6, when children are ten to twelve. Most pupils attend public schools: according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 4.7 million pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 were enrolled in private schools in fall 2021, 9 percent of combined public and private enrolment. This page covers the schools that teach the primary years and the university route to becoming an elementary school teacher.

How primary education is organised

There is no national curriculum; states, school districts and individual private schools set their own. School years are counted in grades. The British International School of Washington publishes a table that shows the usual ages: a child who is five by 30 September enters kindergarten, a six-year-old grade 1, and a ten-year-old grade 5. NCES counted 70,055 public prekindergarten, elementary and middle schools in 2020-21 and 18,870 private ones in 2019-20.

Private schools often group the primary grades in a division called the lower school, and they follow different educational models:

• Independent day schools. Friends Select School, a Quaker school in Philadelphia, describes its lower school as running from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade and uses the city's museums and institutions in its teaching
• Montessori schools. Oak Hill Montessori Community School in Minnesota has multi-age classrooms, with a lower elementary level for grades 1 to 3 and an upper elementary level for grades 4 to 6; it describes this as a tuition-free public charter programme
• International schools. Rochambeau, The French International School, in Bethesda teaches in French and English from age two to 12th grade and states that children do not need to speak French to begin. The British International School of Washington combines the National Curriculum for England with the International Primary Curriculum for ages 5 to 11
• Faith-based schools, including many of the Christian and Catholic schools listed on this page

Admission and visa

Each private school runs its own admissions. The British International School of Washington, for example, asks applicants for Year 2 to Year 6 for an application form and fee, a teacher evaluation and the end-of-year reports from the two latest school years.

Visa rules restrict where a child can study on a student visa of their own. Under US immigration law (8 U.S.C. 1184(m)), F-1 student status cannot be granted to attend a public elementary school. A child who comes to the US on an F-1 visa for primary school must therefore attend a private school that is authorised to enrol international students. Children who accompany a parent on another visa are in a different position; families should check the rules for their own visa category with the consulate.

Costs

Private school tuition varies widely, and each school publishes its own fees. Two examples from Washington, D.C. for the 2026-27 school year: the British International School of Washington charges $40,070 for Year 1 and $40,970 for Years 3 to 6, and Sidwell Friends School charges $55,250 for its lower school from pre-kindergarten to grade 2 and $58,050 for grades 3 and 4.

Where to find primary schools in the United States

This page lists 62 schools in the US that teach or train for primary education. Washington, D.C. has three, and the two cities named Wilmington, in Delaware and North Carolina, have two each. Examples include Georgetown Day School and Sidwell Friends School in the Washington area, Tower Hill School and The Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware, Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, North Carolina and The Village School in Houston. When comparing schools, look at the curriculum and language of instruction, which grades the school covers (many continue to grade 12), whether the school can enrol international pupils, and the full cost including extra fees.

Becoming a primary school teacher

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), public kindergarten and elementary school teachers typically need a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and all states require public school teachers to be licensed or certified for the grade level they teach. Licensing generally involves a bachelor's degree, a student teaching programme, a background check and certification tests. Teachers in private schools typically do not need a licence.

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke is an example of a teacher training route: its Educator Preparation Program includes a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for people whose bachelor's degree is in another field, is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and meets North Carolina licensure standards.

The BLS reports that elementary school teachers held about 1.4 million jobs in 2025, with a median annual wage of $63,970 in May 2025. Employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, but about 99,400 openings a year are expected for kindergarten and elementary school teachers.

Frequently asked questions

At what age do children start primary school in the United States?

Children usually start kindergarten at age five and grade 1 at age six. Elementary school normally ends with grade 5 or 6.

Can a foreign child attend a US public elementary school on a student visa?

No. US immigration law does not allow F-1 student status for study at a public elementary school, so F-1 pupils of primary age attend private schools.

What do I need to teach in a US elementary school?

According to the BLS, public school teachers typically need a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a state-issued certification or licence. Private schools typically do not require a licence.