Top private schools near San Diego, CA: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near San Diego on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 62 private schools in San Diego 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 (21 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (43 ranked)
- Largest schools (58 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (7 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 21 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 8 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francis W Parker School | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Maranatha Christian Schools | 100% | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 3 | The Waldorf School of San Diego | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Lat Online School | 100% | 1-12 | 8 mi |
| 5 | Torah High School of San Diego | 100% | 10-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Fusion Academy - San Diego | 100% | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Cal Coast Academy | 100% | 6-12 | 9 mi |
| 8 | Colema Academy | 100% | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 9 | Francis Parker School | 98% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 10 | Academy of Our Lady of Peace | 98% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 21 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 43 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 | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission Bay Montessori Academy | 3.5 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Childrens Workshop | 6.4 students per teacher | 1-8 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Coastal Christian Academy | 7 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Sam & Rose Stein Education Center | 7.1 students per teacher | Ungraded | 3 mi |
| 5 | Warren-Walker School | 7.2 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Soille San Diego Hebrew Bay School | 7.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Christ the Cornerstone Lutheran Academy | 7.7 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 6 mi |
| 8 | St. Therese Academy | 7.9 students per teacher | K-8 | 4 mi |
| 9 | Del Mar Pines School | 8.3 students per teacher | K-6 | 11 mi |
| 10 | The Waldorf School of San Diego | 8.4 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 43 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 | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathedral Catholic High School | 1,669 students | 9-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | Francis W Parker School | 1,280 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Francis Parker School | 1,276 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Maranatha Christian Schools | 855 students | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 5 | Academy of Our Lady of Peace | 730 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | St. Augustine High School | 729 students | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | The Rock Academy | 466 students | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 8 | Ocean View Christian Academy | 432 students | PreK-12 | 17 mi |
| 9 | Human Factor Leadership Academy | 396 students | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 10 | Bright Horizon Academy | 322 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 58 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 7 of the 62 schools near San Diego, so a school missing here may cost less. Ranked by the cheapest grade band each school publishes; required fees can be extra.
| # | School | Published yearly tuition | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean View Christian Academy | $12,950, 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 17 mi |
| 2 | The Rock Academy | $15,175 to $17,975 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 3 | Maranatha Christian Schools | $15,925 to $19,275 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 4 | Cathedral Catholic High School | $22,837, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | Academy of Our Lady of Peace | $26,250, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Francis Parker School | $37,700 to $49,100 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Francis W Parker School | $37,700 to $49,100 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in San Diego?
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 62 private schools within 6 miles of San Diego on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which San Diego private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
8 of the 21 high schools near San Diego that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Francis W Parker School, Maranatha Christian Schools and The Waldorf School of San Diego (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. Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.