Private Schools

Private Schools in Chicago, Illinois

173 private schools in Chicago, Illinois with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 41,594 students: 89 Catholic, 40 other religious and 44 nonsectarian. 51 schools go through high school grades.

Schools listed

173

Go through high school

Median enrollment

158

Median students per teacher

10.2

Private schools in Chicago, Illinois

Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.

School	Grades	Students	Per teacher	Affiliation
Univ of Chicago Lab School	PK–12	1,946	8.3	Nonsectarian
St Ignatius College Prep	9–12	1,492	16.3	Catholic
Depaul College Prep	9–12	1,245	10.8	Catholic
Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Elementary SchoolGirls	PK–8	844	15	Jewish
Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Elementary SchoolGirls	K–8	844	11.6	Jewish
Latin School of Chicago Upper	5–12	806	11.2	Nonsectarian
Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High SchoolGirls	9–12	794	12.8	Catholic
De la Salle Institute - Institute Campus	9–12	765	15.5	Catholic
Frances Xavier Warde School	PK–8	745	6.4	Catholic
Lycee Francais de ChicagoSpecial program	PK–12	687	5.5	Nonsectarian
BR Rice High SchoolBoys	9–12	658	15.9	Catholic
British International School of Chicago South Loop	PK–12	641	9.4	Nonsectarian
British International School of Chicago South Loop	PK–12	638	9.8	Nonsectarian
Mount Carmel High SchoolBoys	9–12	588	10.7	Catholic
Sacred Heart Schools	PK–8	556	10	Catholic
Sacred Heart Schools	PK–8	556	10	Catholic
St Benedict Preparatory School	PK–8	550	10.8	Catholic
Yeshivas Tiferes TzviBoys	K–8	550	10.3	Jewish
Cristo Rey Jesuit High School	9–12	537	17.2	Catholic
St Juliana School	PK–8	477	14.9	Catholic
Resurrection College Prep High SchoolGirls	9–12	454	13.5	Catholic
Immaculate Conception School	PK–8	445	16.5	Catholic
St John Fisher Elementary School	PK–8	443	12.1	Catholic
St Barnabas Elementary School	PK–8	433	15	Catholic
Frances Xavier Warde School	4–8	426	9.3	Catholic
Old St Marys School	K–8	419	8.1	Catholic
Catherine Cook School	PK–8	405	7.4	Nonsectarian
St Rita of Cascia High SchoolBoys	9–12	405	14	Catholic
St Nicholas Tolentine School	PK–8	398	19.9	Catholic
St Clement School	PK–8	397	14.8	Catholic
St Christina School	PK–8	393	19.2	Catholic
Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School	9–12	375	14.4	Catholic
Near North MontessoriMontessori	PK–8	375	7.8	Nonsectarian
British International School of Chicago, Lincoln P	PK–5	373	12.5	Nonsectarian
The Latin School of Chicago	K–4	371	4.9	Nonsectarian
Christ the King Elementary School	PK–8	339	15	Catholic
Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day SchoolSpecial program	PK–8	332	5.2	Jewish
St Andrew School	PK–8	322	10.1	Catholic
Trinity High SchoolGirls	9–12	316	10.6	Catholic
St Mary of the Woods School	PK–8	303	11.4	Catholic
St Josaphat School	PK–8	297	9.5	Catholic
Holy Trinity High School	9–12	292	11.7	Catholic
Chicago Hope Academy	9–12	291	12.1	Christian
Bennett Day School	PK–12	285	5.9	Nonsectarian
Daystar AcademySpecial program	PK–12	271	7.4	Christian
Northside Catholic Academy	PK–8	267	9.9	Catholic
Daystar Academy	PK–12	257	5.5	Other religious
Bennett Day School	PK–11	250	6.6	Nonsectarian
Rogers Park Montessori SchoolMontessori	PK–8	249	6.6	Nonsectarian
Queen of Angels Elementary School	PK–8	248	11.3	Catholic
St Agnes of Bohemia School	PK–8	248	16.5	Catholic
Chicago Jesuit Academy	3–8	246	8.1	Catholic
Academy of St Benedict the African	PK–8	242	20.2	Catholic
North Park Elementary School	K–8	237	8.5	Nonsectarian
St Edward School	PK–8	232	11.3	Catholic
Chicago Waldorf SchoolSpecial program	PK–12	228	8.3	Nonsectarian
Leo Catholic High SchoolBoys	9–12	228	13.3	Catholic
St Matthias School	PK–8	221	11.9	Catholic
St Symphorosa School	PK–8	220	14.2	Catholic
STS. Bruno and Richard School	PK–8	213	17	Catholic
Providence St. Mel School	PK–12	206	7.8	Nonsectarian
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy	PK–8	203	14.5	Catholic
St John Berchmans School	PK–8	203	11.1	Catholic
Bridgeport Catholic Academy	PK–8	202	16.7	Catholic
Chicago Jewish Day SchoolSpecial program	PK–8	196	6.3	Jewish
Gems World Academy Chicago	PK–12	196	3.3	Nonsectarian
St Thomas the Apostle	PK–8	194	15.6	Catholic
St Ethelreda Elementary School	PK–8	187	20.8	Catholic
St Gall Elementary School	PK–8	187	13	Catholic
St Malachy Elementary School	PK–8	186	15	Catholic
St Viator Elementary School	K–8	186	14.3	Catholic
St Nicholas Cathedral School	PK–8	183	14	Catholic
St Robert Bellarmine School	PK–8	183	13.7	Catholic
Pope Francis Global Academy	PK–8	182	16.5	Catholic
St Ann School	PK–8	182	11.8	Catholic
St Ferdinand Parish School	PK–8	181	15.6	Catholic
St Monica Academy	PK–8	177	13.1	Catholic
Midwestern Christian Academy	PK–8	176	10.3	Christian
St Procopius School	PK–8	174	13.4	Catholic
Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day SchoolGirls	K–8	167	9.2	Jewish
Annunciata School	PK–8	166	17.7	Catholic
St Mary Star of the Sea School	PK–8	164	14.4	Catholic
St Sabina Academy	PK–8	163	16.3	Catholic
St Angela School	PK–8	162	15.6	Catholic
Our Lady of Tepayac Elementary School	PK–8	161	16.8	Catholic
Holy Angels	PK–8	159	15.9	Catholic
Immaculate Conception School - Exchange	K–8	158	14.4	Catholic
St Francis de Sales High School	9–12	155	10.4	Catholic
Queen of the Universe School	PK–8	154	15.4	Catholic
St Gabriel Elementary School	PK–8	154	17.1	Catholic
Icc Elementary School	PK–8	153	8.8	Islamic
Icc Elementary School	PK–8	153	9.6	Islamic
Our Lady of Grace School	PK–8	151	13.7	Catholic
Guidepost Montessori at Magnificent MileMontessori	K–6	150	3.8	Nonsectarian
Lubavitch Mesivta of ChicagoBoys	9–11	150	10.6	Jewish
St John de la Salle Catholic Academy	PK–8	149	14.5	Catholic
St Elizabeth of the Trinity	PK–8	148	12.8	Catholic
The Chicago Academy for the Arts	9–12	148	3.5	Nonsectarian
St James Lutheran School	PK–8	146	8.4	Lutheran
Montessori Academy of ChicagoMontessori	PK–5	145	7.3	Nonsectarian
Our Lady of Guadalupe School	PK–8	145	8.6	Catholic
St John Lutheran School	PK–8	144	12.2	Lutheran
Our Lady of Tepeyac High SchoolGirls	9–12	141	13.3	Catholic
Maternity BVM Elementary School	PK–8	138	7.7	Catholic
St Francis Borgia School	PK–8	136	14.2	Catholic
Chicago West Side Christian School	PK–8	135	12.5	Christian
German International School ChicagoSpecial program	PK–8	135	5.6	Nonsectarian
Intercultural Montessori Language SchoolMontessori	PK–8	133	4.2	Nonsectarian
St Stanislaus Kostka School	PK–8	132	12.8	Catholic
St Genevieve School	PK–8	131	10	Catholic
Chicago City Day School	K–8	130	4.5	Nonsectarian
Wolcott SchoolSpecial education	9–12	130	3.6	Nonsectarian
Icci Academy	K–8	126	9.8	Islamic
Sacred Heart School-96th	PK–8	124	13.8	Catholic
St Pius V School	PK–8	124	11.7	Catholic
Our Lady of the Snows School	PK–8	121	12.1	Catholic
Pope John Paul II Catholic School	PK–8	116	14	Catholic
St Constance School	PK–8	116	9.8	Catholic
Hanna Sacks Bais Yaakov High SchoolGirls	9–12	115	7.3	Jewish
St Walter School	PK–4	115	16.7	Catholic
French American School of ChicagoSpecial program	K–12	112	22.4	Nonsectarian
Guidance Educational Academy	PK–8	112	10.9	Islamic
Visitation Catholic School	PK–8	110	5.1	Catholic
St Hilary School	PK–8	109	9.2	Catholic
St Jerome School	PK–8	104	9	Catholic
St Sava Academy	PK–8	104	10	Other religious
Urban PrairieSpecial program	PK–8	101	6.8	Nonsectarian
Urban Prairie Waldorf SchoolSpecial program	PK–8	97	6.4	Nonsectarian
Grace Lutheran School	PK–8	95	15.8	Lutheran
Josephinum Academy of the Sacred HeartGirls	9–12	90	4.5	Catholic
Children of Peace School	PK–8	85	13.9	Catholic
Pilgrim Lutheran School	PK–8	85	9.1	Lutheran
Pui Tak Christian School	PK–8	84	9.2	Christian
Pui Tak Christian School	PK–8	84	8.8	Church of Christ
St Philip Neri Elementary School	PK–8	82	8.8	Catholic
Yeshiva Gedola of the Midwest/Yeshiva Eitz ChaimBoys	9–12	82	15.5	Jewish
Lubavitch Girls High SchoolGirls	9–12	79	5.9	Jewish
Akiba-Schechter Jewish Day School	PK–8	78	4.9	Jewish
Altus Academy	1–8	76	7.8	Catholic
Montessori Academy of ChicagoMontessori	PK–6	72	3.2	Nonsectarian
San Miguel School	6–8	70	10	Catholic
Oakdale Christian Academy & Child Care Center	PK–8	69	69	Christian
Ucan AcademySpecial education	5–12	67	8.4	Nonsectarian
Ucan Academy-SouthSpecial education	2–12	67	5.6	Nonsectarian
New Horizon CenterSpecial education	K–12	66	6.6	Nonsectarian
Yeshivas Kesser YonahBoys	9–12	65	5.7	Jewish
Yeshivas Meor Hatorah of ChicagoBoys	9–12	65	6.1	Jewish
Esperanza Therapeutic SchoolSpecial education	3–12	64	10.7	Nonsectarian
Hyde Park Day SchoolSpecial education	2–8	62	4.9	Nonsectarian
St Paul Lutheran School	PK–8	62	9	Lutheran
Fusion Academy Lincoln ParkAlternative	6–12	57	4.7	Nonsectarian
St Bede the Venerable	2–8	56	4.1	Catholic
Northshore Adventist Academy	PK–10	55	10.2	Seventh-Day Adventist
Chicago Free School	PK–8	54	6.3	Nonsectarian
Knapp School and YeshivaSpecial education	4–12	54	4.4	Nonsectarian
Montessori Foundations of ChgoMontessori	PK–6	54	9	Nonsectarian
Bethesda International Academy	PK–8	50	6.8	Lutheran
Brickton Montessori SchoolMontessori	PK–8	48	5.1	Nonsectarian
St Paul Lutheran School	PK–8	48	12.3	Lutheran
Ravenswood Christian School	PK–12	46	7.3	Baptist
Futureworld NFP	K–12	45	15	Nonsectarian
Lawrence Hall SchoolSpecial education	4–12	45	8	Nonsectarian
Genesis Scholars Academy	PK–12	42	4.4	Other religious
Good Shepherd Christian Academy	PK–8	41	8.2	Lutheran
Los Pequenos AngelitosEarly childhood	PK–K	40	9.1	Nonsectarian
South Loop Montessori SchoolMontessori	PK–2	40	4	Nonsectarian
Midwest Academy for Gifted Ed NFPSpecial program	K–10	35	3.2	Nonsectarian
Cambridge Classical Academy	PK–8	34	6.3	Christian
Chicago SDA Elementary School	PK–8	34	11.3	Seventh-Day Adventist
St Philip Lutheran School	PK–8	34	5.7	Lutheran
Redwood Day SchoolSpecial education	2–8	31	3.5	Nonsectarian
St Jerome School, Santa Lucia Campus	PK–3	31	5.2	Catholic
Pactt Learning CenterSpecial education	4–12	30	6	Nonsectarian

Getting in, and keeping up

Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
Illinois IAR practice tests and score levels, the test public schools in Illinois give.
Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring in Illinois.
Colleges in Illinois, for families already looking ahead.

Email me the Chicago private school list

A link to this list, plus our guide to the entrance exams these schools use.

I consent to receive transactional text messages (Conversational/Alerts, Appointments, and Booking Confirmations) from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

I agree to receive recurring automated marketing & promotional text messages from Dewey Smart at the number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Msg frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. See our Privacy Policy, Terms, and SMS Terms.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently asked questions

How many private schools are in Chicago, Illinois?

173 private schools in Chicago, Illinois 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 Chicago, Illinois?

Among schools that answered the survey, Univ of Chicago Lab School in Chicago is the largest, with 1,946 students in grades PK–12.

How big are classes at private schools in Chicago, Illinois?

The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Chicago, Illinois has 10.2 students per teacher and 158 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.