Top private schools near Charlotte, NC: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Charlotte on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official Opportunity Scholarship list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 59 private schools in Charlotte 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 (22 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (31 ranked)
- Largest schools (46 ranked)
- On the official Opportunity Scholarship list (43 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (8 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 22 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 | Brtish International School of Charlotte | 100% | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | United Faith Christian Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 3 | Charlotte Leadership Academy | 100% | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Charlotte Latin School | 99% | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | Charlotte Christian School | 99% | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Hickory Grove Christian School | 99% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 7 | Charlotte Catholic High School | 96% | 9-12 | 8 mi |
| 8 | Victory Christian Center School | 95% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Northside Christian Academy | 94% | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 10 | The Fletcher School | 87% | K-12 | 7 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 22 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 31 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 | Ignite Achievement Academy | 3.4 students per teacher | 1-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Charlotte Preparatory School | 3.9 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 3 | United Faith Christian Academy | 4.4 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 4 | Philips Academy | 4.6 students per teacher | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | The Fletcher School | 4.9 students per teacher | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | The John Crosland School | 5.4 students per teacher | K-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Victory Center Elementary School | 6 students per teacher | K-5 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Trinity Christian Preparatory School | 6.2 students per teacher | 7-12 | 6 mi |
| 9 | St. Ann Catholic School | 6.4 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Charlotte Islamic Academy | 7.1 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 31 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 | Charlotte Latin School | 1,523 students | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | Charlotte Catholic High School | 1,330 students | 9-12 | 8 mi |
| 3 | Charlotte Christian School | 1,239 students | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Hickory Grove Christian School | 742 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | St. Matthew Catholic School | 682 students | K-5 | 11 mi |
| 6 | St. Gabriel Catholic School | 657 students | K-5 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Trinity Episcopal School | 437 students | K-8 | 1 mi |
| 8 | Intellicor International Academy | 373 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Charlotte Preparatory School | 357 students | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 10 | St. Ann Catholic School | 319 students | PreK-5 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 46 ranked schools.
On the official Opportunity Scholarship list
43 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Charlotte. Schools whose list entry covers only pre-K or kindergarten are left out here. Being on the list means the program can pay this school; it says nothing about quality.
| # | School | Distance from downtown | Grades |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Epiphany School of Charlotte | under 1 mi | 4-8 |
| 2 | St. Patrick Catholic School | under 1 mi | K-5 |
| 3 | Brookstone Schools | under 1 mi | K-8 |
| 4 | Trinity Episcopal School | 1 mi | K-8 |
| 5 | Keystone Montessori School | 2 mi | PreK-3 |
| 6 | Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School | 2 mi | not reported |
| 7 | St. Ann Catholic School | 2 mi | PreK-5 |
| 8 | Emerald School of Excellence | 3 mi | 9-12 |
| 9 | St. Gabriel Catholic School | 3 mi | K-5 |
| 10 | Teaching Achieving Students Academy | 3 mi | 2-7 |
Source: the state’s official Opportunity Scholarship list (read October 5, 2026). Showing 10 of 43 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 8 of the 59 schools near Charlotte, 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 | The St. Sophia School | $13,550 (lowest: K-5) | not reported | 10 mi |
| 2 | Keystone Montessori School | $14,820, 2026-27 | PreK-3 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Charlotte Catholic High School | $21,562, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Carolina Collaborative Prep | $22,032 to $24,327 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | not reported | 5 mi |
| 5 | Charlotte Christian School | $23,295 to $27,055 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Trinity Episcopal School | $26,670 to $28,690 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 1 mi |
| 7 | Charlotte Latin School | $32,600 to $36,500 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 10 mi |
| 8 | The Fletcher School | $34,650 to $36,330 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 7 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Charlotte?
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 59 private schools within 6 miles of Charlotte on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Charlotte private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
3 of the 22 high schools near Charlotte that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Brtish International School of Charlotte, United Faith Christian Academy and Charlotte Leadership Academy (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. The Opportunity Scholarship list is the one the state publishes (read October 5, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.