Private Schools
Private Schools in Arkansas
88 private schools in Arkansas with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 19,486 students: 22 Catholic, 49 other religious and 17 nonsectarian. 51 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
88
Go through high school
51
Median enrollment
141
Median students per teacher
10
Private schools by city in Arkansas
Private schools in Arkansas
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock Christian Academy | Little Rock | PK–12 | 1,534 | 10.2 | Christian |
| The Episcopal Collegiate School | Little Rock | PK–12 | 800 | 7.6 | Episcopal |
| Episcopal Collegiate School | Little Rock | PK–12 | 755 | 7.8 | Episcopal |
| Catholic High School for BoysBoys | Little Rock | 9–12 | 705 | 16.5 | Catholic |
| Harding Academy | Searcy | PK–12 | 638 | 12.7 | Church of Christ |
| Providence Classical Christian Academy | Lowell | K–12 | 578 | 15 | Christian |
| Conway Christian School | Conway | PK–12 | 564 | 11 | Christian |
| Christ the King School | Little Rock | PK–8 | 556 | 13.6 | Catholic |
| The Baptist Preparatory School | Little Rock | PK–12 | 526 | 6.7 | Baptist |
| Life Way Christian School | Centerton | PK–12 | 507 | 13.2 | Baptist |
| Central Arkansas Christian School | North Little Rock | 6–12 | 479 | 15.3 | Church of Christ |
| Mt St Mary AcademyGirls | Little Rock | 9–12 | 477 | 14.4 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of the Holy Souls | Little Rock | PK–8 | 448 | 13.2 | Catholic |
| St Joseph School | Conway | PK–12 | 446 | 11.7 | Catholic |
| Calvary Academy | North Little Rock | PK–12 | 379 | 19 | Pentecostal |
| St Joseph Catholic School | Fayetteville | PK–8 | 357 | 13.4 | Catholic |
| St Vincent de Paul School | Rogers | PK–8 | 356 | 15.2 | Catholic |
| Immaculate Conception Catholic School | North Little Rock | PK–8 | 323 | 15.7 | Catholic |
| Immaculate Conception School | North Little Rock | PK–8 | 323 | 8.8 | Catholic |
| Montessori SchoolMontessori | Fayetteville | PK–3 | 323 | 201.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Arkansas Christian Ac | Bryant | PK–12 | 322 | 12.9 | Christian |
| Crowley's Ridge Academy | Paragould | PK–12 | 316 | 14.5 | Church of Christ |
| Abundant Life Christian Academy | Sherwood | PK–12 | 308 | 7.1 | Baptist |
| The New School | Fayetteville | PK–12 | 307 | 12.8 | Nonsectarian |
| The Anthony School | Little Rock | PK–8 | 287 | 7.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Union Christian Academy | Fort Smith | PK–12 | 284 | 10.6 | Christian |
| West Memphis Christian School | West Memphis | K–12 | 247 | 18.3 | Christian |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School | Morrilton | PK–12 | 230 | 11.4 | Catholic |
| Columbia Christian School | Magnolia | K–12 | 215 | 8.6 | Christian |
| Trinity Catholic School | Fort Smith | 6–8 | 212 | 11 | Catholic |
| West Side Christian School | El Dorado | PK–12 | 202 | 7.5 | Baptist |
| Desoto School | West Helena | PK–12 | 201 | 10.1 | Nonsectarian |
| St Theresa Catholic School | Little Rock | PK–8 | 185 | 14.5 | Catholic |
| Christ the King Catholic School | Fort Smith | PK–5 | 183 | 11.2 | Catholic |
| Southwest Christian Academy | Little Rock | PK–12 | 182 | 16.5 | Christian |
| Ridgefield Christian School | Jonesboro | PK–12 | 164 | 6.8 | Christian |
| Garrett Memorial Christian School | Hope | PK–12 | 163 | 7.1 | Baptist |
| Prism North America | Fayetteville | PK–12 | 163 | 13.5 | Christian |
| Trinity Christian School | Texarkana | PK–12 | 162 | 7.3 | Christian |
| Marvell Academy | Marvell | PK–12 | 152 | 7 | Christian |
| Mountain Home Christian Academy | Mountain Home | PK–12 | 147 | 10.6 | Nonsectarian |
| North Little Rock Catholic Academy | North Little Rock | PK–8 | 147 | 16.3 | Catholic |
| The Huda Academy | Little Rock | PK–8 | 147 | 9.8 | Islamic |
| Subiaco AcademyBoys, Montessori | Subiaco | 7–12 | 144 | 5.8 | Catholic |
| Fayetteville Christian School | Fayetteville | PK–12 | 138 | 4.3 | Baptist |
| St John's Lutheran School | Stuttgart | PK–6 | 129 | 13.9 | Lutheran |
| Ozark Adventist Academy | Gentry | 9–12 | 126 | 12.7 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Compass AcademySpecial education | Conway | 1–12 | 125 | 8 | Christian |
| Valley Christian School | Russellville | K–12 | 124 | 8.7 | Christian |
| First Academy | Rogers | PK–5 | 114 | 9 | Baptist |
| Crosspointe PreparatorySpecial program | Searcy | PK–12 | 113 | 9.5 | Christian |
| Blessed Sacrament Catholic School | Jonesboro | PK–6 | 111 | 12.9 | Catholic |
| St Paul Catholic School | Pocahontas | PK–6 | 105 | 11.2 | Catholic |
| Jacksonville Christian Academy | Jacksonville | PK–12 | 103 | 10.3 | Baptist |
| Ozark Adventist School | Gentry | PK–8 | 101 | 14.4 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Harvest Time Academy | Fort Smith | PK–5 | 99 | 7.6 | Christian |
| Bentonville Christian Academy | Bentonville | PK–8 | 95 | 67.9 | Church of Christ |
| St Johns Catholic School | Hot Springs | PK–8 | 93 | 7.8 | Catholic |
| Baseline Bilingual School | Little Rock | PK–5 | 91 | 18.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Anthem Classical AcademySpecial program | Fayetteville | K–8 | 84 | 7.1 | Christian |
| The Delta SchoolSpecial program | Wilson | Ungraded | 81 | 5.8 | Nonsectarian |
| St Joseph Catholic School | Paris | PK–8 | 80 | 10 | Catholic |
| FBC Warren Christian School | Warren | PK–8 | 78 | 8.7 | Baptist |
| Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School | Benton | PK–8 | 77 | 7 | Catholic |
| The Academy at RiverdaleSpecial education | Little Rock | K–12 | 74 | 10.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Easterseals Academy at RiverdaleSpecial education | Little Rock | K–12 | 73 | 10.4 | Nonsectarian |
| New Horizon Academy | Ward | PK–12 | 72 | 9.5 | Baptist |
| Victory Christian School | Camden | K–12 | 72 | 8.6 | Assembly of God |
| Holy Rosary Catholic School | Stuttgart | PK–6 | 65 | 16.3 | Catholic |
| Miracle Kids Success AcademySpecial education | Jonesboro | Ungraded | 65 | 2.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Clear Spring SchoolAlternative | Eureka Springs | PK–12 | 60 | 6.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Pinnacle Classical AcademySpecial program | Little Rock | PK–10 | 60 | 6.4 | Christian |
| Lighthouse Homeschool CooperativeSpecial education | Bono | K–10 | 59 | 21.1 | Baptist |
| The Montessori School of Fort SmithMontessori | Fort Smith | PK–7 | 59 | 7.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Walnut Farm Montessori SchoolMontessori | Bentonville | PK–4 | 55 | 10 | Nonsectarian |
| Central Arkansas MontessoriMontessori | North Little Rock | PK–5 | 54 | 4.5 | Nonsectarian |
| The Hill SchoolAlternative | Fayetteville | PK–4 | 53 | 6.7 | Christian |
| Calvary Christian School | Forrest City | PK–12 | 50 | 8.9 | Christian |
| Liberty Christian School | Searcy | PK–6 | 49 | 6.1 | Christian |
| Ambassador Baptist Academy | Greenbrier | K–12 | 45 | 5.9 | Baptist |
| Little Rock Montessori SchoolMontessori | Little Rock | PK–3 | 45 | 5.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Joshua Academy | Van Buren | K–5 | 43 | 14.3 | Christian |
| Maranatha Baptist Christian School | El Dorado | K–12 | 43 | 7.2 | Baptist |
| South Arkansas Christian School | Lewisville | K–12 | 41 | 5.5 | Baptist |
| St Mary's Catholic School & Preschool | Paragould | PK–6 | 37 | 9.3 | Catholic |
| Friendship Lab School for DyslexiaSpecial education | Maumelle | 1–9 | 35 | 7 | Nonsectarian |
| Ouachita Hills Academy | Amity | 9–12 | 34 | 3.4 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Sunshine SchoolSpecial education | Searcy | K–12 | 32 | 5.3 | Nonsectarian |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring.
- Colleges in Arkansas, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Arkansas?
88 private schools in Arkansas with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe Survey. Schools that did not answer are not counted, so the real number is higher.
What is the largest private school in Arkansas?
Among schools that answered the survey, Little Rock Christian Academy in Little Rock is the largest, with 1,534 students in grades PK–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Arkansas?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Arkansas has 10 students per teacher and 141 students in total.
Do private schools require an entrance exam?
Many independent schools ask for the ISEE or SSAT, and many Catholic high schools use the HSPT. Each school sets its own rule, so check the admissions page of every school on your list.
Source: NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2023-24 public-use data file, National Center for Education Statistics. Schools that answered the survey and enrolled at least 30 students. Amish schools are left out. Schools report their own figures, and a school that did not answer the survey does not appear.
