Private Schools
Private Schools in Washington, D.C.
41 private schools in Washington, D.C. with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 15,119 students: 18 Catholic, 10 other religious and 13 nonsectarian. 19 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
41
Go through high school
19
Median enrollment
210
Median students per teacher
8.1
Private schools in Washington, D.C.
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Johns College High School | Washington | 9–12 | 1,794 | 19.6 | Catholic |
| Caroline Education Community International PsaSpecial program | Washington | PK–12 | 1,390 | 15.6 | Islamic |
| Sidwell Friends School | Washington | PK–12 | 1,129 | 7.7 | Friends |
| Sidwell Friends School | Washington | PK–12 | 1,123 | 8.8 | Friends |
| Sidwell Friends School | Washingon | PK–12 | 1,122 | 7.6 | Friends |
| Washington International SchoolSpecial program | Washington | PK–12 | 846 | 7.3 | Nonsectarian |
| National Cathedral SchoolGirls | Washington | 4–12 | 597 | 8.4 | Episcopal |
| Georgetown Visitation Preparatory SchoolGirls | Washington | 9–12 | 512 | 11.1 | Catholic |
| Blessed Sacrament School | Washington | K–8 | 502 | 11.6 | Catholic |
| Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation's | Washington | PK–8 | 449 | 8.3 | Jewish |
| St Patrick's Episcopal Day School | Washington | PK–8 | 424 | 7.3 | Episcopal |
| Archbishop Carroll High School | Washington | 9–12 | 384 | 13.4 | Catholic |
| The Field School | Washington | 6–12 | 351 | 6.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Edmund Burke SchoolSpecial program | Washington | 6–12 | 315 | 7.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Holy Trinity School | Washington | PK–8 | 315 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| Beauvoir the National Cathedral Elementary School | Washington | PK–3 | 313 | 15.2 | Episcopal |
| Lowell School | Washington | PK–8 | 270 | 4.2 | Nonsectarian |
| St Anselm's Abbey SchoolBoys | Washington | 6–12 | 224 | 6.2 | Catholic |
| Capitol Hill Day School | Washington | PK–8 | 221 | 4 | Nonsectarian |
| Sheridan School | Washington | K–8 | 221 | 6.9 | Nonsectarian |
| St Peter School | Washington | PK–8 | 210 | 6.6 | Catholic |
| St Anthony Catholic School | Washington | K–8 | 195 | 6.2 | Catholic |
| Our Lady of Victory School | Washington | PK–8 | 186 | 12.3 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart School | Washington | PK–8 | 186 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Cornerstone Schools of Washington, DC | Washington | K–12 | 178 | 10.5 | Christian |
| St Thomas More Catholic | Washington | PK–8 | 153 | 7 | Catholic |
| St Francis Xavier Catholic Academy | Washington | PK–8 | 149 | 11.1 | Catholic |
| The School for Ethics and Global LeadershipAlternative | Washington | 11–12 | 143 | 5.2 | Nonsectarian |
| St Augustine Catholic School | Washington | PK–8 | 138 | 9.7 | Catholic |
| Washington Jesuit AcademyBoys | Washington | 4–8 | 138 | 8.1 | Catholic |
| River SchoolSpecial education | Washington | PK–5 | 134 | 5.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Annunciation Catholic School | Washington | PK–8 | 130 | 6.3 | Catholic |
| Washington School for GirlsGirls | Washington | 3–8 | 105 | 8.8 | Catholic |
| Model Secondary School for the DeafSpecial education | Washington | 9–12 | 101 | 1.4 | Nonsectarian |
| San Miguel SchoolBoys | Washington | 6–8 | 89 | 8.1 | Catholic |
| Templeton AcademyAlternative | Washington | 6–12 | 79 | 8.8 | Nonsectarian |
| Aidan Montessori SchoolMontessori | Washington | PK–6 | 75 | 7.5 | Nonsectarian |
| Parkmont School | Washington | 6–12 | 70 | 5.6 | Nonsectarian |
| Christian Family MontessoriMontessori | Washington | PK–6 | 67 | 12.2 | Christian |
| St Jerome InstituteSpecial program | Washington | 9–12 | 61 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| Mysa SchoolAlternative | Washington | K–12 | 30 | 3.8 | 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 Washington, D.C., for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in Washington, D.C.?
41 private schools in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C.?
Among schools that answered the survey, St Johns College High School in Washington is the largest, with 1,794 students in grades 9–12.
How big are classes at private schools in Washington, D.C.?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in Washington, D.C. has 8.1 students per teacher and 210 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.
