The Barrett School
under 1 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-12 76 students Co-ed
Private schools in Destin, FL
3 schools in Destin itself and 12 more within 12 miles. 15 of them are on the state’s FES / FTC list. Florida’s FES and FTC scholarships average about $8,000, set by county and grade.
Destin private schools at a glance
Destin has 3 private schools of its own, and 12 more are within 12 miles. They are The Barrett School, Village Christian Academy and Faith Coast Academy. In Destin itself: 3 not reported in the federal survey; 3 teach elementary grades and 2 teach high school. Of the 12 nearby: 1 Catholic, 6 other Christian, 3 nonsectarian and 2 not reported in the federal survey. All of them are co-ed. The typical school has about 76 students and 9.8 per teacher (2023-24 federal survey). 15 are on the official FES / FTC list, 3 of them in Destin.
1 Catholic
9.8 students per teacher, typical
3 in a school association
Private schools in Destin (3)
Schools that give Destin as their address come first, then the 12 more within 12 miles. In each group, schools on the official FES / FTC list are first, then it goes by distance. 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 Destin matches all of those.
Village Christian Academy
under 1 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-1 Under 10 K-12 students Baptist Co-ed
Faith Coast Academy
3 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades K-12 26 students Assembly of God Co-ed
Nearby, within 12 miles (12)
Schools in other towns within 12 miles of downtown Destin.
No nearby school matches all of those.
Gateway Academy
5 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-8 298 students 9.8 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
South Walton Academy
8 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-12 133 students 9.5 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades K-3 13 students Roman Catholic Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades K-5 111 students 10.3 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades 6-8 237 students 6.8 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-12 854 students 7.4 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 95% to 4-year college
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades 1-4 46 students 7 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-K Methodist Early childhood Co-ed
Cinco Christain School
11 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-5 148 students 13.3 students per teacher Baptist Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-3 46 students 9.2 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades 1-8 Under 10 K-12 students Seventh-Day Adventist Co-ed
St. Mary Catholic School
11 mi ✓ Florida Scholarships (FTC, FES-EO, FES-UA) Grades PreK-8 379 students 14.4 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
On the state’s official list Other private schools
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Private school tuition near Destin
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Bayou Christian School | $10,640 to $12,715 | 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 Florida: every verified price in the state, by city and grade.
What Florida pays, and what that leaves you
Florida Family Empowerment and Tax Credit Scholarships Education savings account
About $8,000 on average, set by county and grade For 2026-27 the table runs from $7,463 (grades 9-12, lowest county) to $12,217 (grades K-3, Monroe County). Students with disabilities average about $10,000 under FES-UA.
Figures read from each program’s official pages, October 2, 2026. Sources and how to apply
What would you pay?
Enter amounts of $0 or more.
Tuition and fees FES / FTC pays You pay per year Spread over 10 months
FES / FTC pays between $7,463 and $12,217 depending on where you live and other factors. We start with the lower figure. Change it if you know yours. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.
Keep looking
- Christian schools in and around Destin (9)
- Private high schools in and around Destin (4)
- Private elementary schools in and around Destin (14)
- Private middle schools in and around Destin (8)
- Private schools with kindergarten in and around Destin (12)
- Private schools with pre-K in and around Destin (9)
- All schools in Okaloosa County
- All schools in Walton County
- Private schools in Niceville (10 mi)
- Private schools in Fort Walton Beach (12 mi)
- Private schools in Santa Rosa Beach (12 mi)
- Private schools in Crestview (26 mi)
- Private schools in Gulf Breeze (37 mi)
- Florida Family Empowerment and Tax Credit Scholarships: amount and eligibility
- All Florida Family Empowerment and Tax Credit Scholarships schools
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 Destin) 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 Destin?
3 private schools give Destin as their address: The Barrett School, Village Christian Academy and Faith Coast Academy. Counting nearby towns, we list 15: 3 in Destin and 12 within 12 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 2,394 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in Destin is The Barrett School with 76 students. The largest within 12 miles is Rocky Bayou Christian School with 854 students.
Which Destin private schools take FES / FTC?
15 of the 15 schools on this page are on the state’s official FES / FTC list, 3 of them in Destin itself. They are marked with a green check and listed first in each group. Schools marked here are listed as taking the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship (FTC) or the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options (FES-EO) in the Florida Department of Education’s private school directory. We loaded the directory’s download on October 6, 2026: 2,588 of its 3,607 private schools take one or both. The mark also names FES-UA when the school takes the Unique Abilities scholarship. We match by school name and city, or by phone or street where the names differ. A school without the mark may have joined since, so check the state directory too.
Will FES / FTC cover the whole tuition bill?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Florida’s FES and FTC scholarships average about $8,000, set by county and grade, and schools set their own prices. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then use the calculator on this page to see what is left for you to pay.