What private school costs in Virginia (2026-27)
We have read published tuition on 41 Virginia private school websites. The middle price is $16,250 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate, and prices run from $6,200 to $50,990.
By grade band
| Grades | Median published tuition | Schools | Lowest to highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to grade 5 | $15,290 | 35 | $6,200 to $43,980 |
| Grades 6 to 8 | $15,407 | 36 | $6,650 to $50,990 |
| Grades 9 to 12 | $23,865 | 28 | $7,250 to $39,400 |
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 Virginia pays toward private school
EISTC pays up to the state share of per-pupil public school funding where you live. The ceiling differs by school division. Students with disabilities at licensed special education schools can receive up to three times that share. In fiscal 2025, 5,336 scholarships were reported against $15.3 million in donor credits.
The award has no single set amount, so we do not work out what would be left to pay.
Virginia Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits: 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 | 17 | $15,290 | $12,733 (12) | $12,733 (12) | $25,580 (6) |
| Other Christian | 14 | $11,738 | $11,550 (13) | $13,159 (14) | $14,853 (13) |
| Nonsectarian | 10 | $23,450 | $23,450 (10) | $27,388 (10) | $28,400 (9) |
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
Virginia's public schools spent $17,104 per student in fiscal year 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau). The median published private tuition above ($16,250) is 95% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $26,600 | 7 | $8,925 to $36,200 |
| Chantilly | $12,440 | 3 | $11,516 to $27,975 |
| Fredericksburg | $12,633 | 3 | $6,200 to $28,075 |
Cities with at least 3 verified schools in the town itself. Each city page lists every school nearby.
Every Virginia school with verified tuition
| School | City | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Ireton High School | Alexandria | $26,250 | 2026-27 |
| The Basilica School of St. Mary | Alexandria | $14,975 | not stated |
| Holy Spirit School | Annandale | $11,000 | 2026-27 |
| St. Agnes School | Arlington | $15,700 | 2026-27 |
| St. Theresa Catholic School | Ashburn | $15,523 | 2026-27 |
| Blue Ridge Christian School | Bridgewater | $9,560 to $13,380 | not stated |
| St. Paul VI Catholic High School | Chantilly | $27,975 | 2026-27 |
| St. Timothy Catholic School | Chantilly | $11,516 | 2026-27 |
| St. Veronica Catholic School | Chantilly | $12,440 | 2026-27 |
| St. John Paul the Great Catholic High School | Dumfries | $24,910 | 2026-27 |
| Trinity Christian School of Fairfax | Fairfax | $18,200 to $23,550 | 2026-27 |
| Timberlake Christian School | Forest | $6,400 to $6,900 | 2026-27 |
| Faith Baptist School | Fredericksburg | $6,200 to $7,250 | 2026-27 |
| Fredericksburg Academy | Fredericksburg | $21,175 to $28,075 | 2026-27 |
| Fredericksburg Christian School | Fredericksburg | $12,633 to $14,853 | 2026-27 |
| Eastern Mennonite School | Harrisonburg | $11,925 to $16,525 | 2026-27 |
| New Covenant Schools | Lynchburg | $11,550 to $12,650 | 2026-27 |
| All Saints Catholic School | Manassas | $9,293 | 2026-27 |
| The Langley School | McLean | $43,980 to $50,990 | 2026-27 |
| Hampton Roads Academy | Newport News | $16,686 to $24,179 | 2026-27 |
| Norfolk Academy | Norfolk | $24,500 to $29,100 | 2026-27 |
| Norfolk Collegiate School | Norfolk | $22,900 to $28,400 | 2026-27 |
| Benedictine College Preparatory | Richmond | $26,600 | 2026-27 |
| Grove Christian School | Richmond | $8,925 to $9,975 | 2026-27 |
| St. Catherines School | Richmond | $28,200 to $36,200 | 2026-27 |
| St. Edward-Epiphany School | Richmond | $13,025 | 2026-27 |
| The Steward School | Richmond | $29,200 to $33,510 | not stated |
| Trinity Episcopal School | Richmond | $31,350 | 2026-27 |
| Veritas School | Richmond | $16,250 to $17,950 | 2026-27 |
| Roanoke Valley Christian Schools | Roanoke | $8,290 to $9,240 | 2025-26 |
| Immanuel Christian School | Springfield | $17,100 to $23,135 | 2026-27 |
| St. Bernadette School | Springfield | $11,803 | 2026-27 |
| Nansemond-Suffolk Academy | Suffolk | $17,675 to $23,485 | 2026-27 |
| Wakefield School | The Plains | $24,000 to $37,500 | 2026-27 |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel School | Vienna | $15,290 | 2026-27 |
| Cape Henry Collegiate School | Virginia Beach | $20,700 to $26,080 | 2026-27 |
| Catholic High School | Virginia Beach | $17,450 | 2026-27 |
| Highland School | Warrenton | $25,500 to $39,400 | 2026-27 |
| Walsingham Academy | Williamsburg | $16,342 to $21,067 | 2026-27 |
| Christ Chapel Academy | Woodbridge | $8,830 to $10,155 | 2026-27 |
| St. Thomas Aquinas Regional School | Woodbridge | $10,941 | 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 Virginia.
- 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: 37 for 2026-27, 3 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 Virginia?
Among the 41 Virginia private schools whose published tuition we verified, the middle price is $16,250 a year, using each school's lowest published full-year rate. By grade: $15,290 for kindergarten to grade 5 (35 schools), $15,407 for grades 6 to 8 (36 schools), $23,865 for grades 9 to 12 (28 schools). Prices run from $6,200 to $50,990 a year, before financial aid, and fees are extra.
Does private high school cost more than elementary school in Virginia?
Among the schools we verified, yes: the median high school price is $23,865 (28 schools), against $15,290 for kindergarten to grade 5 (35 schools).
How much does the state pay toward private school in Virginia?
EISTC pays up to the state share of per-pupil public school funding where you live.
Are Catholic schools cheaper than other private schools in Virginia?
It depends on the comparison. Among the schools we verified: the median Catholic school price is $15,290 (17 schools), against $11,738 for other Christian schools (14) and $23,450 for nonsectarian schools (10), using each school's lowest published rate.
More
All private schools in Virginia
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, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin.