Private Schools
Private Schools in San Diego, California
53 private schools in San Diego, California with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 13,995 students: 18 Catholic, 15 other religious and 20 nonsectarian. 24 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
53
Go through high school
24
Median enrollment
168
Median students per teacher
11.1
Private schools in San Diego, California
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Catholic High School | 9–12 | 1,669 | 16.9 | Catholic |
| Francis W Parker School | PK–12 | 1,280 | 11.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Francis Parker School | PK–12 | 1,276 | 10.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Maranatha Christian Schools | PK–12 | 855 | 12.5 | Christian |
| Academy of Our Lady of PeaceGirls | 9–12 | 730 | 17.6 | Catholic |
| St Augustine High SchoolBoys | 9–12 | 729 | 11.4 | Catholic |
| The Rock Academy | PK–12 | 466 | 10.6 | Christian |
| Ocean View Christian Academy | PK–12 | 432 | 17.9 | Baptist |
| Human Factor Leadership Academy | PK–12 | 396 | 26.4 | Christian |
| Bright Horizon Academy | PK–12 | 322 | 10.7 | Islamic |
| Bright Horizon Academy | K–12 | 304 | 10 | Islamic |
| St Therese Academy | K–8 | 302 | 7.9 | Catholic |
| Nazareth School San Diego | PK–8 | 259 | 17.3 | Catholic |
| The Waldorf School of San Diego | PK–12 | 251 | 8.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Good Shepherd Catholic School | PK–8 | 229 | 17.1 | Catholic |
| Warren-Walker Middle School | K–8 | 222 | 14.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Notre Dame Academy | PK–8 | 221 | 12.3 | Catholic |
| St Vincent de Paul Elementary School | PK–8 | 217 | 15 | Catholic |
| St Charles Borromeo Academy | K–8 | 213 | 15.4 | Catholic |
| St Columba School | PK–8 | 211 | 18.5 | Catholic |
| Childrens Creative/Performing Arts Acad San Diego | PK–12 | 186 | 11.4 | Nonsectarian |
| St Gregory the Great Catholic School | K–8 | 185 | 18.5 | Catholic |
| Our Ladys School | PK–8 | 183 | 14.8 | Catholic |
| St Charles Catholic School | K–8 | 182 | 19.4 | Catholic |
| Cristo Rey San Diego High School | 9–12 | 180 | 10.1 | Catholic |
| Soille San Diego Hebrew Bay School | PK–8 | 171 | 7.6 | Jewish |
| St Rita's School | PK–8 | 168 | 14.1 | Catholic |
| St Patrick School | PK–8 | 166 | 13.9 | Catholic |
| San Diego Jewish Academy | PK–12 | 156 | 12 | Jewish |
| Del Mar Pines School | K–6 | 155 | 8.3 | Nonsectarian |
| St Paul's Lutheran School | K–8 | 150 | 13.2 | Lutheran |
| Le Lycee Francais de San DiegoSpecial program | PK–8 | 149 | 9.7 | Nonsectarian |
| St Didacus School | PK–8 | 145 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| Warren-Walker School | PK–5 | 143 | 7.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Mission Bay Montessori AcademyMontessori | PK–6 | 129 | 3.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Maria Montessori SchoolMontessori | PK–8 | 108 | 12.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Sam & Rose Stein Education CenterSpecial education | Ungraded | 85 | 7.1 | Nonsectarian |
| San Diego Center for Children AcademySpecial education | 1–12 | 77 | 9.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Nativity Prep Academy | 6–8 | 70 | 11.7 | Catholic |
| Reformation Lutheran School | PK–8 | 67 | 8.6 | Lutheran |
| Grace Christian School | K–3 | 58 | 11.6 | Christian |
| Christ the Cornerstone Lutheran Academy | PK–5 | 54 | 7.7 | Lutheran |
| Childrens WorkshopSpecial education | 1–8 | 51 | 6.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Coastal Christian Academy | PK–8 | 51 | 7 | Christian |
| Pioneer Programs-Community School of San Diego HigSpecial education | 9–12 | 49 | 16.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Cook Education CenterSpecial education | 7–12 | 47 | 4.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Tabernacle Christian Academy | PK–12 | 46 | 5.3 | Pentecostal |
| Scripps Montessori SchoolMontessori | PK–5 | 41 | 3.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Aseltine SchoolSpecial education | 1–12 | 35 | 7 | Nonsectarian |
| Lat Online SchoolSpecial program | 1–12 | 32 | 4.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Fusion San Diego Scripps Ranch | 6–12 | 31 | 2.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Torah High School of San DiegoGirls | 10–12 | 31 | 2.1 | Jewish |
| Fusion Academy - San DiegoAlternative | 6–12 | 30 | 2.2 | Nonsectarian |
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 San Diego, California?
53 private schools in San Diego, 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 San Diego, California?
Among schools that answered the survey, Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego is the largest, with 1,669 students in grades 9–12.
How big are classes at private schools in San Diego, California?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in San Diego, California has 11.1 students per teacher and 168 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.
