Private Schools
Private Schools in Pennsylvania
864 private schools in Pennsylvania with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 164,161 students: 319 Catholic, 324 other religious and 221 nonsectarian. 432 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
864
Go through high school
432
Median enrollment
128
Median students per teacher
9.4
Private schools by city in Pennsylvania
The 100 largest private schools in Pennsylvania
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton Hershey School | Hershey | PK–12 | 1,951 | 8.1 | Nonsectarian |
| The Episcopal Academy | Newtown Square | PK–12 | 1,252 | 7.9 | Episcopal |
| The Episcopal Academy | Newtown Square | PK–12 | 1,252 | 6.6 | Episcopal |
| La Salle College High SchoolBoys | Wyndmoor | 9–12 | 1,158 | 11.3 | Catholic |
| Shady Side Academy | Pittsburgh | PK–12 | 1,118 | 20.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Shady Side Academy | Pittsburgh | PK–12 | 1,118 | 7.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | Philadelphia | PK–12 | 1,058 | 7.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper | Philadelphia | PK–12 | 1,058 | 7.5 | Nonsectarian |
| St Joseph's Preparatory SchoolBoys | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 938 | 13.4 | Catholic |
| Bishop Shanahan High School | Downingtown | 9–12 | 876 | 18.8 | Catholic |
| Archbishop Ryan High School | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 870 | 18.9 | Catholic |
| Moravian Academy | Bethlehem | PK–12 | 836 | 5.8 | Brethren |
| Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prenderbast HS. | Drexel Hill | 9–12 | 804 | 18.8 | Catholic |
| Friends Central School | Wynnewood | PK–12 | 791 | 8.5 | Friends |
| Delaware County Christian School | Newtown Square | PK–12 | 781 | 10.2 | Christian |
| Father Judge High SchoolBoys | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 774 | 19.9 | Catholic |
| Bishop McDevitt High School | Harrisburg | 9–12 | 752 | 13.2 | Catholic |
| Pope John Paul II High School | Royersford | 9–12 | 742 | 17.7 | Catholic |
| Archbishop Wood High School | Warminster | 9–12 | 739 | 19.2 | Catholic |
| Central Catholic High SchoolBoys | Pittsburgh | 9–12 | 712 | 11.7 | Catholic |
| Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School | Kingston | PK–12 | 694 | 7.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Archbishop Carroll High School | Malvern | 9–12 | 686 | 18.4 | Catholic |
| Archbishop John Carroll High School | Radnor | 9–12 | 686 | 19.2 | Catholic |
| Scranton Preparatory School | Scranton | 9–12 | 683 | 14.7 | Catholic |
| North Catholic High School | Cranberry Township | 9–12 | 681 | 13.2 | Catholic |
| Westtown School | West Chester | PK–12 | 676 | 6.4 | Friends |
| Shalom Christian Academy | Chambersburg | PK–12 | 671 | 14.7 | Brethren |
| Conwell Egan Catholic High School | Fairless Hills | 9–12 | 670 | 18.6 | Catholic |
| Cathedral Preparatory School | Erie | 9–12 | 665 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Malvern Preparatory SchoolBoys | Malvern | 6–12 | 665 | 9 | Catholic |
| Mount Calvary Christian School | Elizabethtown | K–12 | 657 | 11.4 | Christian |
| Winchester Thurston School | Pittsburgh | PK–12 | 645 | 8.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Eden Christian Academy | Pittsburgh | K–12 | 643 | 11.1 | Christian |
| Allentow Central Catholic High School. | Allentown | 9–12 | 627 | 12.9 | Catholic |
| Berks Catholic High School | Reading | 9–12 | 613 | 17.1 | Catholic |
| St Kilian Catholic School | Cranberry Township | PK–8 | 612 | 14.1 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of Calvary School | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 610 | 17.4 | Catholic |
| The Agnes Irwin SchoolGirls | Bryn Mawr | PK–12 | 599 | 6.8 | Nonsectarian |
| St Andrew School | Newtown | PK–8 | 585 | 16.7 | Catholic |
| Faith Christian Academy | Quakertown | 6–12 | 582 | 12.3 | Christian |
| STS John Neumann & Maria Garetti Catholic High SCH | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 578 | 23.3 | Catholic |
| West Shore Christian Academy | Shiremanstown | K–12 | 560 | 43.1 | Christian |
| Lancaster Country Day School | Lancaster | PK–12 | 558 | 6.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 545 | 17.9 | Catholic |
| Notre Dame High School | Easton | 9–12 | 543 | 12.7 | Catholic |
| Academy-Notre Dame de NamurGirls | Villanova | 6–12 | 541 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| Notre Dame High School | Easton | 9–12 | 539 | 14.6 | Catholic |
| The Hill School | Pottstown | 9–12 | 539 | 6.3 | Nonsectarian |
| George SchoolBoys, Alternative | Newtown | 9–12 | 533 | 24.4 | Friends |
| Dock Mennonite Academy | Souderton | PK–12 | 532 | 11.1 | Mennonite |
| Holy Cross Regional Catholic School | Collegeville | PK–8 | 527 | 17.3 | Catholic |
| Ancillae-Assumpta Academy | Wyncote | PK–8 | 517 | 9.8 | Catholic |
| Dock Mennonite Academy | Lansdale | PK–12 | 516 | 11.9 | Mennonite |
| St Anastasia School | Newtown Square | K–8 | 514 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| St Louise de Marillac School | Pittsburgh | PK–8 | 511 | 20 | Catholic |
| Lancaster Catholic High School | Lancaster | 9–12 | 492 | 6.4 | Catholic |
| Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elem School | Coatesville | PK–8 | 492 | 13.2 | Catholic |
| St Philip Neri | Lafayette Hill | PK–8 | 492 | 20.1 | Catholic |
| St Thomas More School | Allentown | PK–8 | 489 | 13.1 | Catholic |
| Bethlehem Catholic High School | Bethlehem | 9–12 | 478 | 16.3 | Catholic |
| Mount St Joseph AcademyGirls | Flourtown | 9–12 | 478 | 9.1 | Catholic |
| Coventry Christian Schools | Pottstown | K–12 | 477 | 11.3 | Christian |
| St Cecilia Elementary School | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 477 | 17.3 | Catholic |
| St Katherine of Siena School | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 469 | 15.6 | Catholic |
| St Monica School | Philadelphia | K–8 | 459 | 21.3 | Catholic |
| West Catholic Prep High School | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 454 | 16.3 | Catholic |
| West Catholic Preparatory H.S. | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 453 | 15.1 | Catholic |
| Trinity Christian School | Wilkinsburg | K–12 | 449 | 13.6 | Christian |
| St Francis de Sales Schools | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 446 | 19.4 | Catholic |
| Sewickley Academy | Sewickley | PK–12 | 445 | 7.1 | Nonsectarian |
| St Hubert Catholic High School for GirlsGirls | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 445 | 19.5 | Catholic |
| Gwynedd Mercy Academy High SchoolGirls | Gwynedd Valley | 9–12 | 439 | 9 | Catholic |
| Holy Ghost PrepBoys | Bensalem | 9–12 | 439 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| Mercersburg Academy | Mercersburg | 9–12 | 439 | 7.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Politz Hebrew Academy | Philadelphia | K–8 | 437 | 10.8 | Jewish |
| Seton Lasalle Catholic High School | Pittsburgh | 9–12 | 433 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| Falk Laboratory School | Pittsburgh | K–8 | 432 | 6.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Cumberland Valley Christian School | Chambersburg | PK–12 | 424 | 18.8 | Christian |
| Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School | Maple Glen | PK–8 | 424 | 14.6 | Catholic |
| Maternity BVM School | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 417 | 21 | Catholic |
| Villa Maria Academy High SchoolGirls | Malvern | 9–12 | 417 | 5.9 | Catholic |
| Mercyhurst Preparatory School | Erie | 9–12 | 416 | 11.9 | Catholic |
| St Joan of Arc Elementary School | Hummels Town | PK–8 | 413 | 12.6 | Catholic |
| Mater Dei Catholic School | Lansdale | PK–8 | 410 | 17.1 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart Elementary School | Pittsburgh | PK–8 | 409 | 17.3 | Catholic |
| Grace Non-Traditional Christian AcademyAlternative | Pittsburgh | 9–12 | 407 | 45.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Aim AcademySpecial education | Conshohocken | 1–12 | 406 | 5.3 | Nonsectarian |
| St Katharine of Siena School | Wayne | K–8 | 406 | 18 | Catholic |
| Dubois Area Catholic Elementary School | Du Bois | PK–12 | 401 | 11.4 | Catholic |
| Oakland Catholic High SchoolGirls | Pittsburgh | 9–12 | 400 | 10.4 | Catholic |
| Saints Peter and Paul School | West Chester | PK–8 | 399 | 16.4 | Catholic |
| St Matthew | Philadelphia | PK–8 | 395 | 15.4 | Catholic |
| Little Flower Catholic High School for GirlsGirls | Philadelphia | 9–12 | 393 | 17 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School | Coal Township | PK–12 | 392 | 7.9 | Catholic |
| Mother of Sorrows Parish School | Murrysville | K–8 | 389 | 10.8 | Catholic |
| Christian School of York | York | PK–12 | 388 | 11.4 | Christian |
| Faith Christian Academy | Quakertown | K–5 | 382 | 16.4 | Christian |
| Plumstead Christian School | Plumsteadville | PK–12 | 379 | 10.2 | Christian |
| Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary | Spring House | PK–8 | 377 | 10.6 | Catholic |
| St George Grade School | Erie | PK–8 | 377 | 20.9 | Catholic |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- PSSA practice tests and score levels, the test public schools in Pennsylvania give.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring in Pennsylvania.
- Colleges in Pennsylvania, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Pennsylvania?
864 private schools in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?
Among schools that answered the survey, Milton Hershey School in Hershey is the largest, with 1,951 students in grades PK–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Pennsylvania?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Pennsylvania has 9.4 students per teacher and 128 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.
