What private school costs in Tennessee (2026-27)
We have read published tuition on 45 Tennessee private school websites. The middle price is $15,313 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate, and prices run from $7,111 to $53,100.
By grade band
| Grades | Median published tuition | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $13,660 | 35 | $7,111 to $53,100 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $15,800 | 39 | $8,680 to $53,100 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $18,350 | 39 | $8,690 to $53,100 |
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 is left to pay after the state award
EFS pays $7,530 per student for 2026-27.
| Grades | Median published tuition | Award | Left to pay at the median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $13,660 | $7,530 | $6,130 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $15,800 | $7,530 | $8,270 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $18,350 | $7,530 | $10,820 |
"Left to pay" is the median price minus the award, for a student who gets the award. It leaves out fees, books, uniforms and any aid the school gives.
Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarships: 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 | 6 | $16,295 | too few | $14,000 (3) | $19,950 (4) |
| Other Christian | 28 | $13,265 | $13,280 (27) | $15,500 (25) | $16,705 (24) |
| Nonsectarian | 10 | $26,600 | $25,240 (5) | $28,045 (10) | $28,840 (10) |
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
Tennessee's public schools spent $12,882 per student in fiscal year 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). The median published private tuition above ($15,313) is 119% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | $15,325 | 8 | $12,910 to $36,440 |
| Memphis | $18,900 | 7 | $8,400 to $28,980 |
| Knoxville | $12,000 | 6 | $8,800 to $28,190 |
| Nashville | $27,213 | 6 | $12,900 to $40,350 |
| Franklin | $15,250 | 3 | $12,630 to $22,000 |
Cities with at least 3 verified schools in the town itself. Each city page lists every school nearby.
Every Tennessee school with verified tuition
| School | City | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Webb School | Bell Buckle | $26,400 to $28,700 | 2026-27 |
| Currey Ingram Academy | Brentwood | $53,100 | 2026-27 |
| Baylor School | Chattanooga | $34,875 | 2026-27 |
| Boyd-Buchanan School | Chattanooga | $12,910 to $16,060 | 2026-27 |
| Brainerd Baptist School | Chattanooga | $13,660 | 2026-27 |
| Chattanooga Christian School | Chattanooga | $13,650 to $18,350 | 2026-27 |
| Girls Preparatory School | Chattanooga | $35,350 to $36,440 | 2026-27 |
| Notre Dame High School | Chattanooga | $16,990 | 2026-27 |
| Silverdale Baptist Academy | Chattanooga | $13,280 to $16,610 | not stated |
| St. Nicholas School | Chattanooga | $19,395 | not stated |
| Clarksville Academy | Clarksville | $15,313 to $16,407 | 2026-27 |
| Collegedale Academy | Collegedale | $11,000 to $17,300 | 2026-27 |
| St. George's Independent School | Collierville | $19,500 to $26,700 | 2026-27 |
| Columbia Academy | Columbia | $10,470 to $11,910 | 2026-27 |
| Franklin Christian Academy | Franklin | $20,000 to $22,000 | not stated |
| Grace Christian Academy | Franklin | $15,250 to $18,600 | 2026-27 |
| St. Matthew Catholic School | Franklin | $12,630 | 2026-27 |
| Pope John Paul II Preparatory School | Hendersonville | $15,600 to $21,000 | 2026-27 |
| Trinity Christian Academy | Jackson | $10,809 to $13,717 | 2026-27 |
| Berean Christian School | Knoxville | $10,000 to $11,750 | 2026-27 |
| Christian Academy of Knoxville | Knoxville | $15,530 to $18,295 | not stated |
| Concord Christian School | Knoxville | $9,890 to $11,907 | 2026-27 |
| Grace Christian Academy | Knoxville | $8,800 to $12,715 | 2026-27 |
| Sacred Heart Cathedral School | Knoxville | $14,000 | 2026-27 |
| Webb School of Knoxville | Knoxville | $25,240 to $28,190 | not stated |
| Goodpasture Christian School | Madison | $15,840 to $16,800 | 2026-27 |
| Clayton-Bradley Academy | Maryville | $14,000 to $14,500 | 2026-27 |
| Christian Brothers High School | Memphis | $18,900 | 2026-27 |
| Harding Academy of Memphis | Memphis | $16,595 to $19,995 | 2026-27 |
| Hutchison School | Memphis | $25,330 to $28,980 | 2026-27 |
| Memphis University School | Memphis | $26,800 | 2026-27 |
| Pleasant View School | Memphis | $8,400 to $9,250 | 2026-27 |
| St. Mary's Episcopal School | Memphis | $21,500 to $28,800 | 2026-27 |
| Westminister Academy | Memphis | $8,600 to $18,875 | 2026-27 |
| Cornerstone Christian Academy - LCS | Morristown | $7,970 | 2025-26 |
| Mt Juliet Christian Academy | Mount Juliet | $13,250 to $14,065 | 2026-27 |
| Donelson Christian Academy | Nashville | $12,900 to $15,850 | 2026-27 |
| Father Ryan High School | Nashville | $28,750 | 2026-27 |
| Franklin Road Academy | Nashville | $28,200 to $36,370 | 2026-27 |
| Harpeth Hall School | Nashville | $40,350 | 2026-27 |
| Lipscomb Academy | Nashville | $20,978 to $24,418 | 2026-27 |
| The Oak Hill School | Nashville | $26,225 | 2026-27 |
| First Baptist Academy | Powell | $7,111 to $8,690 | 2026-27 |
| Rossville Christian Academy | Rossville | $12,033 to $12,093 | 2026-27 |
| Lakeway Christian Academy-Lakeway Christian School | White Pine | $8,680 to $9,795 | 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 Tennessee.
- 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: 39 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 Tennessee?
Among the 45 Tennessee private schools whose published tuition we verified, the middle price is $15,313 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate. By grade: $13,660 for kindergarten to grade 5 (35 schools), $15,800 for grades 6 to 8 (39 schools), $18,350 for grades 9 to 12 (39 schools). Prices run from $7,111 to $53,100 a year, before financial aid, and fees are extra.
Does private high school cost more than elementary school in Tennessee?
Among the schools we verified, yes: the median high school price is $18,350 (39 schools), against $13,660 for kindergarten to grade 5 (35 schools).
How much does the state pay toward private school in Tennessee?
EFS pays $7,530 per student for 2026-27. For kindergarten to grade 5, the median published price of $13,660 less the Education Freedom Scholarship award leaves about $6,130 a year, before fees and any school aid.
Are Catholic schools cheaper than other private schools in Tennessee?
It depends on the comparison. Among the schools we verified: the median Catholic school price is $16,295 (6 schools), against $13,265 for other Christian schools (28) and $26,600 for nonsectarian schools (10), using each school's lowest published rate.
More
All private schools in Tennessee
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, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.