Top private schools near Memphis, TN: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Memphis on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official EFS list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 49 private schools in Memphis (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 (17 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (23 ranked)
- Largest schools (33 ranked)
- On the official EFS list (39 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (10 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 17 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 | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lausanne Collegiate School | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | St. Mary's Episcopal School | 100% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Hutchison School | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 4 | St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School | 100% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Memphis University School | 100% | 7-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Pleasant View School | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | Margolin Hebrew Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Westminister Academy | 98% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 9 | Harding Academy of Memphis | 96% | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 10 | Christian Brothers High School | 89% | 9-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 17 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 23 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 | Bowie Reading and Learning Center | 2.2 students per teacher | 1-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Bornblum Jewish Community School | 4.8 students per teacher | K-8 | 7 mi |
| 3 | Margolin Hebrew Academy | 5.2 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Christ the King Lutheran School | 5.3 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 5 | Pleasant View School | 6.3 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | Hutchison School | 6.7 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 7 | Concord Academy | 7.2 students per teacher | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Woodland Presbyterian School | 7.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Lausanne Collegiate School | 7.6 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School | 7.7 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 23 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 | Lausanne Collegiate School | 828 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | St. Mary's Episcopal School | 749 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Christian Brothers High School | 702 students | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Hutchison School | 697 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 5 | St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School | 675 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 6 | Memphis University School | 609 students | 7-12 | 6 mi |
| 7 | Harding Academy of Memphis | 570 students | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | Pleasant View School | 475 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 9 | Westminister Academy | 415 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | Christ Methodist Day School | 362 students | PreK-6 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 33 ranked schools.
On the official EFS list
39 schools in Memphis or within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Memphis. 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 | Binghampton Christian Academy | 2 mi | not reported |
| 2 | Word of Faith Christian Academy | 2 mi | K-9 |
| 3 | Presbyterian Day School | 2 mi | not reported |
| 4 | Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 5 | The Collegiate School of Memphis | 3 mi | 6-12 |
| 6 | Harding Academy of Memphis | 3 mi | K-12 |
| 7 | Christ Methodist Day School | 3 mi | PreK-6 |
| 8 | The Lab School of Memphis | 3 mi | not reported |
| 9 | St. Mary's Episcopal School | 4 mi | PreK-12 |
| 10 | Holy Rosary Catholic School | 4 mi | not reported |
Source: the state’s official EFS list (dated August 24, 2026). Showing 10 of 39 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 10 of the 49 schools near Memphis, 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 | From downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pleasant View School | $8,400 to $9,250 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 2 | Westminister Academy | $8,600 to $18,875 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 3 | New Hope Christian Academy | $12,750 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-6 | 7 mi |
| 4 | The Collegiate School of Memphis | $14,500 to $14,650 (lowest: grades 6-8) | 6-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Christ Methodist Day School | $14,550 to $17,150 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-6 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Harding Academy of Memphis | $16,595 to $19,995 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Christian Brothers High School | $18,900, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | St. Mary's Episcopal School | $21,500 to $28,800 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 9 | Hutchison School | $25,330 to $28,980 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | Memphis University School | $26,800 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 7-12 | 6 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Memphis?
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 Memphis 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 Memphis private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
7 of the 17 high schools near Memphis that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Lausanne Collegiate School, St. Mary's Episcopal School and Hutchison 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 EFS list is the one the state publishes (dated August 24, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.