Top private schools near Louisville, KY: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Louisville on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 69 private schools in Louisville 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 (24 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (55 ranked)
- Largest schools (61 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (14 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 24 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 3 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highlands Latin School | 100% | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | De Sales High School | 100% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Hira Institute | 100% | 3-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Assumption High School | 99% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Kentucky Country Day School | 99% | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Louisville Collegiate School | 96% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | St. Xavier High School | 93% | 9-12 | under 1 mi |
| 8 | Whitefield Academy | 92% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 9 | Portland Christian School | 92% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 10 | Mercy Academy | 91% | 9-12 | 7 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 24 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 55 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 | Village School of Louisville | 5 students per teacher | K-9 | under 1 mi |
| 2 | Hira Institute | 5.6 students per teacher | 3-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Pitt Academy | 5.7 students per teacher | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Summit Academy of Greater Louisville | 6.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 5 | West End School | 6.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 6 | Our Savior Lutheran School | 7.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 8 mi |
| 7 | Friends School | 7.3 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Walden School | 7.5 students per teacher | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 9 | St. Rita Elementary School | 7.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 8 mi |
| 10 | St. James Catholic School | 7.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 55 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 | Trinity High School | 1,260 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | St. Xavier High School | 1,081 students | 9-12 | under 1 mi |
| 3 | Assumption High School | 902 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Kentucky Country Day School | 801 students | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | Louisville Collegiate School | 767 students | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | Highlands Latin School | 694 students | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 7 | St. Margaret Mary School | 661 students | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 8 | St. Albert the Great School | 640 students | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 9 | St. Patrick School | 617 students | PreK-8 | 14 mi |
| 10 | St. Michael School | 592 students | PreK-8 | 12 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 61 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 14 of the 69 schools near Louisville, 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 | Highlands Latin School | $3,600 to $10,300 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | Whitefield Academy | $9,194 to $9,854 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 3 | Notre Dame Academy | $9,770 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Our Lady of Lourdes School | $10,300 (lowest: K-5), 2027-28 | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 5 | St. Patrick School | $10,880 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 14 mi |
| 6 | St. Albert the Great School | $10,940 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 7 | Holy Spirit School | $11,075 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 8 | St. Gabriel School | $11,290 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 9 mi |
| 9 | Mercy Academy | $16,900, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | St. Xavier High School | $17,000, 2026-27 | 9-12 | under 1 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 14 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Louisville?
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 69 private schools within 6 miles of Louisville on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Louisville private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
3 of the 24 high schools near Louisville that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Highlands Latin School, De Sales High School and Hira Institute (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.