Top private schools near Cincinnati, OH: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Cincinnati on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 82 private schools in Cincinnati 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 (68 ranked)
- Largest schools (74 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (9 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. 7 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Seven Hills School | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Summit Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | The Summit Country Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | St. Ursula Academy | 100% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | St. Ursula Academy of Cincinnati | 100% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | Cincinnati Hebrew Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | St. Edmund Campion Academy | 100% | 1-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy | 99% | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 9 | Archbishop McNicholas High School | 98% | 9-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Mercy McAuley High School | 97% | 9-12 | 5 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 68 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 | Al Pi Darko Initiative Bda Ohr Torah Cincinnati | 2.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 2 | St. Rita School for the Deaf | 2.8 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 3 | Skyward Academy | 3.6 students per teacher | 4-12 | 10 mi |
| 4 | Linden Grove School | 4.8 students per teacher | K-8 | 8 mi |
| 5 | Bethany School | 5.4 students per teacher | K-8 | 9 mi |
| 6 | The New School Montessori | 6.1 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 2 mi |
| 7 | The Seven Hills School | 6.3 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Best Point Education & Behavioral Health | 6.4 students per teacher | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 9 | Immaculate Conception Academy | 6.7 students per teacher | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 10 | Calvary Academy- the | 6.7 students per teacher | K-12 | 11 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 68 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 | Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy | 1,221 students | PreK-12 | 13 mi |
| 2 | St. Ignatius School | 1,051 students | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 3 | The Seven Hills School | 907 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Arch Bishop Moeller High School | 899 students | 9-12 | 10 mi |
| 5 | Summit Day School | 840 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 6 | The Summit Country Day School | 840 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Mount Notre Dame High School | 664 students | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 8 | Archbishop McNicholas High School | 628 students | 9-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | St. James the Greater School | 622 students | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 10 | St. Ursula Academy | 614 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 74 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 9 of the 82 schools near Cincinnati, 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. Ignatius School | $5,800 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Our Lady of Grace Catholic School | $6,165 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 3 | St. Michael Elementary School | $6,366 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 10 mi |
| 4 | John Paul II Catholic School | $6,550 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 5 | Guardian Angels Elementary School | $8,200 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 8 mi |
| 6 | St. Mary School | $8,300 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Roger Bacon High School | $11,400, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | St. Ursula Academy | $17,400, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati | $18,600, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 10 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Cincinnati?
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 82 private schools within 6 miles of Cincinnati on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Cincinnati private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
7 of the 22 high schools near Cincinnati that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them The Seven Hills School, Summit Day School and The Summit Country Day 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.