Private Schools
Private Schools in Birmingham, Alabama
35 private schools in Birmingham, Alabama with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 8,337 students: 8 Catholic, 15 other religious and 12 nonsectarian. 21 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
35
Go through high school
21
Median enrollment
123
Median students per teacher
8.9
Private schools in Birmingham, Alabama
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briarwood Christian School | PK–12 | 1,552 | 11.2 | Christian |
| Essential Church School | K–12 | 1,185 | 19.8 | Christian |
| Cornerstone High School | PK–12 | 659 | 7.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Cornerstone Schools of Alabama | PK–12 | 659 | 9.1 | Christian |
| John Carroll Catholic High School | 9–12 | 540 | 12.5 | Catholic |
| The Altamont School | 5–12 | 379 | 8.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Our Lady of Sorrows | PK–8 | 343 | 13.7 | Catholic |
| Highlands School | PK–8 | 296 | 8.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Islamic Academy of Alabama | PK–12 | 214 | 9.9 | Islamic |
| St Rose of Lima School | PK–8 | 181 | 11.1 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of the Valley School | PK–8 | 166 | 9.3 | Catholic |
| Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School | 9–12 | 156 | 8.5 | Catholic |
| Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High SchoolSpecial program | 9–12 | 154 | 8.9 | Catholic |
| St Francis Xavier School | PK–8 | 150 | 8 | Catholic |
| Creative Montessori SchoolMontessori | PK–8 | 133 | 4.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Spring Valley SchoolSpecial education | 1–12 | 131 | 4.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Banks Academy | 6–12 | 125 | 20.8 | Christian |
| Grassroots Christian Academy | 6–12 | 123 | 11.6 | Baptist |
| Joseph S Bruno Montessori AcademyMontessori | PK–8 | 116 | 5.3 | Catholic |
| Montessori Kids Universe HomewoodMontessori | K | 102 | 51 | Nonsectarian |
| Hilltop Montessori SchoolMontessori | PK–8 | 97 | 5.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Alabama Waldorf SchoolSpecial program | PK–8 | 93 | 12.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Glen Iris Baptist School | PK–12 | 93 | 5.7 | Baptist |
| Miracle Academy Private Christian School | K–10 | 81 | 8.2 | Christian |
| Mountain View Baptist School | K–12 | 71 | 6.6 | Baptist |
| Red Mountain Community School | PK–12 | 68 | 5.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Red MTN Community School | PK–12 | 68 | 9.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Allan Cott SchoolSpecial education | 1–12 | 59 | 9.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Calvary Resurrection Christian Academy | PK–5 | 59 | 9.8 | Christian |
| Ephesus Academy | PK–11 | 54 | 9 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Ne Miles Jewish Day School | K–7 | 54 | 4.7 | Jewish |
| Build Up Community SchoolCareer and technical | 9–12 | 50 | 7.6 | Nonsectarian |
| New Hope Christian Elementary School | PK–8 | 45 | 3.9 | Baptist |
| Southern Christian Preparatory AcademySpecial program | 9–12 | 43 | 11.9 | Christian |
| Glad Tidings Christian Academy | PK–6 | 38 | 5.1 | Christian |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- ACAP Summative practice tests and score levels, the test public schools in Alabama give.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring.
- Colleges in Alabama, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Birmingham, Alabama?
35 private schools in Birmingham, Alabama 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 Birmingham, Alabama?
Among schools that answered the survey, Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham is the largest, with 1,552 students in grades PK–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Birmingham, Alabama?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Birmingham, Alabama has 8.9 students per teacher and 123 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.
