Grades 9-12 330 students 11.2 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed 88% to 4-year college
Private schools in San Luis Obispo, CA
4 schools in San Luis Obispo itself and 6 more within 12 miles.
San Luis Obispo private schools at a glance
San Luis Obispo has 4 private schools of its own, and 6 more are within 12 miles. They are Mission College Prep Catholic High School, Old Mission School, Montessori Childrens School and San Luis Obispo Classical Academy. In San Luis Obispo itself: 2 Catholic and 2 nonsectarian; 3 teach elementary grades and 2 teach high school; 1 is Montessori. Counting the 6 nearby, there are 10 in all: 3 Catholic, 2 other Christian and 5 nonsectarian; 9 teach elementary grades and 3 teach high school; 3 are Montessori. All of them are co-ed. 6 report membership in a school association, most often the National Catholic Educational Association (2023-24 federal survey). Of the 3 high schools that reported it, the typical one sends 88% of graduates on to a 4-year college (2023-24 federal survey). The typical school has about 247 students and 11.6 students per teacher (2023-24 federal survey).
3 Catholic
11.6 students per teacher, typical
Private schools in San Luis Obispo (4)
Schools that give San Luis Obispo as their address come first, then the 6 more within 12 miles. Closest schools first in each group. No school can pay to change its place in this list or its badge.
Affiliation, co-ed or single-sex, association membership and the share of graduates going on to a 4-year college come from the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey.
No school in San Luis Obispo matches all of those.
Old Mission School
1 mi Grades K-8 294 students 13.9 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-6 58 students 11.6 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Grades PreK-12 337 students 16.2 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special program emphasis Co-ed 100% to 4-year college
Nearby, within 12 miles (6)
Schools in other towns within 12 miles of downtown San Luis Obispo.
No nearby school matches all of those.
Grades K-12 409 students 14.9 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 50% to 4-year college
Wishing Well School
10 mi Grades PreK-8 128 students 8.8 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special program emphasis Co-ed
Grades PreK-8 247 students 19.6 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-Transitional K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Grades K-8 55 students 9.8 students per teacher Seventh-Day Adventist Co-ed
Grades PreK-Transitional K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Private schools
Are you a school near San Luis Obispo? One sponsor per city, clearly labelled. Sponsor this city
Paying for private school in California
No state program pays private school tuition. What California families can use instead.
Keep looking
- Catholic schools in San Luis Obispo (3)
- Montessori schools in San Luis Obispo (3)
- Private high schools in San Luis Obispo (3)
- Private elementary schools in San Luis Obispo (9)
- Private middle schools in San Luis Obispo (7)
- Private schools with pre-K in San Luis Obispo (4)
- All schools in San Luis Obispo County
- Private schools in Arroyo Grande (11 mi)
- Private schools in Paso Robles (25 mi)
- Private schools in Santa Maria (26 mi)
- Private schools in Lompoc (43 mi)
- School choice in California: what is available
Get one email when applications open
Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state (you are looking at San Luis Obispo) and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.
One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.
Questions parents ask
How many private schools are there in San Luis Obispo?
4 private schools give San Luis Obispo as their address: Mission College Prep Catholic High School, Old Mission School, Montessori Childrens School and San Luis Obispo Classical Academy. Counting nearby towns, we list 10: 4 in San Luis Obispo and 6 within 12 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 1,881 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in San Luis Obispo is San Luis Obispo Classical Academy with 337 students. The largest within 12 miles is Coastal Christian School with 409 students.
Does California pay for private school?
No state program pays private school tuition. No California program pays private school tuition, and the state has no tuition tax credit or deduction. Families rely on a school’s own financial aid and on privately funded scholarships.