Top private schools near Houston, TX: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Houston 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 193 private schools in Houston 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 (45 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (95 ranked)
- Largest schools (120 ranked)
- On the official TEFA list (109 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (18 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 45 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 20 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Johns School | 100% | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 2 | The Kinkaid School | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 3 | Second Baptist School | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 4 | St. Agnes Academy College Preparatory | 100% | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 5 | St. Francis Episcopal School | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 6 | Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 7 | The Emery/Weiner School | 100% | 6-12 | 8 mi |
| 8 | St. Thomas Episcopal School | 100% | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | St. Pius X High School | 100% | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Japanese Educational Institute | 100% | K-12 | 13 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 45 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 95 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 Briarwood School | 2.9 students per teacher | 1-11 | 13 mi |
| 2 | The Gateway Academy | 3.2 students per teacher | 6-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | St. Stephen's Episcopal School | 3.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 4 | The Joy School | 3.7 students per teacher | K-8 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Al Hadi School | 4.3 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 16 mi |
| 6 | Westview School | 4.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 11 mi |
| 7 | School of the Woods | 4.5 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Smaller Scholars Montessori | 4.6 students per teacher | PreK-6 | 13 mi |
| 9 | Holy Spirit Episcopal School - Houston | 4.7 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 10 mi |
| 10 | Institute for Girls Education, Dba Magnolia School | 4.8 students per teacher | 1-8 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 95 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 | The Village School | 1,565 students | PreK-12 | 14 mi |
| 2 | St. Johns School | 1,423 students | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | The Kinkaid School | 1,421 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 4 | Strake Jesuit College Prep School | 1,390 students | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 5 | Second Baptist School | 1,100 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | St. Agnes Academy College Preparatory | 934 students | 9-12 | 11 mi |
| 7 | Cypress Christian School | 830 students | K-12 | 17 mi |
| 8 | St. Francis Episcopal School | 805 students | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | River Oaks Baptist School | 799 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart | 713 students | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 120 ranked schools.
On the official TEFA list
109 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Houston. 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 | The Kipling School | 2 mi | K-8 |
| 2 | Journey School of Houston | 2 mi | 1-7 |
| 3 | Saint Thomas High School | 2 mi | not reported |
| 4 | St. Theresa Catholic School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 5 | Incarnate Word Academy | 3 mi | 9-12 |
| 6 | St. Rose of Lima Catholic School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 7 | Our Lady of Guadalupe School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 8 | St. Anne Catholic School | 3 mi | PreK-8 |
| 9 | The School for Young Children | 3 mi | K |
| 10 | Inspire Center | 4 mi | not reported |
Source: the state’s official TEFA list (dated October 5, 2026). Showing 10 of 109 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 18 of the 193 schools near Houston, 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 | Al Hadi School | $6,500 to $7,100 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 16 mi |
| 2 | Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep School of Houston | $8,000 | 9-12 | 10 mi |
| 3 | St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School | $10,854 (lowest: K-5), 2025-26 | PreK-8 | 16 mi |
| 4 | The Saint Constantine School | $16,500 to $17,225 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 5 | Westbury Christian School | $17,500 to $24,000 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 6 | Cypress Christian School | $19,645 to $24,810 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 17 mi |
| 7 | St. Pius X High School | $22,850, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | Grace School, Houston | $23,230 to $26,850 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 10 mi |
| 9 | St. Thomas Episcopal School | $24,765 to $32,970 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart | $28,000 to $33,600 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 18 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Houston?
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 193 private schools within 6 miles of Houston on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Houston private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
20 of the 45 high schools near Houston that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them St. Johns School, The Kinkaid School and Second Baptist 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.