Top private schools near Denver, CO: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Denver on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 46 private schools in Denver 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 (12 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (27 ranked)
- Largest schools (37 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 12 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 2 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Jewish Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Denver Academy of Torah | 100% | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Colorado Academy | 99% | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 4 | Mullen High School | 98% | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 5 | Yeshiva Toras Chaim High School | 95% | 9-12 | 9 mi |
| 6 | Arrupe Jesuit High School | 80% | 9-12 | 9 mi |
| 7 | Accelerated Schools | 80% | 6-12 | 7 mi |
| 8 | Denver Academy | 75% | 2-12 | 7 mi |
| 9 | Bansbach Academy at Denver Childrens Home | 20% | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 10 | Tennyson Center for Children at CCH | 0% | 2-12 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 12 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 27 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 | Ricks Center for Gifted Children | 3.9 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Montessori Academy of Colorado | 4.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Denver Jewish Day School | 5.2 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Graland Country Day School | 6.1 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 5 | International School of Denver | 6.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Denver Academy of Torah | 6.6 students per teacher | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Denver Academy | 6.9 students per teacher | 2-12 | 7 mi |
| 8 | Montessori School of Denver | 6.9 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Stanley British Primary School | 7.4 students per teacher | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 10 | St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School | 8 students per teacher | K-8 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 27 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 | Colorado Academy | 1,009 students | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 2 | Mullen High School | 753 students | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 3 | Graland Country Day School | 651 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 4 | International School of Denver | 530 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Stanley British Primary School | 463 students | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Denver Academy | 457 students | 2-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | Arrupe Jesuit High School | 413 students | 9-12 | 9 mi |
| 8 | St. Annes Episcopal School | 394 students | PreK-8 | 8 mi |
| 9 | St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School | 372 students | K-8 | 6 mi |
| 10 | Good Shepherd Catholic School | 355 students | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 37 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 7 of the 46 schools near Denver, 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. Vincent de Paul Catholic School | $10,300 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Mullen High School | $22,500, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 3 | Stanley British Primary School | $28,906 to $29,861 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 4 | International School of Denver | $29,950 to $35,700 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Graland Country Day School | $35,675 to $38,945 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 6 | Denver Academy | $38,275 to $41,350 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | 2-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | Colorado Academy | $39,700 to $43,420 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Denver?
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 46 private schools within 6 miles of Denver on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Denver private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
2 of the 12 high schools near Denver that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Denver Jewish Day School and Denver Academy of Torah (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.