Top private schools near New Orleans, LA: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near New Orleans on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 53 private schools in New Orleans 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 (17 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (41 ranked)
- Largest schools (50 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 17 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 7 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Carmel Academy | 100% | 8-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Isidore Newman School | 100% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | St. Marys Dominican High School | 100% | 8-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | Academy of the Sacred Heart | 100% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Louise S McGehee School | 100% | PreK-12 | 1 mi |
| 6 | St. Katharine Drexel Preparatory School | 100% | 8-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Life of Christ Christian Academy | 100% | K-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | Metairie Park Country Day School | 99% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 9 | St. Augustine High School | 99% | 8-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Ursuline Academy | 99% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 17 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 41 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 | St. Georges Episcopal School | 3.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 2 | Calvary Baptist School | 5.8 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Academy of the Sacred Heart | 5.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | Isidore Newman School | 6.6 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Trinity Episcopal School | 6.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 6 | St. Stephen Catholic School | 6.6 students per teacher | PreK-7 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Metairie Park Country Day School | 6.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Louise S McGehee School | 7.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 1 mi |
| 9 | Ursuline Academy | 7.4 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Holy Cross School | 9.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 41 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 | Mount Carmel Academy | 1,202 students | 8-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Isidore Newman School | 1,004 students | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Holy Cross School | 796 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | St. Marys Dominican High School | 776 students | 8-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Christian Brothers School- Canal Street Campus | 750 students | PreK-7 | 2 mi |
| 6 | St. Catherine of Siena | 736 students | PreK-7 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Metairie Park Country Day School | 678 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Archbishop Rummel High School | 651 students | 8-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Academy of the Sacred Heart | 611 students | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | St. Augustine High School | 611 students | 8-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 50 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 11 of the 53 schools near New Orleans, 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 | Christian Brothers School- Canal Street Campus | $9,600 to $9,775 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-7 | 2 mi |
| 2 | Archbishop Shaw High School | $10,300 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 8-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | De la Salle High School | $10,400 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 8-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | St. Augustine High School | $10,950 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 8-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Mount Carmel Academy | $11,700 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 8-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Archbishop Rummel High School | $12,450 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 8-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | St. Marys Dominican High School | $12,780, 2026-27 | 8-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | Ursuline Academy | $13,285 to $13,635 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Metairie Park Country Day School | $22,610 to $27,760 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Academy of the Sacred Heart | $22,860 to $25,585 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 2 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 New Orleans?
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 53 private schools within 6 miles of New Orleans on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which New Orleans private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
7 of the 17 high schools near New Orleans that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Mount Carmel Academy, Isidore Newman School and St. Marys Dominican High School (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.