Top private schools near Philadelphia, PA: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Philadelphia on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official OSTC list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 140 private schools in Philadelphia 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 (32 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (94 ranked)
- Largest schools (109 ranked)
- On the official OSTC list (68 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 32 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 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | St. Joseph's Preparatory School | 100% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | West Catholic Preparatory H.S. | 100% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 5 | Liguori Academy | 100% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia | 100% | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 7 | 63rd St. Multicultural Acad of Academic Excellence | 100% | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls | 97% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | West Catholic Prep High School | 95% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 10 | Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia | 90% | 9-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 32 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 94 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 | Pennsylvania School for the Deaf | 3.5 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 2 | A Step Up Academy | 3.7 students per teacher | PreK-11 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia | 3.9 students per teacher | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | French International School of Philadelphia | 4.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 5 | The Crefeld School | 4.4 students per teacher | 7-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Girard College | 4.7 students per teacher | 1-8 | 3 mi |
| 7 | I S Kosloff Torah Academy High School for Girls | 5.5 students per teacher | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | The Islamic Education School -Ties | 5.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 9 | Smart Center Academy | 5.8 students per teacher | PreK-4 | 3 mi |
| 10 | New Medina Learning Institute | 5.9 students per teacher | K-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 94 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 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | 1,058 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper | 1,058 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | St. Joseph's Preparatory School | 938 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Archbishop Ryan High School | 870 students | 9-12 | 9 mi |
| 5 | Father Judge High School | 774 students | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Our Lady of Calvary School | 610 students | PreK-8 | 9 mi |
| 7 | Sts John Neumann & Maria Garetti Catholic High Sch | 578 students | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School | 545 students | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 9 | Ancillae-Assumpta Academy | 517 students | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 10 | St. Cecilia Elementary School | 477 students | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 109 ranked schools.
On the official OSTC list
68 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Philadelphia. 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 | Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls | under 1 mi | 9-12 |
| 2 | Hunting Park Christian Academy | under 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 3 | Vocatio Career Prep High School | under 1 mi | 9-12 |
| 4 | Spring Garden Academy | 1 mi | not reported |
| 5 | Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School | 1 mi | 9-12 |
| 6 | Hope Partnership for Education | 1 mi | 5-8 |
| 7 | Logan Hope School | 1 mi | K-8 |
| 8 | Olney Christian School | 2 mi | K-8 |
| 9 | Holy Innocents Catholic School | 2 mi | PreK-8 |
| 10 | St. Martin de Porres School | 2 mi | PreK-8 |
Source: the state’s official OSTC list (dated August 4, 2026). Showing 10 of 68 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 9 of the 140 schools near Philadelphia, 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 | Father Judge High School | $9,800, 2025-26 | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Sts John Neumann & Maria Garetti Catholic High Sch | $11,100, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls | $11,170, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Archbishop Ryan High School | $11,500, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 9 mi |
| 5 | Ancillae-Assumpta Academy | $15,200 to $16,000 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 6 | St. Joseph's Preparatory School | $29,300, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | $34,050 to $50,825 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper | $34,050 to $50,825 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | The Philadelphia School | $35,200 to $37,000 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Philadelphia?
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 140 private schools within 6 miles of Philadelphia on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Philadelphia private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
7 of the 32 high schools near Philadelphia that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper and St. Joseph's Preparatory 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. The OSTC list is the one the state publishes (dated August 4, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.