✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8680 students15.5 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
Private schools in West Des Moines, IA
6 schools in West Des Moines itself and 7 more within 6 miles. 12 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 West Des Moines (6)
No matching schools.
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8497 students15.7 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades 9-121,354 students14.6 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed97% to 4-year college
Airazi Academy
5 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-558 students7.4 students per teacherIslamicCo-ed
Grades PreK-213 students6.5 students per teacherNonsectarianMontessoriCo-ed
Nearby, within 6 miles (7)
No matching schools.
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
Bergman Academy
5 mi✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8281 students10.8 students per teacherNonsectarianCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)Grades PreK-8221 students13.3 students per teacherRoman CatholicCo-ed
✓ Iowa ESA eligible (accredited)
West Des Moines private schools at a glance
- Closest to downtown
- St. Francis of Assisi School, 2.6 mi
- Nearby schools by town
- Des Moines (5) and Urbandale (2)
- Students
- about 3,104 in all; the typical school has 281
- Smallest and largest
- Montessori Children's House, 13 students; Dowling Catholic High School, 1,354 students
- Students per teacher
- 13.3 typical, 6.5 to 15.7 across 7 schools
- Programs
- 1 Montessori
- Association members
- 5, most often the National Catholic Educational Association
- Public charter schools within 15 mi
- 3, tuition-free and not counted above
Charter schools in this state
- Catholic4
- Islamic1
- Nonsectarian2
- Not in federal survey6
In West Des MoinesWithin 6 mi
- Pre-K (and up)6
- Elementary (K to 5)6
- Middle (6 to 8)4
- High school (9 to 12)1
In West Des MoinesWithin 6 mi
- Under 501
- 50 to 1491
- 150 to 2992
- 300 to 5991
- 600 or more2
- West Des Moines area92%
- 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 2 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 West Des Moines
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Dowling Catholic High School | $16,272 | 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
- Catholic schools in and around West Des Moines (4)
- Private elementary schools in and around West Des Moines (6)
- Private middle schools in and around West Des Moines (4)
- All schools in Dallas County
- All schools in Polk County
- Private schools in Des Moines (9 mi)
- Private schools in Ankeny (16 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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