What private school costs in Maine (2026-27)
We have read published tuition on 13 Maine private school websites. The middle price is $16,000 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate, and prices run from $3,600 to $43,240.
By grade band
| Grades | Median published tuition | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $15,490 | 7 | $3,600 to $35,500 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $15,490 | 7 | $3,600 to $43,240 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $19,250 | 10 | $3,600 to $43,240 |
A grade band is shown when at least 3 schools publish a price for it. Where a school lists several prices in one band, we take the lowest full-year day rate.
What Maine pays toward private school
In a tuitioning town, your school district pays tuition, up to a state formula. For 2025-26 the state average tuition rates were $13,077.51 (elementary) and $15,055.22 (secondary). Payments to private elementary schools may not exceed the statewide average; secondary rates add an allowance for building costs. The 2026-27 rates are due in December 2026.
The award has no single set amount, so we do not work out what would be left to pay.
Maine Town Tuitioning Program: who can get it and how to apply
By affiliation
| Affiliation | Schools | Median lowest rate | K to 5 | 6 to 8 | 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonsectarian | 9 | $22,500 | $28,659 (4) | $35,740 (4) | $22,500 (7) |
Groups with at least 5 verified schools. Band medians show the number of schools in brackets; "too few" means under 3. Affiliation comes from the federal Private School Universe survey (2023-24).
Compared with public school spending
Maine's public schools spent $19,962 per student in fiscal year 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). The median published private tuition above ($16,000) is 80% of that figure.
- Public spending is not a price. It is total current spending on public schools (teachers, staff, upkeep, transport, meals and more) divided by enrolled students. No family pays it, and it leaves out building construction and debt.
- The years differ. Public spending is for the 2023-24 school year, the latest the Census Bureau has published; tuition is mostly for 2026-27. Neither is adjusted for inflation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8, total current spending per pupil. Every state side by side: private tuition vs public school spending.
By city
| City | Median lowest rate | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $31,528 | 3 | $26,900 to $43,240 |
Cities with at least 3 verified schools in the town itself. Each city page lists every school nearby.
Every Maine school with verified tuition
| School | City | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Dominic Academy-Auburn | Auburn | $8,500 | not stated |
| Bangor Christian Schools | Bangor | $7,200 | 2026-27 |
| John Bapst Memorial High School | Bangor | $12,500 | 2026-27 |
| Hyde School | Bath | $31,500 | 2026-27 |
| Fryeburg Academy | Fryeburg | $22,500 | 2027-28 |
| The New School | Kennebunk | $16,000 | 2026-27 |
| The Community School of Mount Desert Island | Mount Desert | $15,490 | 2026-27 |
| Maine Central Institute | Pittsfield | $16,000 | 2026-27 |
| Breakwater School | Portland | $31,528 to $33,029 | 2026-27 |
| Cheverus High School | Portland | $26,900 | 2026-27 |
| Waynflete School | Portland | $35,500 to $43,240 | 2026-27 |
| Grace Christian Academy | West Gardiner | $3,600 | 2025-26 |
| North Yarmouth Academy | Yarmouth | $25,790 to $39,060 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. Each school's page links the source we read.
Read this before you quote it
- This is not a random sample. We started with the largest schools and the schools families already search for, so large, established schools are over-represented. Treat the medians as "what these schools publish", not as the average for every private school in Maine.
- These are published prices before financial aid. Required fees, books, uniforms and transport are extra, and many schools lower the price through aid.
- Many schools do not publish a price, and those are missing here. School years: 10 for 2026-27, 1 for 2027-28, 1 for 2025-26, 1 for not stated.
- Each figure was read on the school's own website or tuition sheet, and a script re-opened that page and kept the figure only if the same dollar amount appears on it. Most recent check: .
Every state, with a free CSV of all figures and sources: private school tuition by state. A school whose price has changed can send us the new figure.
Questions parents ask
How much is private school in Maine?
Among the 13 Maine private schools whose published tuition we verified, the middle price is $16,000 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate. By grade: $15,490 for kindergarten to grade 5 (7 schools), $15,490 for grades 6 to 8 (7 schools), $19,250 for grades 9 to 12 (10 schools). Prices run from $3,600 to $43,240 a year, before financial aid, and fees are extra.
Does private high school cost more than elementary school in Maine?
Among the schools we verified, yes: the median high school price is $19,250 (10 schools), against $15,490 for kindergarten to grade 5 (7 schools).
How much does the state pay toward private school in Maine?
In a tuitioning town, your school district pays tuition, up to a state formula.
More
Tuition in other states (at least 12 verified schools): Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.