Holy Cross School
under 1 mi Grades PreK-8 179 students 13.5 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Private schools in Santa Cruz, CA
8 schools in Santa Cruz itself and 2 more within 6 miles.
Santa Cruz private schools at a glance
Santa Cruz has 8 private schools of its own, and 2 more are within 6 miles. In Santa Cruz itself: 1 Catholic, 1 other Christian and 6 nonsectarian; 6 teach elementary grades and 1 teaches high school. Counting the 2 nearby, there are 10 in all: 1 Catholic, 2 other Christian and 7 nonsectarian; 8 teach elementary grades and 2 teach high school. All of them are co-ed. 3 report membership in a school association, most often the National Catholic Educational Association (2023-24 federal survey). The typical school has about 72 students and 10.2 students per teacher (2023-24 federal survey).
1 Catholic
10.2 students per teacher, typical
Private schools in Santa Cruz (8)
Schools that give Santa Cruz as their address come first, then the 2 more within 6 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 Santa Cruz matches all of those.
Grades K-6 72 students 9.7 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special program emphasis Co-ed
Gateway School
2 mi Grades K-8 144 students 5.2 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed
Grades K-6 46 students 10.2 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed
VHM Christian School
2 mi Grades K-8 44 students 8.8 students per teacher Seventh-Day Adventist Co-ed
The Bay School
3 mi Grades Ungraded 33 students 6.6 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Grades PreK-8 148 students 7.1 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed
Merit Academy
5 mi Grades 9-12 24 students 24 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed 100% to 4-year college
Nearby, within 6 miles (2)
Schools in other towns within 6 miles of downtown Santa Cruz.
No nearby school matches all of those.
Grades 1-12 43 students 39.1 students per teacher Nonsectarian Alternative Co-ed 15% to 4-year college
Grades K-8 391 students 18.7 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
Private schools
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Private school tuition near Santa Cruz
We verified published tuition at one of these schools so far. Each figure comes from the school’s own website, and we link it on the school’s page. Ask the others for their full-year price.
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Lakes Christian School | $11,250 to $11,600 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. How private school tuition compares by state.
What private school costs across California: every verified price in the state, by city and grade.
Paying for private school in California
No state program pays private school tuition. What California families can use instead.
Keep looking
- Private elementary schools in Santa Cruz (8)
- Private schools with kindergarten in Santa Cruz (7)
- All schools in Santa Cruz County
- Private schools in Scotts Valley (6 mi)
- Private schools in Aptos (8 mi)
- Private schools in Watsonville (15 mi)
- Private schools in Los Gatos (18 mi)
- Private schools in Campbell (22 mi)
- Private schools in Cupertino (24 mi)
- Private schools in Morgan Hill (24 mi)
- Private schools in San Jose (25 mi)
- Private schools in Monterey (27 mi)
- Private schools in Santa Clara (27 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 Santa Cruz) 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 Santa Cruz?
8 private schools give Santa Cruz as their address. Counting nearby towns, we list 10: 8 in Santa Cruz and 2 within 6 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 1,124 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in Santa Cruz is Holy Cross School with 179 students. The largest within 6 miles is Twin Lakes Christian School with 391 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.