Private Schools
Private Schools in California
1,687 private schools in California with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 406,032 students: 518 Catholic, 578 other religious and 591 nonsectarian. 588 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
1,687
Go through high school
588
Median enrollment
164
Median students per teacher
11
Private schools by city in California
- Los Angeles (124)
- San Francisco (76)
- San Diego (53)
- San Jose (34)
- Sacramento (31)
- Pasadena (24)
- Long Beach (20)
- Oakland (20)
- Concord (16)
- Palo Alto (16)
- Anaheim (14)
- Berkeley (14)
- Irvine (14)
- Santa Rosa (14)
- Bakersfield (13)
- Campbell (12)
- Orange (12)
- San Mateo (12)
- Fremont (11)
- Santa Barbara (11)
- Torrance (11)
- Chula Vista (10)
- Garden Grove (10)
- Huntington Beach (10)
- Northridge (10)
- Riverside (10)
- San Rafael (10)
- Stockton (10)
The 100 largest private schools in California
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isea International | Newport Beach | K–12 | 7,818 | 181.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Fairmont Private School | Anaheim | PK–12 | 2,391 | 10.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Harker | San Jose | K–12 | 1,983 | 9.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Chaminade College Preparatory-High School | West Hills | 6–12 | 1,859 | 25.6 | Catholic |
| St Francis High School | Mountain View | 9–12 | 1,777 | 5.8 | Catholic |
| Archbishop Mitty High School | San Jose | 9–12 | 1,770 | 14.2 | Catholic |
| Cathedral Catholic High School | San Diego | 9–12 | 1,669 | 16.9 | Catholic |
| Bellarmine College PreparatoryBoys | San Jose | 9–12 | 1,664 | 17.8 | Catholic |
| Oaks Christian School | Westlake Village | 4–12 | 1,663 | 10.6 | Christian |
| Mater Dei Catholic High School | Chula Vista | K–12 | 1,659 | 16 | Catholic |
| Harvard-Westlake | Los Angeles | 7–12 | 1,617 | 8.1 | Episcopal |
| St Ignatius College Preparatory | San Francisco | 6–12 | 1,585 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Ontario Christian School | Ontario | PK–12 | 1,438 | 17 | Christian |
| Jserra Catholic High School | San Juan Capistrano | 9–12 | 1,317 | 6 | Catholic |
| Bridge AcademyAlternative | Los Angeles | PK–12 | 1,302 | 10.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Francis W Parker School | San Diego | PK–12 | 1,280 | 11.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Francis Parker School | San Diego | PK–12 | 1,276 | 10.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Bishop Odowd High School | Oakland | 9–12 | 1,263 | 16.4 | Catholic |
| Arrowhead Christian Academy | Redlands | PK–12 | 1,257 | 15.1 | Christian |
| Notre Dame High School | Sherman Oaks | 9–12 | 1,255 | 13.4 | Catholic |
| Redlands Christian School | Redlands | PK–12 | 1,250 | 14.4 | Christian |
| Valley Christian Schools | Cerritos | PK–12 | 1,239 | 14.6 | Christian |
| C4L AcademyCareer and technical | Irvine | 9–12 | 1,237 | 75.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Brentwood School | Los Angeles | K–12 | 1,227 | 10.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Valley Christian School, System | Cerritos | PK–12 | 1,217 | 12.3 | Christian |
| Convent & Stuart Hall Schools of the Sacred Heart | San Francisco | K–12 | 1,198 | 10.3 | Catholic |
| Woodcrest Christian School System | Riverside | PK–12 | 1,186 | 13.8 | Christian |
| Heritage Christian School | Northridge | PK–12 | 1,162 | 24.2 | Christian |
| St Margaret S Episcopal School | San Juan Capistrano | PK–12 | 1,158 | 9.5 | Episcopal |
| Viewpoint School | Calabasas | PK–12 | 1,156 | 5 | Nonsectarian |
| Mater Dei Catholic H.S. | Chula Vista | 9–12 | 1,146 | 16.6 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart Schools AthertonMontessori | Atherton | PK–12 | 1,144 | 381.3 | Catholic |
| Archbishop Riordan High School | San Francisco | 9–12 | 1,143 | 14.9 | Catholic |
| Christian Brothers High School | Sacramento | 9–12 | 1,141 | 17.7 | Catholic |
| Sierra Canyon School | Chatsworth | PK–12 | 1,139 | 9.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Sierra Canyon School | Chatsworth | PK–12 | 1,139 | 10.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Central Valley Christian Schools | Visalia | PK–12 | 1,122 | 16.2 | Calvinist |
| La Jolla Country Day School | La Jolla | PK–12 | 1,110 | 9.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Crean Lutheran High School | Irvine | 9–12 | 1,092 | 15.3 | Lutheran |
| International School of Los AngelesSpecial program | Burbank | K–12 | 1,090 | 10.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Desert Christian Schools | Lancaster | K–12 | 1,084 | 22.2 | Christian |
| Santa Fe Christian Schools | Solana Beach | K–12 | 1,077 | 12.1 | Christian |
| De la Salle High SchoolBoys | Concord | 9–12 | 1,042 | 12.6 | Catholic |
| Brookshire International AcademyCareer and technical | Lemon Grove | 9–12 | 1,035 | 50.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Bishop Amat Memorial High School | La Puente | 9–12 | 1,023 | 17.2 | Catholic |
| The King's Academy | Sunnyvale | 6–12 | 988 | 14.6 | Christian |
| Stanford Online High School | Redwood City | 7–12 | 985 | 15 | Nonsectarian |
| The Quarry Lane School | Dublin | PK–12 | 975 | 8.1 | Nonsectarian |
| The Nueva SchoolSpecial program | San Mateo | PK–12 | 950 | 7.1 | Nonsectarian |
| St Junipero Serra Catholic School | Rancho Santa Margarita | PK–8 | 948 | 16.2 | Catholic |
| United Christian Academy | Rancho Cucamonga | K–12 | 923 | 32.4 | Christian |
| Jesuit High SchoolBoys | Carmichael | 9–12 | 917 | 10.7 | Catholic |
| Heights Christian-Chino Hills | Chino Hills | PK–8 | 914 | 14.6 | Christian |
| Head Royce School | Oakland | K–12 | 906 | 10.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Ripon Christian Schools | Ripon | PK–12 | 882 | 15.5 | Calvinist |
| Polytechnic School | Pasadena | K–12 | 874 | 6.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Woodland Christian School | Woodland | PK–12 | 874 | 18.9 | Christian |
| Bishop Montgomery High | Torrance | 9–12 | 869 | 18 | Catholic |
| Rose & Alex Pilibos Armenian School | Los Angeles | K–12 | 865 | 9.6 | Christian |
| Jserra Catholic High SchoolBoys | San Mateo | 9–12 | 863 | 17.3 | Catholic |
| Rancho Christian School | Temecula | PK–12 | 860 | 16.1 | Christian |
| Junipero Serra High SchoolBoys | San Mateo | 9–12 | 859 | 18.2 | Catholic |
| Maranatha Christian Schools | San Diego | PK–12 | 855 | 12.5 | Christian |
| St Mary's High School | Stockton | 9–12 | 840 | 14 | Catholic |
| St Marys High School | Stockton | 9–12 | 836 | 15.1 | Catholic |
| Carondelet High SchoolGirls | Concord | 9–12 | 834 | 8 | Catholic |
| Menlo School | Atherton | 6–12 | 818 | 8.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Stevenson School | Carmel | PK–12 | 811 | 7.2 | Nonsectarian |
| TVT Community Day School | Irvine | PK–12 | 805 | 9 | Jewish |
| Agbu Manoogian-Demirdjian School | Canoga Park | PK–12 | 800 | 15.4 | Other religious |
| St John BoscoBoys | Bellflower | 9–12 | 800 | 12.3 | Catholic |
| The Bishop's School | La Jolla | 6–12 | 800 | 6.7 | Episcopal |
| Moreau Catholic High School | Hayward | 9–12 | 793 | 13.1 | Catholic |
| Big Valley Christian | Modesto | PK–12 | 792 | 10.6 | Christian |
| Marin Catholic High School | Kentfield | 9–12 | 791 | 14.1 | Catholic |
| Emek Hebrew Academy | Sherman Oaks | PK–8 | 789 | 18.4 | Jewish |
| Fresno Christian Schools | Fresno | K–12 | 777 | 19.1 | Christian |
| Wildwood School K-12 | Los Angeles | K–12 | 768 | 8.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Tri-City Christian School | Vista | PK–12 | 765 | 14.9 | Christian |
| St Francis Catholic High SchoolGirls | Sacramento | 9–12 | 764 | 13.7 | Catholic |
| Milken Community Middle School | Los Angeles | 6–12 | 763 | 5.7 | Jewish |
| Milken Community School | Los Angeles | 6–12 | 763 | 7.7 | Jewish |
| St Mary's School | Aliso Viejo | PK–8 | 763 | 14.1 | Christian |
| Bishop Alemany High School | Mission Hills | 9–12 | 731 | 16.2 | Catholic |
| Servite High SchoolBoys | Anaheim | 9–12 | 731 | 16 | Catholic |
| Academy of Our Lady of PeaceGirls | San Diego | 9–12 | 730 | 17.6 | Catholic |
| St Augustine High SchoolBoys | San Diego | 9–12 | 729 | 11.4 | Catholic |
| St Johns Lutheran School | Orange | PK–8 | 724 | 19.8 | Lutheran |
| Mariners Christian School | Costa Mesa | K–8 | 720 | 14.2 | Christian |
| St Edward Parish School | Dana Point | PK–8 | 717 | 15.3 | Catholic |
| St Edward the Confessor Parish School | Dana Point | PK–8 | 716 | 15.3 | Catholic |
| Stratford School - Santa Clara Pomeroy | Santa Clara | K–5 | 713 | 15.8 | Nonsectarian |
| American Martyrs School | Manhattan Beach | K–8 | 712 | 17.9 | Catholic |
| Chamlian Armenian School | Glendale | K–8 | 697 | 12.1 | Nonsectarian |
| San Domenico School | San Anselmo | K–12 | 679 | 7.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Adventure Christian School | Roseville | PK–9 | 677 | 22.6 | Christian |
| Immaculate Heart Middle and High SchoolGirls | Los Angeles | 6–12 | 674 | 12.1 | Catholic |
| La Salle College Preparatory | Pasadena | 9–12 | 669 | 13.3 | Catholic |
| Bakersfield Christian High School | Bakersfield | 9–12 | 656 | 19.4 | Christian |
| Justin-Siena | Napa | 9–12 | 654 | 14.1 | Catholic |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- CAASPP practice tests and score levels, the test public schools in California give.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring in California.
- Colleges in California, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in California?
1,687 private schools in California 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 California?
Among schools that answered the survey, Isea International in Newport Beach is the largest, with 7,818 students in grades K–12.
How big are classes at private schools in California?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in California has 11 students per teacher and 164 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.
