The private education sector of the German school system has expanded continuously over the past two decades. From 1992 to 2014 its share in the general school system increased from 4.2% to 10.6%. Especially in the new German federal states and in the city states there is a strong growth recorded (cf. Koinzer/Gruehn 2013). An example for this phenomenon is Berlin: In the German capital, the number of private school pupils rose from 2003/2004 to 2014/2015 by 87% which means that almost 10% of all pupils attended a private school in the past school year.

Particularly, the sharp rise of private primary schools is noticeable because in Germany their establishment is linked to legal difficulties and peculiarities. This increase is mainly explained by a variety of newly approved private primary schools in the new German federal states.

Also in the public school system, various changes can be observed. The Education Act states that public schools are committed to distinguish themselves in an educational or thematically way to recruit students. This is significant because in many states the right to choose was granted parents not only for secondary schools, but also for primary schools.

According to the rational choice approach, the school is elected which has the best fit between school characteristics and the parents' wishes (e.g. Cortina/Trommer 2003; Clausen 2006). It is crucial what determinants affect parental choice of a private school and thus lead to an increased demand in the private education sector. Moreover, it is ought to be analysed whether those reasons are different from the motives of the parents at public schools.

Although the reasons for the attractiveness of private schools are largely unknown, it is assumed that - taking international findings into account - socially perceived deficits of public schools, as well as processes of distinction of specific social milieus affect school choice processes (e.g. Kristen 2005; Herbst 2006). A few studies on private school choice in German-speaking countries, for example in Switzerland (Suter 2013) or Austria (Speiser 1993) showed that various factors of school quality and pragmatic reasons determine the decision-making process. These findings are also known from studies on the public school system (cf. Holme 2002; Clausen 2006). But the empirical data basis for the quality of private schools has significant shortcomings (cf. Scheunpflug 2012). The few existing empirical results suggest that parents in private schools assess school climate and commitment of teachers much better, but that private schools may have no significant performance advantage (i.a. Coleman/Hoffer/Kilgore 1982; Dronkers/Robert 2003; Preuschoff/Weiß 2004; Standfest/Köller/Scheunpflug 2005).

Despite the significant expansion of the private education sector and the increased public perception of private schools, there are no representative studies for Germany which look at the school choice in private schools compared to public schools taking into account both features of school quality as well as characteristics of the parents as possible choice motives.

Consequently, our results will illustrate whether socio-economic factors influence the school choice concerning different school sponsorships. In addition to analysing the criteria which play a role in the choice of a private or public school, this study also compares what attitudes and expectations the respective groups of selectors have with regard to these types of schools.

Therefrom, the following research questions can be derived:

(1) How many parents choose a private or a public school and in what way is this choice depending on socio-economic factors?

(2) What criteria use parents to select a private or public school and how do they differ?

(3) To what extent have parental attitudes towards private or public schools influence on the decision-making process?

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