Top private schools near Kansas City, MO: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Kansas City on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 40 private schools in Kansas City 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 (18 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (32 ranked)
- Largest schools (38 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (6 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 18 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 4 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame de Sion School | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Notre Dame de Sion High School | 100% | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 3 | Islamic School of Greater Kansas City | 100% | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 4 | Kansas City Academy | 100% | 6-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | The Pembroke Hill School - Wornall Campus | 99% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | St. Teresa's Academy | 99% | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | The Barstow School | 98% | PreK-12 | 15 mi |
| 8 | Faith Christian Academy | 95% | 2-12 | 14 mi |
| 9 | Rockhurst High School | 94% | 9-12 | 12 mi |
| 10 | St. Pius X High School | 94% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 18 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 32 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 | Academy Montessori Internationale | 5.1 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 16 mi |
| 2 | St. Patrick School | 5.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Gillis Center School | 5.7 students per teacher | K-8 | 10 mi |
| 4 | Kansas City Academy | 5.8 students per teacher | 6-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | St. Paul's Episcopal Day School | 7 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 6 | The Daniel Academy | 7.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 7 | Eagle Heights Christian School | 7.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Notre Dame de Sion School | 8.3 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Providence School of Arts | 8.8 students per teacher | PreK-9 | 9 mi |
| 10 | St. Therese School | 8.9 students per teacher | K-8 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 32 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 | The Pembroke Hill School - Wornall Campus | 1,045 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Rockhurst High School | 888 students | 9-12 | 12 mi |
| 3 | The Barstow School | 714 students | PreK-12 | 15 mi |
| 4 | St. Therese School | 604 students | K-8 | 9 mi |
| 5 | St. Teresa's Academy | 570 students | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | Notre Dame de Sion School | 544 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Notre Dame de Sion High School | 539 students | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 8 | Visitation Catholic School | 447 students | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 9 | St. Thomas More School | 434 students | PreK-8 | 15 mi |
| 10 | St. Pius X High School | 415 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 38 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 6 of the 40 schools near Kansas City, 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 | St. Elizabeth Elementary School | $7,675 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 9 mi |
| 2 | Visitation Catholic School | $8,500 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 3 | Academy Montessori Internationale | $12,480, 2026-27 | PreK-5 | 16 mi |
| 4 | Rockhurst High School | $17,525, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 12 mi |
| 5 | St. Teresa's Academy | $18,750, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | The Pembroke Hill School - Wornall Campus | $24,760 to $33,015 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Kansas City?
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 40 private schools within 6 miles of Kansas City on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Kansas City private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
4 of the 18 high schools near Kansas City that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Notre Dame de Sion School, Notre Dame de Sion High School and Islamic School of Greater Kansas City (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.