Portsmouth Abbey School
under 1 mi Grades 9-12 337 students 7.7 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed 99% to 4-year college
Private schools in Portsmouth, RI
3 schools in Portsmouth itself and 21 more within 12 miles. Rhode Island tax-credit scholarships average about $3,245 (2024).
Portsmouth private schools at a glance
Portsmouth has 3 private schools of its own, and 21 more are within 12 miles. They are Portsmouth Abbey School, St. Philomena School of the Sacred Heart and The Pennfield School. In Portsmouth itself: 2 Catholic and 1 nonsectarian; 2 teach elementary grades and 1 teaches high school. Counting the 21 nearby, there are 24 in all: 9 Catholic, 3 other Christian and 12 nonsectarian; 22 teach elementary grades and 5 teach high school; 4 are Montessori. 1 is all-boys; the rest are co-ed. 13 report membership in a school association, most often the National Catholic Educational Association (2023-24 federal survey). Of the 4 high schools that reported it, the typical one sends 99% of graduates on to a 4-year college (2023-24 federal survey). The typical school has about 127 students and 7.7 students per teacher (2023-24 federal survey).
9 Catholic
7.7 students per teacher, typical
Private schools in Portsmouth (3)
Schools that give Portsmouth as their address come first, then the 21 more within 12 miles. Closest schools first in each group. No school can pay to change its place in this list or its badge.
Affiliation, co-ed or single-sex, association membership and the share of graduates going on to a 4-year college come from the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey.
No school in Portsmouth matches all of those.
St. Philomena School of the Sacred Heart
under 1 mi Grades PreK-8 376 students 11.8 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
The Pennfield School
3 mi Grades PreK-8 127 students Nonsectarian Co-ed
Nearby, within 12 miles (21)
Schools in other towns within 12 miles of downtown Portsmouth.
No nearby school matches all of those.
Grades PreK-8 89 students 8 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
All Saints Academy
5 mi Grades PreK-8 117 students 10.3 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-8 187 students 3.9 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed
Grades PreK-12 252 students 4.7 students per teacher Nonsectarian Co-ed 97% to 4-year college
Grades 8-12 610 students 11.1 students per teacher Roman Catholic All-boys 98% to 4-year college
St. Kevin School
10 mi Grades PreK-8 201 students 16.1 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-Transitional K Nonsectarian Early childhood Co-ed
Our Lady of Mercy School
10 mi Grades PreK-8 222 students 13.5 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-8 222 students 13.5 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
Eleanor Briggs School
11 mi Grades 1-11 29 students 4.8 students per teacher Nonsectarian Special education Co-ed
Grades PreK-Transitional K Christian (nondenominational) Early childhood Co-ed
Grades PreK-K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Grades PreK-3 45 students 10 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
St. Luke's School
11 mi Grades PreK-8 137 students 6.8 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
St. Rose of Lima School
11 mi Grades PreK-8 193 students 7.5 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades K-12 158 students 8.4 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 100% to 4-year college
Red Brick Nursery School
11 mi Grades PreK-Transitional K Nonsectarian Early childhood Co-ed
Grades PreK-Transitional K Nonsectarian Early childhood Co-ed
Grades PreK-K Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Quest Montessori School
12 mi Grades PreK-8 66 students 7.7 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Grades PreK-K Nonsectarian Early childhood Co-ed
Private schools
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Private school tuition near Portsmouth
We verified published tuition at 2 of these schools so far. Each figure comes from the school’s own website, and we link it on the school’s page. Ask the others for their full-year price.
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| St. Philomena School of the Sacred Heart | $11,775 | 2026-27 |
| Bishop Hendricken High School | $14,495 to $16,895 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. How private school tuition compares by state.
What private school costs across Rhode Island: every verified price in the state, by city and grade.
What Rhode Island pays, and what that leaves you
Rhode Island Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations Tax-credit scholarship
About $3,245 on average (2024) Each scholarship organization sets the amount. The average is from EdChoice.
Figures read from each program’s official pages, October 2, 2026. Sources and how to apply
What would you pay?
Enter amounts of $0 or more.
Tuition and fees RI scholarship tax credit pays You pay per year Spread over 10 months
We could not confirm this year’s RI scholarship tax credit amount, so type in the figure from your award letter. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.
Keep looking
- Christian schools in Portsmouth (3)
- Catholic schools in Portsmouth (9)
- Montessori schools in Portsmouth (4)
- Private high schools in Portsmouth (5)
- Private elementary schools in Portsmouth (22)
- Private middle schools in Portsmouth (15)
- Private schools with kindergarten in Portsmouth (17)
- Private schools with pre-K in Portsmouth (16)
- All schools in Newport County
- All schools in Bristol County
- All schools in Kent County
- All schools in Washington County
- Private schools in Warwick (11 mi)
- Private schools in Barrington (11 mi)
- Private schools in East Greenwich (12 mi)
- Private schools in West Warwick (14 mi)
- Private schools in East Providence (15 mi)
- Private schools in Cranston (16 mi)
- Private schools in Providence (17 mi)
- Private schools in Pawtucket (20 mi)
- Private schools in Johnston (31 mi)
- Rhode Island Tax Credits for Contributions to Scholarship Organizations: amount and eligibility
Get one email when applications open
Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state (you are looking at Portsmouth) and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.
One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.
Questions parents ask
How many private schools are there in Portsmouth?
3 private schools give Portsmouth as their address: Portsmouth Abbey School, St. Philomena School of the Sacred Heart and The Pennfield School. Counting nearby towns, we list 24: 3 in Portsmouth and 21 within 12 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 3,454 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in Portsmouth is St. Philomena School of the Sacred Heart with 376 students. The largest within 12 miles is Bishop Hendricken High School with 610 students.
Which Portsmouth private schools take RI scholarship tax credit?
The Division of Taxation posts a PDF list of qualified scholarship organizations (updated for 2025), not a list of schools. Ask the school which organization it works with.
Will RI scholarship tax credit cover the whole tuition bill?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Rhode Island tax-credit scholarships average about $3,245 (2024), and schools set their own prices. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then use the calculator on this page to see what is left for you to pay.