Private Schools
Private Schools in Rhode Island
70 private schools in Rhode Island with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 14,033 students: 34 Catholic, 8 other religious and 28 nonsectarian. 26 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
70
Go through high school
26
Median enrollment
141
Median students per teacher
8.9
Private schools by city in Rhode Island
Private schools in Rhode Island
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Salle Academy | Providence | 6–12 | 1,443 | 11.7 | Catholic |
| Moses Brown School | Providence | PK–12 | 756 | 8.9 | Friends |
| Wheeler School | Providence | PK–12 | 755 | 6.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Bishop Hendricken High SchoolBoys | Warwick | 8–12 | 610 | 11.1 | Catholic |
| Mount St Charles Academy | Woonsocket | 6–12 | 565 | 9.7 | Catholic |
| St Raphael Academy | Pawtucket | 9–12 | 430 | 12.5 | Catholic |
| Lincoln School | Providence | PK–12 | 414 | 3.5 | Friends |
| St Philomena School of the Sacred Heart | Portsmouth | PK–8 | 376 | 11.8 | Catholic |
| Providence Country Day School | East Providence | PK–12 | 371 | 9.3 | Nonsectarian |
| St Mary Academy-Bay ViewGirls | Riverside | PK–12 | 364 | 9.7 | Catholic |
| Portsmouth Abbey School | Portsmouth | 9–12 | 337 | 7.7 | Catholic |
| Gordon School | East Providence | PK–8 | 309 | 8.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Monsignor Matthew Clarke Catholic Regional School | Wakefield | PK–8 | 309 | 14.9 | Catholic |
| Rocky Hill Country Day School | East Greenwich | PK–12 | 252 | 4.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Our Lady of Mercy School | East Greenwich | PK–8 | 222 | 13.5 | Catholic |
| West Bay Christian Academy (Elementary) | North Kingstown | PK–8 | 222 | 13.5 | Christian |
| St Pius V School | Providence | PK–8 | 208 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| St Teresa School | Pawtucket | PK–8 | 208 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| St Kevin School | Warwick | PK–8 | 201 | 16.1 | Catholic |
| St Augustine School | Providence | PK–8 | 196 | 7.2 | Catholic |
| St Rose of Lima School | Warwick | PK–8 | 193 | 7.5 | Catholic |
| St Michaels Country Day School | Newport | PK–8 | 187 | 3.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Ocean State AcademySpecial education | Cranston | K–12 | 184 | 10.8 | Nonsectarian |
| St Joseph School | West Warwick | PK–8 | 177 | 11.3 | Catholic |
| St Philip School | Greenville | PK–8 | 175 | 12.6 | Catholic |
| GR Woonsocket Catholic Regional | Woonsocket | PK–8 | 173 | 14.1 | Catholic |
| Father John V. Doyle School | Coventry | PK–8 | 170 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| The Croft School | Providence | K–5 | 163 | 5.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Barrington Christian Academy | Barrington | K–12 | 158 | 8.4 | Christian |
| Bishop McVinney Catholic Regional School | Providence | PK–8 | 157 | 11.4 | Catholic |
| St Margaret School | Rumford | PK–8 | 152 | 10.9 | Catholic |
| French-American School of Rhode IslandSpecial program | Providence | PK–8 | 151 | 7.7 | Nonsectarian |
| St Rocco School | Johnston | PK–8 | 147 | 7 | Catholic |
| St Cecilia School | Pawtucket | PK–8 | 146 | 7.7 | Catholic |
| St Mary Elementary School | Cranston | PK–8 | 141 | 11.2 | Catholic |
| The Grace School | Providence | K–12 | 140 | 6.1 | Nonsectarian |
| St Luke's School | Barrington | PK–8 | 137 | 6.8 | Catholic |
| Bradley School ProvidenceSpecial program | Providence | 6–12 | 135 | 7 | Nonsectarian |
| Community Preparatory School | Providence | 4–8 | 135 | 11.8 | Nonsectarian |
| St Peter School | Warwick | PK–8 | 133 | 8.3 | Catholic |
| St Thomas Regional School | Providence | PK–8 | 132 | 16.7 | Catholic |
| The Pennfield School | Portsmouth | PK–8 | 127 | 43.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Blessed Sacrament School | Providence | PK–8 | 120 | 9.9 | Catholic |
| All Saints Academy | Middletown | PK–8 | 117 | 10.3 | Catholic |
| Islamic School of Rhode Island | West Warwick | PK–8 | 116 | 7.7 | Islamic |
| St Paul School | Cranston | PK–8 | 113 | 10.8 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart School | East Providence | PK–8 | 112 | 7.3 | Catholic |
| Rhode Island Alternative AcademySpecial education | Pawtucket | 1–12 | 98 | 8.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Sargent Rehabilitation CenterSpecial education | East Greenwich | PK–12 | 94 | 5.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Our Lady of Mt Carmel | Bristol | PK–8 | 89 | 8 | Catholic |
| St Patrick Academy | Providence | 9–12 | 85 | 12.9 | Catholic |
| Harmony Hill SchoolBoys, Special education | Chepachet | 4–12 | 82 | 8.3 | Nonsectarian |
| School One | Providence | 9–12 | 82 | 5.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island | Providence | PK–5 | 79 | 3.8 | Jewish |
| Ocean State Montessori SchoolMontessori | East Providence | PK–6 | 77 | 6.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Pathways Strategic Teaching CenterSpecial education | Coventry | 1–12 | 76 | 8.4 | Nonsectarian |
| The Wolf SchoolSpecial education | Rumford | 2–8 | 72 | 1.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Quest Montessori SchoolMontessori | Narragansett | PK–8 | 66 | 7.7 | Nonsectarian |
| The Groden CenterSpecial education | Providence | 2–12 | 66 | 9.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Providence Hebrew Day School | Providence | PK–8 | 63 | 4.3 | Jewish |
| The San Miguel SchoolBoys | Providence | 5–8 | 62 | 10.7 | Catholic |
| Overbrook AcademyGirls | Greenville | 6–9 | 61 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| Sophia AcademyGirls | Providence | 5–8 | 59 | 10 | Nonsectarian |
| Bradley School-SouthSpecial program | Wakefield | 1–12 | 56 | 6.7 | Nonsectarian |
| South County Montessori SchoolMontessori | North Kingstown | PK–3 | 45 | 10 | Nonsectarian |
| Community Christian School | Pascoag | PK–8 | 42 | 8.4 | Baptist |
| Cornerstone SchoolSpecial education | Cranston | PK–12 | 37 | 3.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Montessori Childrens HouseMontessori | Providence | PK–4 | 37 | 3.8 | Nonsectarian |
| George N Hunt Campus School | North Providence | 2–12 | 36 | 7.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Mount Pleasant AcademySpecial education | Providence | K–8 | 30 | 12.5 | 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 Rhode Island, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Rhode Island?
70 private schools in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island?
Among schools that answered the survey, La Salle Academy in Providence is the largest, with 1,443 students in grades 6–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Rhode Island?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Rhode Island has 8.9 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.
