Top private schools near Pittsburgh, PA: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Pittsburgh 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 74 private schools in Pittsburgh 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 (27 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (49 ranked)
- Largest schools (59 ranked)
- On the official OSTC list (26 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (7 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 27 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 4 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shady Side Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Ellis School | 100% | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Yeshiva Girls School | 100% | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | The University School | 100% | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Winchester Thurston School | 99% | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Oakland Catholic High School | 98% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Bishop Canevin High School | 98% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Central Catholic High School | 92% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Eden Christian Academy | 90% | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 10 | Seton Lasalle Catholic High School | 86% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 27 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 49 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 | Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf | 3.2 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | ACLD Tillotson School | 4.3 students per teacher | 3-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Shady Side Academy Junior School | 4.4 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 4 mi |
| 4 | The Campus Laboratory School of Carlow University | 4.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | under 1 mi |
| 5 | The Glen Montessori School | 4.7 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 7 mi |
| 6 | Pressley Ridge Day School - Pittsburgh | 4.7 students per teacher | 1-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | New Outlook Academy | 4.8 students per teacher | 7-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | The Day School at Childrens Institute Pittsburgh | 5 students per teacher | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Watson Institut Social Ctr for Academic Achievemnt | 5 students per teacher | 2-12 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Waldorf School of Pittsburgh | 5.1 students per teacher | 1-8 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 49 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 | Shady Side Academy | 1,118 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Central Catholic High School | 712 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Winchester Thurston School | 645 students | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 4 | Eden Christian Academy | 643 students | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | St. Louise de Marillac School | 511 students | PreK-8 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Seton Lasalle Catholic High School | 433 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Falk Laboratory School | 432 students | K-8 | under 1 mi |
| 8 | Sacred Heart Elementary School | 409 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Grace Non-Traditional Christian Academy | 407 students | 9-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | Oakland Catholic High School | 400 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 59 ranked schools.
On the official OSTC list
26 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Pittsburgh. 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 | St. Benedict the Moor School | under 1 mi | K-8 |
| 2 | Falk Laboratory School | under 1 mi | K-8 |
| 3 | Oakland Catholic High School | 2 mi | 9-12 |
| 4 | Central Catholic High School | 2 mi | 9-12 |
| 5 | Carnegie Mellon Univ Children's School | 2 mi | PreK-K |
| 6 | Waldorf School of Pittsburgh | 2 mi | 1-8 |
| 7 | The University School | 3 mi | 9-12 |
| 8 | Kentucky Avenue School | 3 mi | not reported |
| 9 | Hillel Academy Pittsburgh | 3 mi | PreK-12 |
| 10 | St. Edmund's Academy | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
Source: the state’s official OSTC list (dated August 4, 2026). Showing 10 of 26 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 7 of the 74 schools near Pittsburgh, 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 | Eden Christian Academy | $12,985 to $15,665 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Seton Lasalle Catholic High School | $15,400, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Central Catholic High School | $16,250, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | Oakland Catholic High School | $17,900, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | Ellis School | $24,250 to $39,400 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Winchester Thurston School | $25,000 to $40,400 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 7 | Shady Side Academy | $26,400 to $42,700 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Pittsburgh?
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 74 private schools within 6 miles of Pittsburgh on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Pittsburgh private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
4 of the 27 high schools near Pittsburgh that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Shady Side Academy, Ellis School and Yeshiva Girls 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.