Private schools in Orange County, NC
7 schools across Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Durham. About 1,216 students in all (2023-24). 5 on the state’s Opportunity Scholarship list.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Emerson Waldorf School ✓ | PreK-12 | 266 |
| Lupine Community School ✓ | On the state list; not in the federal survey | |
| St. Thomas More Catholic School ✓ | PreK-8 | 351 |
| Hillsborough Christian Academy ✓ | PreK-9 | 103 |
| Pinewoods Montessori School ✓ | On the state list; not in the federal survey | |
| Montessori Day School | PreK-4 | 19 |
| Carolina Friends School | PreK-12 | 477 |
Orange County private schools at a glance
- Towns
- 3; the most in Chapel Hill (4) and Hillsborough (2)
- Among North Carolina counties
- 24th most private schools of 87; 1% of the state’s 730
- Typical school
- 266 students (5 reporting)
- Smallest and largest
- Montessori Day School, 19 students; Carolina Friends School, 477 students
- Students per teacher
- 6.8 typical, 4.2 to 11.7 across 5 schools
- Programs
- 1 Montessori
- Association members
- 4, most often the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
- Verified tuition
- Emerson Waldorf School $25,015; Lupine Community School $12,398
- State program
- Scholarship, $3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income
How Opportunity Scholarship works - Public charter schools
- 3 in the county, tuition-free and not counted here
Charter schools in North Carolina
- Catholic1
- Christian, not Catholic2
- Nonsectarian2
- Not in federal survey2
- Pre-K (and up)5
- Elementary (K to 5)5
- Middle (6 to 8)4
- High school (9 to 12)3
- K to 12, one school2
- Under 501
- 50 to 1491
- 150 to 2991
- 300 to 5992
- Orange County71%
- All of North Carolina81%
Where these facts come from
- Grades, size, affiliation, co-ed, membership, college-going: NCES Private School Universe Survey 2023-24, downloaded September 20, 2026.
- Program list: North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship schools, list read October 26, 2026, checked November 2, 2026.
- Award and rules: North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship, official page, read October 2, 2026.
- Tuition for 2 schools: each school’s own website, last read October 11, 2026.
- Public charter schools: NCES Common Core of Data, public school directory 2025-26 (preliminary), loaded October 8, 2026.
Neighboring counties
- Durham County (37)
- Chatham County (4)
- Alamance County (12)
- Wake County (84)
- Person County (2)
- Granville County (2)
- Lee County (4)
- Franklin County (2)
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