Top private schools near Nashville, TN: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Nashville 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 56 private schools in Nashville 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 (12 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (30 ranked)
- Largest schools (37 ranked)
- On the official EFS list (34 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 12 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 3 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lipscomb Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Montgomery Bell Academy | 100% | 7-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Harpeth Hall School | 100% | 5-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Franklin Road Academy | 99% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Goodpasture Christian School | 99% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | St. Cecilia Academy | 97% | 7-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Father Ryan High School | 96% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | Donelson Christian Academy | 85% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | Gateway Academy at the Learning Lab | 80% | 1-12 | 3 mi |
| 10 | Nashville Christian School | 75% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 12 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 30 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 | Akiva School | 4.3 students per teacher | K-6 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Abintra Montessori School | 5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 3 | Holy Trinity Montessori | 5.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 16 mi |
| 4 | St. Pius X Classical Academy | 5.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 5 | Kings Academy | 6.7 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 9 mi |
| 6 | St. Cecilia Academy | 6.8 students per teacher | 7-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Harpeth Hall School | 7.1 students per teacher | 5-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Episcopal School of Nashville | 7.3 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Montgomery Bell Academy | 7.7 students per teacher | 7-12 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Linden Waldorf School | 7.9 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 30 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 | Lipscomb Academy | 1,298 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Franklin Road Academy | 1,020 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Montgomery Bell Academy | 850 students | 7-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Goodpasture Christian School | 836 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Father Ryan High School | 833 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Donelson Christian Academy | 765 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 7 | Harpeth Hall School | 724 students | 5-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Nashville Christian School | 700 students | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 9 | The Oak Hill School | 478 students | PreK-6 | 6 mi |
| 10 | St. Bernard Academy | 338 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 37 ranked schools.
On the official EFS list
34 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Nashville. 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 | Primrose School of Nashville - Midtown | 1 mi | PreK-K |
| 2 | City School of Nashville | 1 mi | not reported |
| 3 | B.E. Academy for Girls | 2 mi | not reported |
| 4 | Episcopal School of Nashville | 2 mi | PreK-8 |
| 5 | F H Jenkins Preparatory School | 2 mi | K-9 |
| 6 | Primrose School of Nashville 12 South | 3 mi | not reported |
| 7 | St. Pius X Classical Academy | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 8 | Christ the King School | 4 mi | PreK-8 |
| 9 | Jewish Upper School of Nashville: Kehilla High School | 4 mi | not reported |
| 10 | Linden Waldorf School | 4 mi | PreK-8 |
Source: the state’s official EFS list (dated August 24, 2026). Showing 10 of 34 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 7 of the 56 schools near Nashville, 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 | Donelson Christian Academy | $12,900 to $15,850 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Goodpasture Christian School | $15,840 to $16,800 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 3 | Lipscomb Academy | $20,978 to $24,418 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | The Oak Hill School | $26,225 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-6 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Franklin Road Academy | $28,200 to $36,370 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Father Ryan High School | $28,750, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Harpeth Hall School | $40,350 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 5-12 | 6 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Nashville?
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 56 private schools within 6 miles of Nashville on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Nashville private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
3 of the 12 high schools near Nashville that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Lipscomb Academy, Montgomery Bell Academy and Harpeth Hall 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.