Top private schools near Dallas, TX: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Dallas on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official TEFA list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 98 private schools in Dallas 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 (32 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (61 ranked)
- Largest schools (72 ranked)
- On the official TEFA list (60 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (20 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 32 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 12 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episcopal School of Dallas Pk-12 | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Parish Episcopal School | 100% | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 3 | The Hockaday School | 100% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 4 | The Covenant School | 100% | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 5 | Alcuin School | 100% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 6 | Lakehill Preparatory School | 100% | K-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | St. Cecilia Catholic School | 100% | 5-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Akiba Yavneh Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | The Westwood School | 100% | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 10 | Lakewood Presbyterian School | 100% | K-12 | 2 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 32 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 61 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 | The Kessler School | 3.8 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Fairhill School | 4.4 students per teacher | 1-12 | 12 mi |
| 3 | White Rock Montessori | 4.6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Episcopal School of Dallas Pk-12 | 4.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 5 | Vanguard Preparatory School | 4.9 students per teacher | 1-12 | 11 mi |
| 6 | Preston Hollow Presbyterian School | 5.3 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 6 mi |
| 7 | Grace Academy of Dallas | 5.6 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 8 mi |
| 8 | The Winston School | 5.6 students per teacher | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | The Westwood School | 5.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 10 | Dallas Academy | 6 students per teacher | 1-12 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 61 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 | Episcopal School of Dallas Pk-12 | 1,117 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Parish Episcopal School | 1,115 students | PreK-12 | 11 mi |
| 3 | The Hockaday School | 1,090 students | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 4 | Shelton School | 1,082 students | PreK-12 | 14 mi |
| 5 | Bishop Lynch High School | 1,002 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School | 812 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 7 | St. Rita Catholic School | 731 students | PreK-8 | 9 mi |
| 8 | The Covenant School | 717 students | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 9 | The Covenant School of Dallas | 714 students | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 10 | Coram Deo Academy | 689 students | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 72 ranked schools.
On the official TEFA list
60 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Dallas. 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 | Notre Dame of Dallas Sp School and Vocational Center | 2 mi | not reported |
| 2 | Dallas Christian Academy | 2 mi | PreK-12 |
| 3 | Acton Academy Lakewood | 2 mi | not reported |
| 4 | Cafe Momentum Academy | 2 mi | not reported |
| 5 | The King's Academy | 2 mi | PreK-6 |
| 6 | Resolute Academy | 2 mi | not reported |
| 7 | The Saint Timothy School | 2 mi | PreK-12 |
| 8 | Holy Trinity Catholic School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 9 | St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 10 | Zion Lutheran School | 4 mi | PreK-8 |
Source: the state’s official TEFA list (dated October 5, 2026). Showing 10 of 60 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 20 of the 98 schools near Dallas, 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 | New Life Christian Academy | $3,400 to $3,500 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Lakewood Presbyterian School | $5,400 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Classical School of Dallas | $5,710 to $7,370 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-9 | 6 mi |
| 4 | First Baptist Academy of Dallas | $11,400 to $15,400 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 5 | Scofield Christian School | $14,000, 2026-27 | PreK-6 | 7 mi |
| 6 | St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School | $14,760 to $15,050 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 7 | St. Patrick Catholic School | $15,000 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 7 mi |
| 8 | Bishop Dunne Catholic School | $15,800 to $19,200 (lowest: grades 6-8) | 6-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | Our Redeemer Lutheran School | $17,170 to $17,490 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-6 | 6 mi |
| 10 | Dallas Lutheran School | $18,850 to $21,600 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2025-26 | 7-12 | 8 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 20 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Dallas?
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 98 private schools within 6 miles of Dallas on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Dallas private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
12 of the 32 high schools near Dallas that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Episcopal School of Dallas Pk-12, Parish Episcopal School and The Hockaday 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 TEFA list is the one the state publishes (dated October 5, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.