What private school costs in Arizona (2026-27)
We have read published tuition on 23 Arizona private school websites. The middle price is $12,400 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate, and prices run from $6,850 to $37,300.
By grade band
| Grades | Median published tuition | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $11,399 | 18 | $6,850 to $32,900 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $12,695 | 18 | $7,000 to $36,700 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $18,400 | 14 | $10,600 to $37,300 |
A grade band is shown when at least 3 schools publish a price for it. Where a school lists several prices in one band, we take the lowest full-year day rate.
What Arizona pays toward private school
ESA pays about $7,000 to $8,000 for most students (2025-26 figures). We could not confirm the 2026-27 amount from the state. By law the deposit is 90% of the state funding the student would bring to a charter school. Students with disabilities receive far more.
The award has no single set amount, so we do not work out what would be left to pay.
Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account: who can get it and how to apply
By affiliation
| Affiliation | Schools | Median lowest rate | K to 5 | 6 to 8 | 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 10 | $10,565 | $7,500 (6) | $7,500 (6) | $21,175 (4) |
| Other Christian | 10 | $12,000 | $11,600 (9) | $13,400 (9) | $15,529 (7) |
Groups with at least 5 verified schools. Band medians show the number of schools in brackets; "too few" means under 3. Affiliation comes from the federal Private School Universe survey (2023-24).
Compared with public school spending
Arizona's public schools spent $12,003 per student in fiscal year 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). The median published private tuition above ($12,400) is 103% of that figure.
- Public spending is not a price. It is total current spending on public schools (teachers, staff, upkeep, transport, meals and more) divided by enrolled students. No family pays it, and it leaves out building construction and debt.
- The years differ. Public spending is for the 2023-24 school year, the latest the Census Bureau has published; tuition is mostly for 2026-27. Neither is adjusted for inflation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8, total current spending per pupil. Every state side by side: private tuition vs public school spending.
Every Arizona school with verified tuition
| School | City | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seton Catholic Preparatory | Chandler | $20,100 | 2026-27 |
| Valley Christian High School | Chandler | $12,400 to $18,400 | 2025-26 |
| Valley Christian Schools | Chandler | $12,400 to $18,400 | 2025-26 |
| Gilbert Christian Schools - Greenfield Campus | Gilbert | $13,565 to $15,450 | 2026-27 |
| St. John Vianney Catholic School | Goodyear | $7,400 | 2026-27 |
| Casas Christian School | Oro Valley | $11,600 to $11,990 | not stated |
| Phoenix Country Day School | Paradise Valley | $32,900 to $37,300 | 2026-27 |
| Arizona Cultural Academy & College Prep | Phoenix | $18,000 to $20,000 | 2026-27 |
| North Valley Christain Academy | Phoenix | $13,459 to $15,529 | 2026-27 |
| Phoenix Christian Elementary | Phoenix | $11,198 to $15,170 | 2026-27 |
| Ss Simon and Jude Cathedral School | Phoenix | $10,140 to $10,470 | not stated |
| St. John Bosco Catholic | Phoenix | $10,989 | 2026-27 |
| St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School | Phoenix | $7,500 | 2026-27 |
| Xavier College Preparatory | Phoenix | $25,389 | 2026-27 |
| Trinity Christian School | Prescott | $9,600 to $10,600 | 2026-27 |
| Notre Dame Preparatory | Scottsdale | $22,250 | 2026-27 |
| All Saints Catholic School | Sierra Vista | $7,000 | not stated |
| Our Lady of Mount Carmel School | Tempe | $7,500 | 2026-27 |
| Desert Christian School | Tucson | $11,600 to $15,600 | 2026-27 |
| Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Upper School | Tucson | $15,499 | 2026-27 |
| Salpointe Catholic High School | Tucson | $14,490 | 2026-27 |
| The Gregory School | Tucson | $18,620 to $23,250 | 2026-27 |
| Yuma Lutheran School | Yuma | $6,850 to $7,950 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. Each school's page links the source we read.
Read this before you quote it
- This is not a random sample. We started with the largest schools and the schools families already search for, so large, established schools are over-represented. Treat the medians as "what these schools publish", not as the average for every private school in Arizona.
- These are published prices before financial aid. Required fees, books, uniforms and transport are extra, and many schools lower the price through aid.
- Many schools do not publish a price, and those are missing here. School years: 18 for 2026-27, 3 for not stated, 2 for 2025-26.
- Each figure was read on the school's own website or tuition sheet, and a script re-opened that page and kept the figure only if the same dollar amount appears on it. Most recent check: .
Every state, with a free CSV of all figures and sources: private school tuition by state. A school whose price has changed can send us the new figure.
Questions parents ask
How much is private school in Arizona?
Among the 23 Arizona private schools whose published tuition we verified, the middle price is $12,400 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate. By grade: $11,399 for kindergarten to grade 5 (18 schools), $12,695 for grades 6 to 8 (18 schools), $18,400 for grades 9 to 12 (14 schools). Prices run from $6,850 to $37,300 a year, before financial aid, and fees are extra.
Does private high school cost more than elementary school in Arizona?
Among the schools we verified, yes: the median high school price is $18,400 (14 schools), against $11,399 for kindergarten to grade 5 (18 schools).
How much does the state pay toward private school in Arizona?
ESA pays about $7,000 to $8,000 for most students (2025-26 figures).
Are Catholic schools cheaper than other private schools in Arizona?
Yes, among the schools we verified: the median Catholic school price is $10,565 (10 schools), against $12,000 for other Christian schools (10), using each school's lowest published rate.
More
All private schools in Arizona
Tuition in other states (at least 12 verified schools): Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.