Top private schools near Columbus, OH: 3 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Columbus on measures parents ask about, from federal data.
We looked at the 49 private schools in Columbus (at any distance from downtown) 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 (13 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (34 ranked)
- Largest schools (39 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 13 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 2 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus School for Girls | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 2 | Cristo Rey Columbus High School | 100% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Bishop Hartley High School | 99% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Bishop Watterson High | 95% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 5 | Northside Christian School | 90% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 6 | St. Francis de Sales High School | 85% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Tree of Life Christian Schools | 80% | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | High Street Christian Academy | 67% | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 9 | Columbus Torah Academy | 18% | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | Bridgeway Academy | 0% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 13 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 34 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 | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus Torah Academy | 3.2 students per teacher | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Highland Community Learning Center | 5.2 students per teacher | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 3 | The Learning Spectrum | 5.8 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Columbus School for Girls | 7 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Columbus Montessori Education Center | 7 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 4 mi |
| 6 | Akili Christian High School | 7.7 students per teacher | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | St. Vincent Family Center | 8.6 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 2 mi |
| 8 | High Street Christian Academy | 8.8 students per teacher | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 9 | Tooba Academy | 9.2 students per teacher | 1 | 5 mi |
| 10 | The Juniper School | 9.5 students per teacher | K-6 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 34 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 | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Francis de Sales High School | 866 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Bishop Watterson High | 864 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Bishop Hartley High School | 697 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Columbus School for Girls | 460 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | St. Andrew School | 436 students | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Tree of Life Christian Schools | 434 students | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Cristo Rey Columbus High School | 432 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | All Saints Academy | 409 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 9 | Immaculate Conception School | 385 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 10 | St. Mary School | 348 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 39 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Columbus?
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 49 private schools in Columbus or within 6 miles of downtown on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Columbus private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
2 of the 13 high schools near Columbus that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Columbus School for Girls and Cristo Rey Columbus High 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.