Top private schools near Birmingham, AL: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Birmingham on measures parents ask about, from federal data and the state’s official CHOOSE Act list.
We looked at the 46 private schools in Birmingham (at any distance from downtown) or within 6 miles of downtown. Each list below uses one measure, says where it comes from and shows the top 10. A school can rank high on one measure and not appear on another, so read the lists together. We leave out any list with fewer than 5 qualifying schools, and no school can pay to appear or move up.
- Most graduates going on to a 4-year college (17 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (30 ranked)
- Largest schools (36 ranked)
- On the official CHOOSE Act list (31 ranked)
Most graduates going on to a 4-year college
Share of each high school’s graduates who went on to a 4-year college, as the school reported it. Only the 17 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 3 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Altamont School | 100% | 5-12 | 2 mi |
| 2 | Islamic Academy of Alabama | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Glen Iris Baptist School | 100% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | John Carroll Catholic High School | 96% | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School | 87% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Spring Valley School | 86% | 1-12 | 8 mi |
| 7 | Grassroots Christian Academy | 83% | 6-12 | 1 mi |
| 8 | Briarwood Christian School | 80% | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 9 | Cornerstone High School | 77% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Cornerstone Schools of Alabama | 70% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 17 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 30 schools with at least 50 students (so very small schools do not fill the list). This ratio is the closest measure of class size in the federal data; actual class sizes can be larger.
| # | School | Students per teacher | Grades | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring Valley School | 4.1 students per teacher | 1-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Creative Montessori School | 4.3 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Ne Miles Jewish Day School | 4.7 students per teacher | K-7 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Hilltop Montessori School | 5.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 13 mi |
| 5 | Red Mountain Community School | 5.2 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 1 mi |
| 6 | Joseph S Bruno Montessori Academy | 5.3 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 12 mi |
| 7 | Glen Iris Baptist School | 5.7 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | Mountain View Baptist School | 6.6 students per teacher | K-12 | 13 mi |
| 9 | Cornerstone High School | 7.6 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Build Up Community School | 7.6 students per teacher | 9-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 30 ranked schools.
Largest schools
Kindergarten to grade 12 enrollment each school reported, largest first. Pre-K children are not counted in the federal figure.
| # | School | Students (K-12) | Grades | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Briarwood Christian School | 1,552 students | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 2 | Essential Church School | 1,185 students | K-12 | 12 mi |
| 3 | Cornerstone High School | 659 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Cornerstone Schools of Alabama | 659 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | John Carroll Catholic High School | 540 students | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | The Altamont School | 379 students | 5-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Our Lady of Sorrows | 343 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Highlands School | 296 students | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 9 | Islamic Academy of Alabama | 214 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 10 | St. Rose of Lima School | 181 students | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 36 ranked schools.
On the official CHOOSE Act list
31 schools in Birmingham or within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Birmingham. Schools whose list entry covers only pre-K or kindergarten are left out here. Being on the list means the program can pay this school; it says nothing about quality.
| # | School | Distance from downtown | Grades |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advent Episcopal School | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 2 | Red Mountain Community School | 1 mi | PreK-12 |
| 3 | St. Rose of Lima School | 2 mi | PreK-8 |
| 4 | Glen Iris Baptist School | 2 mi | PreK-12 |
| 5 | Cornerstone Schools of Alabama | 3 mi | PreK-12 |
| 6 | Ne Miles Jewish Day School | 3 mi | K-7 |
| 7 | Islamic Academy of Alabama | 3 mi | PreK-12 |
| 8 | Creative Montessori School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 9 | St. Francis Xavier School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 10 | Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School | 3 mi | 9-12 |
Source: the state’s official CHOOSE Act list (dated September 17, 2026). Showing 10 of 31 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Birmingham?
There is no single best school, and we do not rank schools by opinion or reviews. The right school depends on your child, your faith, your budget and your commute. The lists on this page rank the 46 private schools in Birmingham or within 6 miles of downtown on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Birmingham private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
3 of the 17 high schools near Birmingham that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them The Altamont School, Islamic Academy of Alabama and Glen Iris Baptist School (2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey). The list on this page shows them largest first.
Can a school pay to appear on these lists or move up?
No. Every list is sorted by the measure it names, and the source is printed under each list. Sponsored boxes elsewhere on the site are labelled and never change these lists.
Where do the figures come from?
Enrollment, students per teacher and college-going come from the 2023-24 Private School Universe survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, as each school reported them. The CHOOSE Act list is the one the state publishes (dated September 17, 2026).