Private Schools
Private Schools in Tennessee
263 private schools in Tennessee with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 79,507 students: 30 Catholic, 175 other religious and 58 nonsectarian. 167 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
263
Go through high school
167
Median enrollment
143
Median students per teacher
9
Private schools by city in Tennessee
The 100 largest private schools in Tennessee
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Christian Academy | Hendersonville | K–12 | 4,316 | 539.5 | Christian |
| Lighthouse Christian Academy | Hendersonville | K–12 | 4,039 | 448.8 | Christian |
| Aliyah AcademyAlternative | Morristown | PK–12 | 3,088 | 339.3 | Christian |
| Chattanooga Christian School | Chattanooga | PK–12 | 1,400 | 11.5 | Christian |
| Lipscomb Academy | Nashville | PK–12 | 1,298 | 11.2 | Church of Christ |
| Silverdale Baptist Academy | Chattanooga | PK–12 | 1,195 | 11.2 | Baptist |
| Baylor School | Chattanooga | 6–12 | 1,078 | 10.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Christian Academy of Knoxville | Knoxville | PK–12 | 1,054 | 13.2 | Christian |
| Webb School of Knoxville | Knoxville | PK–12 | 1,048 | 7.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Boyd-Buchanan School | Chattanooga | PK–12 | 1,034 | 11 | Church of Christ |
| Franklin Road Academy | Nashville | PK–12 | 1,020 | 12.3 | Christian |
| Columbia Academy | Columbia | PK–12 | 1,003 | 14.5 | Church of Christ |
| Grace Christian Academy | Knoxville | PK–12 | 1,002 | 10.8 | Baptist |
| Collegedale Academy | Collegedale | PK–12 | 872 | 15.3 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Montgomery Bell AcademyBoys | Nashville | 7–12 | 850 | 7.7 | Nonsectarian |
| Collegedale Academy | Collegedale | K–12 | 847 | 13.9 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Evangelical Christain School | Cordova | PK–12 | 841 | 8.1 | Christian |
| Goodpasture Christian School | Madison | PK–12 | 836 | 8.3 | Church of Christ |
| Father Ryan High School | Nashville | 9–12 | 833 | 9.5 | Catholic |
| Grace Christian Academy | Franklin | PK–12 | 833 | 14.3 | Christian |
| Lausanne Collegiate School | Memphis | PK–12 | 828 | 7.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Concord Christian School | Knoxville | K–12 | 819 | 7 | Baptist |
| St Georges Independent School | Collierville | PK–12 | 771 | 8.1 | Episcopal |
| Middle Tennessee Christian School | Murfreesboro | PK–12 | 770 | 11.8 | Church of Christ |
| St George's Independent School | Collierville | PK–12 | 770 | 7.5 | Episcopal |
| Donelson Christian Academy | Nashville | PK–12 | 765 | 12 | Christian |
| St Mary's Episcopal SchoolGirls | Memphis | PK–12 | 749 | 8 | Episcopal |
| Faith Heritage Christian Academy | Millington | K–12 | 736 | 15.2 | Baptist |
| Pope John Paul II Preparatory School | Hendersonville | 6–12 | 733 | 12.6 | Catholic |
| Providence Academy | Johnson City | PK–12 | 728 | 10.4 | Christian |
| Harpeth Hall SchoolGirls | Nashville | 5–12 | 724 | 7.1 | Nonsectarian |
| Christian Brothers High SchoolBoys | Memphis | 9–12 | 702 | 12 | Catholic |
| Nashville Christian School | Nashville | PK–12 | 700 | 9.2 | Christian |
| Hutchison SchoolGirls | Memphis | PK–12 | 697 | 6.7 | Nonsectarian |
| St Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School | Memphis | PK–12 | 675 | 7.7 | Catholic |
| Lakeway Christian Academy-Lakeway Christian School | White Pine | 6–12 | 609 | 12.1 | Christian |
| Memphis University SchoolBoys | Memphis | 7–12 | 609 | 8.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Trinity Christian Academy | Jackson | PK–12 | 604 | 9.8 | Christian |
| Rivers Edge Christian AcademySpecial program | Knoxville | PK–12 | 581 | 12.4 | Christian |
| Harding Academy of Memphis | Memphis | K–12 | 570 | 10.3 | Christian |
| Mt Juliet Christian Academy | Mount Juliet | PK–12 | 564 | 11.9 | Baptist |
| Clarksville Academy | Clarksville | PK–12 | 530 | 12.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Fayette Academy | Somerville | PK–12 | 528 | 9.3 | Christian |
| Grace Baptist Academy | Chattanooga | PK–12 | 525 | 8.8 | Baptist |
| Clarksville Christian School | Clarksville | PK–12 | 516 | 9.8 | Church of Christ |
| Girls Preparatory SchoolGirls | Chattanooga | 6–12 | 516 | 10.3 | Nonsectarian |
| First Assembly Christian School | Cordova | PK–12 | 503 | 10.1 | Christian |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral School | Knoxville | PK–8 | 503 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Ezell-Harding Christian School | Antioch | PK–12 | 484 | 161.3 | Church of Christ |
| The Oak Hill School | Nashville | PK–6 | 478 | 9.2 | Christian |
| Pleasant View School | Memphis | PK–12 | 475 | 6.3 | Islamic |
| New System School | Rockwood | K–12 | 472 | 1.5 | Other religious |
| Zion Christian Academy | Columbia | PK–12 | 467 | 12.5 | Presbyterian |
| Cornerstone Christian Academy - LCS | Morristown | PK–5 | 461 | 18.4 | Christian |
| Berean Christian School | Knoxville | PK–12 | 436 | 8.1 | Christian |
| Clayton-Bradley Academy | Maryville | PK–12 | 431 | 11.6 | Nonsectarian |
| The Kings Academy | Seymour | PK–12 | 431 | 9.9 | Baptist |
| St Matthew Catholic School | Franklin | PK–8 | 418 | 15.7 | Catholic |
| First Baptist Academy | Powell | PK–12 | 417 | 11.8 | Baptist |
| Westminister Academy | Memphis | PK–12 | 415 | 13.3 | Christian |
| Faith Missionary AcademyCareer and technical | Gruetli Laager | K–12 | 414 | 60.9 | Christian |
| The Webb School | Bell Buckle | 6–12 | 411 | 6.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Currey Ingram AcademySpecial education | Brentwood | K–12 | 392 | 4.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Notre Dame High School | Chattanooga | 9–12 | 392 | 12 | Catholic |
| Franklin Christian Academy | Franklin | 5–12 | 379 | 14.4 | Christian |
| Rossville Christian Academy | Rossville | PK–12 | 371 | 9.2 | Christian |
| Christ Methodist Day School | Memphis | PK–6 | 362 | 9.6 | Methodist |
| Maryville Christian School | Maryville | PK–12 | 362 | 9.4 | Christian |
| The Collegiate School of Memphis | Memphis | 6–12 | 361 | 11.1 | Christian |
| New Hope Christian Academy | Memphis | PK–6 | 342 | 8.1 | Christian |
| St Bernard Academy | Nashville | PK–8 | 338 | 9 | Catholic |
| Pleasant View Christian School | Pleasant View | PK–12 | 332 | 12.8 | Baptist |
| The Episcopal School of Knoxville | Knoxville | PK–8 | 329 | 8.4 | Episcopal |
| South Haven Christian School | Springfield | PK–12 | 326 | 13 | Baptist |
| St Francis of Assisi Catholic School | Cordova | PK–8 | 325 | 12.5 | Catholic |
| Tipton Christian Academy | Covington | PK–12 | 315 | 11.7 | Christian |
| Agathos Classical School | Columbia | PK–12 | 313 | 7.8 | Christian |
| Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal School | Memphis | PK–8 | 306 | 8.8 | Episcopal |
| St Rose Catholic School | Murfreesboro | PK–8 | 304 | 13.3 | Catholic |
| Holy Rosary Academy | Nashville | PK–8 | 296 | 13.1 | Catholic |
| St Cecilia AcademyGirls | Nashville | 7–12 | 295 | 6.8 | Catholic |
| Lighthouse Christian School | Antioch | PK–12 | 293 | 10.1 | Christian |
| Collegedale Academy-Elementary | Collegedale | K–5 | 289 | 11.2 | Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Winchester Christian Academy | Winchester | PK–10 | 287 | 14.5 | Christian |
| St Jude School | Chattanooga | PK–8 | 285 | 12.5 | Catholic |
| Thales Academy | Franklin | PK–7 | 283 | 13.5 | Nonsectarian |
| The Bright School | Chattanooga | PK–5 | 278 | 9.2 | Nonsectarian |
| Chapel Hill Christian Academy | Clarksville | PK–8 | 267 | 9.5 | Christian |
| Brainerd Baptist School | Chattanooga | PK–5 | 266 | 8.3 | Christian |
| Woodland Presbyterian School | Memphis | PK–8 | 258 | 7.4 | Presbyterian |
| Lancaster Christian Academy | Smyrna | PK–12 | 248 | 8.8 | Christian |
| Apostolic Christian School | Knoxville | PK–12 | 246 | 9.8 | Pentecostal |
| Metro Christian Academy | Goodlettsville | PK–12 | 238 | 16.4 | Baptist |
| Our Lady of Perpetual Help School | Chattanooga | PK–8 | 234 | 9 | Catholic |
| Academy for God | Old Hickory | PK–12 | 233 | 6.1 | Christian |
| Christ the King School | Nashville | PK–8 | 233 | 14.6 | Catholic |
| St Andrew's-Sewanee School | Sewanee | 6–12 | 231 | 6.8 | Episcopal |
| Tennessee Avenue Christian Academy | Bristol | PK–12 | 230 | 8.5 | Baptist |
| St Joseph School | Madison | PK–8 | 225 | 8 | Catholic |
| St Joseph School | Knoxville | PK–8 | 217 | 10.3 | Catholic |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- TCAP practice tests and score levels, the test public schools in Tennessee give.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring.
- Colleges in Tennessee, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Tennessee?
263 private schools in Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
Among schools that answered the survey, Lighthouse Christian Academy in Hendersonville is the largest, with 4,316 students in grades K–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Tennessee?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Tennessee has 9 students per teacher and 143 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.
