Top private schools near San Francisco, CA: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near San Francisco on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 89 private schools in San Francisco 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 (18 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (70 ranked)
- Largest schools (83 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (8 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 18 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 5 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco University High School | 100% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 2 | San Francisco Waldorf School | 100% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Proof School | 100% | 6-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | San Francisco High School of the Arts | 100% | 5-12 | 1 mi |
| 5 | Wen Jian Ying | 100% | 10-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | St. Ignatius College Preparatory | 99% | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Archbishop Riordan High School | 99% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | The Bay School of San Francisco | 97% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Jewish Community High School of the Bay | 96% | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 10 | Convent & Stuart Hall Schools of the Sacred Heart | 95% | K-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 18 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 70 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 | Bais Menachem Yeshiva Day School | 3.6 students per teacher | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 2 | San Francisco Waldorf School | 3.7 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Golden Bridges School | 4.1 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Adda Clevenger School | 4.5 students per teacher | K-8 | under 1 mi |
| 5 | Kittredge School | 4.6 students per teacher | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | San Francisco Pacific Academy | 4.6 students per teacher | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Jewish Community High School of the Bay | 4.9 students per teacher | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 8 | San Francisco City Academy | 4.9 students per teacher | K-8 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Presidio Knolls School | 5.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 1 mi |
| 10 | Proof School | 5.5 students per teacher | 6-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 70 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 | St. Ignatius College Preparatory | 1,585 students | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 2 | Convent & Stuart Hall Schools of the Sacred Heart | 1,198 students | K-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Archbishop Riordan High School | 1,143 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | St. Gabriel Elementary School | 511 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 5 | St. Cecilia School | 503 students | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | San Francisco University High School | 480 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | The Bay School of San Francisco | 447 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | Chinese American International School | 431 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Town School for Boys | 416 students | K-8 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Live Oak School | 415 students | K-8 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 83 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 8 of the 89 schools near San Francisco, 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 | St. Cecilia School | $12,960 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 2 | St. Gabriel Elementary School | $13,572 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Archbishop Riordan High School | $29,000, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | St. Ignatius College Preparatory | $35,700, 2026-27 | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Chinese American International School | $46,300 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Live Oak School | $48,420 to $49,060 (lowest: K-5) | K-8 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Children's Day School | $48,895 to $49,830 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | under 1 mi |
| 8 | Katherine Delmar Burke School | $51,490 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 4 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in San Francisco?
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 89 private schools within 6 miles of San Francisco on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which San Francisco private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
5 of the 18 high schools near San Francisco that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them San Francisco University High School, San Francisco Waldorf School and Proof 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. Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.