This study aims to investigate the effect of elementary school students plan to enter
special-purposed/independent private high schools on their demand for private tutoring
expenditure using 2011 Study on the Qualitative Level and Actual Condition of Elementary
School administered by Korean Educational Development Institute. Analysis results showed that
using hlm, heckman model, tobit model, and propensity score matching methods, we found that
plan to enter special-purposed/independent private schools lead to the statistically significant
increases of private tutoring expenditure. The effect size of hlm model was 17.6%, heckman
model 15.5%, tobit model 13.1%, propensity score matching model 27.7%-28.3%. Thus, plan to
enter special-purposed/independent private schools boost the private tutoring expenditure at the
elementary school as well as at the middle school level. The fact that controlling for the
students’ SES and educational fever variables, plan to enter special-purposed/independent private
schools boosts the private tutoring expenditure even after the reform of the high school entrance
system implies that competition for the entrance of special-purposed/independent private schools
comes down to the elementary school level.