How Much Do Private Schools Cost?

How Much Do Private Schools Cost?

The cost of a private school education ranges from virtually nothing at several free schools to well over $125,000 at a couple of exclusive European boarding schools.

• This doesn't include all the extras such as riding or music lessons, school trips, travel to and from the school, local transportation, health insurance, computers, and so on.
• These sundries add up quickly, so don't forget to take them into account.
• Also not included are acceptance deposits, application fees, and admissions testing.

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Here are some examples of what the various types of private schools charge.

• Remember that this is merely a sampling.
• Explore every school that interests you thoroughly as part of your school search process.
• Set aside financial concerns for the moment.
• Focus on finding the school which is the best fit for both you and your child.
• Paying for private school tuition is obviously a major concern. Most schools will offer financial aid as well as other options.
• Visit school websites in order to determine the current costs. Find that information under the admissions links.

Day Schools

Day schools are non-residential schools.

• Most of them offer classroom instruction from Monday to Friday.
• Intramural sports and activities are fitted in during the week, with many schools devoting an afternoon to non-classroom activities. Occasionally, there will be events planned for Saturdays, particularly varsity sports.

Many day schools offer a full range of grades from pre-kindergarten through to Grade 12.

• Some schools even offer the PG or Post-graduate year as well.
• Essentially, most of these day schools function as two schools on one campus.
• An Upper School serves the high school years.
• The Lower School serves the younger children in primary grades.
• Some schools further divide their students into three groups: Upper School, Middle School, and Lower School.
• While the divisions are housed on the same campus, they each have their own administration and faculty running the day-to-day operations.
• There will be some sharing of specialist teachers in areas such as music, art, foreign languages, and so on.
• Over all the divisions is the umbrella of the school administration, providing leadership and the fiscal management of the entire school.

In the 2021-22 school year, there were 29,727 private schools, enrolling 4,731,303 students and employing 482,571 full-time teachers in the United States. Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

The cost of a typical day school varies from region to region. A range of $20,000 to $35,000 will give you an idea of what to expect.

• Forsyth Country Day School, Lewisville, North Carolina
• Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich, Connecticut
• Rye Country Day School, Rye, New York

Parochial Schools

Parochial schools are schools attached to a religious congregation. Religious instruction is an integral part of the academic program. How many schools would be considered parochial or religious schools? The numbers below are taken from the National Center for Educational Statistics Private School Universe Survey (2011-12) .

• Roman Catholic schools: 6,683
• Other religious schools: 14,214
• Non-sectarian schools: 9,775

Once again, there is a wide range of costs for parochial/religious schools. They do tend to be much less expensive than day schools. Why? In many cases, these kinds of schools are subsidized by the religious institutions that sponsor them. Expect tuition to cost in the range of $6,000 to $12,000.

• Killian Hill Christian School, Lilburn, Georgia
• North Raleigh Christian Academy, Raleigh, North Carolina
• St. Joseph Parish School, Grafton, Wisconsin
• Yeshiva Gedolah of Los Angeles

Montessori Schools

Montessori schools follow the teachings and philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori.

• Her early childhood method is very popular in North America.
• According to NCES, there are 2,439 Montessori schools.
• Montessori schools offer Infant through Grade 6.
• Classes are small. Tuition is in the range of $6,000 to $15,000.

• Montessori Community School, Durham, North Carolina
• Montessori International Children's House, Annapolis, Maryland
• Raintree Montessori School, Lawrence, Kansas

Waldorf Schools

Waldorf schools follow the philosophy and teachings of the Austrian education writer and philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf schools usually include all grades through high school. Tuitions are in the $12,000 to $18,000 range.

• The Chicago Waldorf School, Chicago, Illinois
• Merriconeag Waldorf School, Freeport, Maine

Denominational High Schools

Denominational high schools in the Episcopal, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Jewish, Quaker, Lutheran, and other faiths can be found throughout the country.

• They have a mission that is very much like the parochial schools mentioned above.
• In many cases, those parochial schools act as feeder schools for the denominational high schools.
• Tuition ranges from $9,000 to $14,000.
• If you are a practicing member of the specific faith to which the high school belongs, you will receive a discounted tuition rate as a general rule.
• Episcopal Academy, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
• Sidwell Friends School, Washington, District of Columbia

Boarding Schools

Boarding schools are residential high schools.

Most offer a 7-day-a-week boarding program.

A few allow students to return home for the weekend.

While boarding schools tend to be more expensive than day schools simply because they provide room and board and 24/7 supervision, they are good value.

They teach your child to begin to live away from home as well as providing a complete education and extracurricular and sports programs in one package.

The cost of boarding schools varies greatly. A range of $18,000 to $75,000 will give you some idea of the cost.

• The Hill School, Pottstown, Pennsylvania
• Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Faribault, Minnesota

Junior Boarding

A subset of boarding schools are the junior boarding schools.

These serve the middle school grades.

You can find more junior boarding schools at the Junior Boarding Schools Association. They tend to cost about the same as residential high schools. The range is $18,000 to $65,000.

• Indian Mountain School, Lakeville, Connecticut
• Rumsey Hall School, Washington, Connecticut
• St. Catherine's Academy, Anaheim, California

Special Needs

Special needs schools offer programs to remediate a host of learning differences. These programs require highly qualified professionals and very small class sizes. These factors drive the cost of special needs education to be higher than that of other types of private schools. The range is $50,000 to $68,000.

• The Forman School, Litchfield, Connecticut
• The Windward School, White Plains, New York

Conclusion

Choosing a private school involves considering not only the academic environment but also the financial implications. With tuition costs varying widely across different types of schools, it's essential to research thoroughly and factor in all expenses, including additional fees and services. By understanding these costs, families can make informed decisions about which school best fits their budget and educational goals.

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