St. Anthony Elementary School
under 1 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8345 students13.9 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
Private schools in Des Moines, IA
20 schools in Des Moines itself and 1 more within 6 miles. 21 of them are on the state’s Students First ESA list. Students First ESA pays $8,148 per student for 2026-27.
Order: schools on the official Students First ESA list first, then nearest. No school pays for its place. Map
Private schools in Des Moines (20)
No matching schools.
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades K-1274 students8.9 students per teacherOther religiousCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades K-12199 students8.3 students per teacherChristian (nondenominational)Co-ed25% to 4-year college
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-845 students15 students per teacherSeventh-Day AdventistCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
Bergman Academy
4 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8281 students10.8 students per teacherNonsectarianCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8201 students13 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades 3-1223 students3.3 students per teacherNonsectarianCo-ed0% to 4-year college
Empigo Academy
5 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
Holy Trinity
5 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8358 students12.6 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8221 students13.3 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8191 students13.5 students per teacherLutheran Church (Missouri Synod)Co-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-5458 students19.2 students per teacherChristian (nondenominational)Co-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades K-1113 students3.2 students per teacherChristian (nondenominational)Co-ed
Nearby, within 6 miles (1)
No matching schools.
Airazi Academy
5 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-558 students7.4 students per teacherIslamicCo-ed
Des Moines private schools at a glance
- Closest to downtown
- St. Anthony Elementary School, under 1 mi
- Students
- about 2,467 in all; the typical school has 199
- Smallest and largest
- Gospel Assembly Christian Academy, 13 students; Grand View Christian School, 458 students
- Students per teacher
- 12.6 typical, 3.2 to 19.2 across 13 schools
- Association members
- 3, most often the National Catholic Educational Association
- Public charter schools within 15 mi
- 3, tuition-free and not counted above
Charter schools in Des Moines
- Catholic4
- Christian, not Catholic5
- Islamic1
- Other faiths1
- Nonsectarian2
- Not in federal survey8
In Des MoinesWithin 6 mi
- Pre-K (and up)9
- Elementary (K to 5)13
- Middle (6 to 8)11
- High school (9 to 12)4
- K to 12, one school2
In Des MoinesWithin 6 mi
- Under 503
- 50 to 1492
- 150 to 2995
- 300 to 5993
- Des Moines area100%
- All of Iowa89%
Where these facts come from
- Grades, size, affiliation, co-ed, membership, college-going: NCES Private School Universe Survey 2023-24, downloaded September 20, 2026.
- Program list: Iowa Students First Education Savings Account schools, list read October 26, 2026, checked November 4, 2026.
- Award and rules: Iowa Students First Education Savings Account, official page, read October 11, 2026.
- Tuition for 4 schools: each school’s own website, last read October 11, 2026.
- Public charter schools: NCES Common Core of Data, public school directory 2025-26 (preliminary), loaded October 8, 2026.
Private school tuition near Des Moines
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| J. W. Reed Christian Academy | $8,148 | 2026-27 |
| St. Anthony Elementary School | $8,250 | 2026-27 |
| Holy Family School | $8,600 | 2026-27 |
| Bergman Academy | $16,950 | 2026-27 |
Prices from each school’s own website, read in October 2026; fees can be extra. Tuition by state.
Every verified price in Iowa, by city and grade.
What Iowa pays
- Program
- Iowa Students First Education Savings Account, education savings account
- Award
- $8,148 per student for 2026-27
- Also
- Paid in two equal installments, fall and spring. New for 2026-27: a half-year ESA of $4,074 for the spring semester. Homeschooled students do not qualify.
Keep looking
- Christian schools in and around Des Moines (5)
- Catholic schools in and around Des Moines (4)
- Private high schools in and around Des Moines (4)
- Private elementary schools in and around Des Moines (13)
- Private middle schools in and around Des Moines (11)
- Private schools with kindergarten in and around Des Moines (12)
- Private schools with pre-K in and around Des Moines (9)
- All schools in Polk County
- Private schools in West Des Moines (9 mi)
- Private schools in Ankeny (11 mi)
- Private schools in Pella (38 mi)
- The private schools nearest you, by ZIP code or location
- All Iowa Students First Education Savings Account schools
Put the next Students First ESA window in your calendar
Open now, until November 15, 2026 Iowa Students First ESA: 2026-27 half-year ESA application window.
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