What private school costs in Pennsylvania (2026-27)
We have read published tuition on 61 Pennsylvania private school websites. The middle price is $15,400 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate, and prices run from $6,476 to $54,980.
By grade band
| Grades | Median published tuition | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $16,465 | 30 | $6,476 to $39,500 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $22,150 | 32 | $6,645 to $47,950 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $19,880 | 53 | $8,300 to $54,980 |
A grade band is shown when at least 3 schools publish a price for it. Where a school lists several prices in one band, we take the lowest full-year day rate.
What Pennsylvania pays toward private school
Each scholarship organization sets its award; Opportunity Scholarships go up to $8,500, or $15,000 for a student with a disability. EITC has no statewide maximum, and no scholarship may exceed tuition and fees. Students at schools in the economically disadvantaged schools supplement can get up to $2,000 more ($4,000 in secondary school). The state’s September 2026 OSTC guidelines restate the $8,500 and $15,000 maximums. EdChoice reports average awards of $2,613 (EITC) and $2,699 (OSTC) in 2022-23.
The award has no single set amount, so we do not work out what would be left to pay.
Pennsylvania EITC and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits: who can get it and how to apply
By affiliation
| Affiliation | Schools | Median lowest rate | K to 5 | 6 to 8 | 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 35 | $12,900 | $8,700 (7) | $8,900 (9) | $13,325 (28) |
| Other Christian | 13 | $12,600 | $11,350 (12) | $12,833 (12) | $19,880 (13) |
| Nonsectarian | 13 | $30,700 | $26,400 (11) | $37,000 (11) | $45,888 (12) |
Groups with at least 5 verified schools. Band medians show the number of schools in brackets; "too few" means under 3. Affiliation comes from the federal Private School Universe survey (2023-24).
Compared with public school spending
Pennsylvania's public schools spent $21,091 per student in fiscal year 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). The median published private tuition above ($15,400) is 73% of that figure.
- Public spending is not a price. It is total current spending on public schools (teachers, staff, upkeep, transport, meals and more) divided by enrolled students. No family pays it, and it leaves out building construction and debt.
- The years differ. Public spending is for the 2023-24 school year, the latest the Census Bureau has published; tuition is mostly for 2026-27. Neither is adjusted for inflation.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances, Table 8, total current spending per pupil. Every state side by side: private tuition vs public school spending.
By city
| City | Median lowest rate | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $20,400 | 8 | $9,800 to $50,825 |
| Pittsburgh | $17,900 | 7 | $12,985 to $42,700 |
| Malvern | $30,450 | 3 | $11,900 to $45,335 |
Cities with at least 3 verified schools in the town itself. Each city page lists every school nearby.
Every Pennsylvania school with verified tuition
| School | City | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas More School | Allentown | $6,950 | 2026-27 |
| Holy Ghost Prep | Bensalem | $28,200 | 2026-27 |
| Bethlehem Catholic High School | Bethlehem | $11,550 | 2026-27 |
| St. Helena School | Blue Bell | $8,900 | 2026-27 |
| The Agnes Irwin School | Bryn Mawr | $30,700 to $49,075 | 2026-27 |
| Cumberland Valley Christian School | Chambersburg | $7,500 to $8,300 | 2026-27 |
| Shalom Christian Academy | Chambersburg | $8,499 to $9,695 | 2026-27 |
| Aim Academy | Conshohocken | $39,500 to $49,875 | 2026-27 |
| North Catholic High School | Cranberry Township | $16,850 | 2026-27 |
| Bishop Shanahan High School | Downingtown | $12,650 | 2026-27 |
| Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prenderbast HS. | Drexel Hill | $11,160 | 2026-27 |
| Conwell Egan Catholic High School | Fairless Hills | $11,500 | 2026-27 |
| Mount St. Joseph Academy | Flourtown | $26,645 | 2026-27 |
| Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School | Gwynedd Valley | $25,600 | 2026-27 |
| Bishop McDevitt High School | Harrisburg | $12,900 | 2026-27 |
| St. Joan of Arc Elementary School | Hummels Town | $7,713 | 2026-27 |
| Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School | Kingston | $17,730 to $34,500 | 2026-27 |
| Lancaster Catholic High School | Lancaster | $13,675 | 2026-27 |
| Lancaster Country Day School | Lancaster | $21,900 to $31,700 | 2026-27 |
| Dock Mennonite Academy | Lansdale | $10,100 to $19,880 | 2026-27 |
| Archbishop Carroll High School | Malvern | $11,900 | 2026-27 |
| Malvern Preparatory School | Malvern | $38,430 to $45,335 | 2026-27 |
| Villa Maria Academy High School | Malvern | $30,450 | 2026-27 |
| Mercersburg Academy | Mercersburg | $53,340 | 2026-27 |
| George School | Newtown | $53,000 | 2026-27 |
| Delaware County Christian School | Newtown Square | $12,600 to $23,220 | 2026-27 |
| The Episcopal Academy | Newtown Square | $31,000 to $46,300 | 2026-27 |
| St. Joseph the Worker School | Orefield | $6,645 | 2026-27 |
| Archbishop Ryan High School | Philadelphia | $11,500 | 2026-27 |
| Father Judge High School | Philadelphia | $9,800 | 2025-26 |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy | Philadelphia | $34,050 to $50,825 | 2026-27 |
| Springside Chestnut Hill Academy-Upper | Philadelphia | $34,050 to $50,825 | 2026-27 |
| St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls | Philadelphia | $11,170 | 2026-27 |
| St. Joseph's Preparatory School | Philadelphia | $29,300 | 2026-27 |
| Sts John Neumann & Maria Garetti Catholic High Sch | Philadelphia | $11,100 | 2026-27 |
| The Philadelphia School | Philadelphia | $35,200 to $37,000 | 2026-27 |
| Central Catholic High School | Pittsburgh | $16,250 | 2026-27 |
| Eden Christian Academy | Pittsburgh | $12,985 to $15,665 | 2026-27 |
| Ellis School | Pittsburgh | $24,250 to $39,400 | 2026-27 |
| Oakland Catholic High School | Pittsburgh | $17,900 | 2026-27 |
| Seton Lasalle Catholic High School | Pittsburgh | $15,400 | 2026-27 |
| Shady Side Academy | Pittsburgh | $26,400 to $42,700 | not stated |
| Winchester Thurston School | Pittsburgh | $25,000 to $40,400 | 2026-27 |
| Plumstead Christian School | Plumsteadville | $13,300 to $20,375 | not stated |
| The Hill School | Pottstown | $54,980 | 2026-27 |
| Archbishop John Carroll High School | Radnor | $11,900 | 2026-27 |
| Berks Catholic High School | Reading | $10,100 | not stated |
| Pope John Paul II High School | Royersford | $12,975 | not stated |
| Scranton Preparatory School | Scranton | $19,000 | 2026-27 |
| Sewickley Academy | Sewickley | $24,500 to $39,500 | not stated |
| West Shore Christian Academy | Shiremanstown | $9,295 to $10,495 | 2026-27 |
| Dock Mennonite Academy | Souderton | $10,100 to $19,880 | 2026-27 |
| Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary | Spring House | $17,900 | 2026-27 |
| Academy-Notre Dame de Namur | Villanova | $27,790 to $35,230 | 2026-27 |
| Archbishop Wood High School | Warminster | $11,600 | 2026-27 |
| St. Katharine of Siena School | Wayne | $8,700 | 2026-27 |
| Westtown School | West Chester | $28,100 to $48,600 | 2026-27 |
| Trinity Christian School | Wilkinsburg | $6,476 to $11,134 | 2026-27 |
| Ancillae-Assumpta Academy | Wyncote | $15,200 to $16,000 | 2026-27 |
| La Salle College High School | Wyndmoor | $30,000 | 2026-27 |
| Friends Central School | Wynnewood | $33,645 to $49,780 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. Each school's page links the source we read.
Read this before you quote it
- This is not a random sample. We started with the largest schools and the schools families already search for, so large, established schools are over-represented. Treat the medians as "what these schools publish", not as the average for every private school in Pennsylvania.
- These are published prices before financial aid. Required fees, books, uniforms and transport are extra, and many schools lower the price through aid.
- Many schools do not publish a price, and those are missing here. School years: 55 for 2026-27, 5 for not stated, 1 for 2025-26.
- Each figure was read on the school's own website or tuition sheet, and a script re-opened that page and kept the figure only if the same dollar amount appears on it. Most recent check: .
Every state, with a free CSV of all figures and sources: private school tuition by state. A school whose price has changed can send us the new figure.
Questions parents ask
How much is private school in Pennsylvania?
Among the 61 Pennsylvania private schools whose published tuition we verified, the middle price is $15,400 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate. By grade: $16,465 for kindergarten to grade 5 (30 schools), $22,150 for grades 6 to 8 (32 schools), $19,880 for grades 9 to 12 (53 schools). Prices run from $6,476 to $54,980 a year, before financial aid, and fees are extra.
Does private high school cost more than elementary school in Pennsylvania?
Among the schools we verified, yes: the median high school price is $19,880 (53 schools), against $16,465 for kindergarten to grade 5 (30 schools).
How much does the state pay toward private school in Pennsylvania?
Each scholarship organization sets its award; Opportunity Scholarships go up to $8,500, or $15,000 for a student with a disability.
Are Catholic schools cheaper than other private schools in Pennsylvania?
It depends on the comparison. Among the schools we verified: the median Catholic school price is $12,900 (35 schools), against $12,600 for other Christian schools (13) and $30,700 for nonsectarian schools (13), using each school's lowest published rate.
More
All private schools in Pennsylvania
Tuition in other states (at least 12 verified schools): Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.