Top private schools near Tampa, FL: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Tampa on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 70 private schools in Tampa 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 (23 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (48 ranked)
- Largest schools (62 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (11 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 23 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 4 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrollwood Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Ivy Global School | 100% | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 3 | Universal Academy of Florida | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 4 | Tampa Preparatory School | 100% | 6-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Jesuit High School | 91% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | American Youth Academy | 90% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 7 | Academy of the Holy Names | 90% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Trinity Heart Christian Academy | 80% | K-12 | 22 mi |
| 9 | Tampa Catholic High School | 74% | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 10 | Paideia Classical Christian School | 67% | K-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 23 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 48 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 | Hillel Academy of Tampa | 4.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Tampa Pinnacle Academy | 4.8 students per teacher | K-8 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Montessori Academy of Tampa Bay | 6.1 students per teacher | PreK-4 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Corbett Preparatory School of Ids | 7.1 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Hope Christian School | 7.2 students per teacher | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 6 | St. Peter Claver Catholic School | 7.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Paideia Classical Christian School | 7.8 students per teacher | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Tampa Day School | 7.9 students per teacher | 3-8 | 7 mi |
| 9 | Camp K | 8.3 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 5 mi |
| 10 | The Montessori Children's House of Hyde Park | 8.5 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 48 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 | Berkeley Preparatory School | 1,369 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Carrollwood Day School | 1,152 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 3 | American Youth Academy | 1,008 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Academy of the Holy Names | 951 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Ivy Global School | 909 students | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Jesuit High School | 867 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Universal Academy of Florida | 770 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 8 | Tampa Catholic High School | 752 students | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 9 | Tampa Preparatory School | 712 students | 6-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | St. Johns Episcopal Parish Day School | 531 students | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 62 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 11 of the 70 schools near Tampa, 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 | Ivy Global School | $5,000 (lowest: K-5) | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | Universal Academy of Florida | $13,057 to $14,926 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 3 | Christ the King Catholic School | $13,700 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Carrollwood Day School | $21,135 to $32,455 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 5 | St. Johns Episcopal Parish Day School | $21,195 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 6 | St. Marys Episcopal Day School | $21,550 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Academy of the Holy Names | $21,880 to $27,725 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Corbett Preparatory School of Ids | $23,005 to $25,145 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 9 | Jesuit High School | $23,920, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Berkeley Preparatory School | $24,180 to $37,040 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 11 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Tampa?
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 70 private schools within 6 miles of Tampa on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Tampa private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
4 of the 23 high schools near Tampa that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Carrollwood Day School, Ivy Global School and Universal Academy of Florida (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.