St. Philomena School
1 mi Grades PreK-8 261 students 17.9 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Private schools in Des Moines, WA
3 schools in Des Moines itself and 12 more within 6 miles.
Des Moines private schools at a glance
Des Moines has 3 private schools of its own, and 12 more are within 6 miles. They are St. Philomena School, Holy Trinity Lutheran School and K-School. In Des Moines itself: 1 Catholic and 2 other Christian; 3 teach elementary grades and 1 teaches high school. Counting the 12 nearby, there are 15 in all: 4 Catholic, 7 other Christian, 3 nonsectarian and 1 of other faiths; 15 teach elementary grades and 4 teach high school; 2 are Montessori. All of them are co-ed. 7 report membership in a school association, most often the National Catholic Educational Association (2023-24 federal survey). Of the 3 high schools that reported it, the typical one sends 95% of graduates on to a 4-year college (2023-24 federal survey). The typical school has about 105 students and 10.9 students per teacher (2023-24 federal survey).
4 Catholic
10.9 students per teacher, typical
Private schools in Des Moines (3)
Schools that give Des Moines as their address come first, then the 12 more within 6 miles. Closest schools first in each group. No school can pay to change its place in this list or its badge.
Affiliation, co-ed or single-sex, association membership and the share of graduates going on to a 4-year college come from the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey.
No school in Des Moines matches all of those.
Grades PreK-8 186 students 16.5 students per teacher Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Co-ed
K-School
1 mi Grades 1-12 38 students 10.9 students per teacher Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Co-ed 100% to 4-year college
Nearby, within 6 miles (12)
Schools in other towns within 6 miles of downtown Des Moines.
No nearby school matches all of those.
Basic Steps Academy
3 mi Grades K-1 Under 10 K-12 students Nonsectarian Co-ed
Grades K-10 14 students 3 students per teacher Assembly of God Co-ed
Grades PreK-3 19 students 6.6 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Grades K-8 26 students 8.7 students per teacher Roman Catholic Special program emphasis Co-ed
Grades K-12 606 students 12.9 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 75% to 4-year college
Grades PreK-8 232 students 13.6 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-12 274 students 7.7 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed 95% to 4-year college
Grades K-6 105 students 9.2 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational) Co-ed
Grades PreK-6 73 students 10.4 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori Co-ed
Mayf Academy
5 mi Grades K-7 180 students 22.5 students per teacher Islamic Co-ed
Grades K-8 479 students 17.2 students per teacher Roman Catholic Co-ed
Grades PreK-5 54 students 13.2 students per teacher Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) Co-ed
Private schools
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Private school tuition near Des Moines
We verified published tuition at one of these schools so far. Each figure comes from the school’s own website, and we link it on the school’s page. Ask the others for their full-year price.
| School | Published tuition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| St. Francis of Assisi School | $13,070 | 2026-27 |
Ranges run from the lowest to the highest grade band the school publishes. How private school tuition compares by state.
What private school costs across Washington: every verified price in the state, by city and grade.
Paying for private school in Washington
No state program pays private school tuition. What Washington families can use instead.
Keep looking
- Christian schools in Des Moines (7)
- Catholic schools in Des Moines (4)
- Private high schools in Des Moines (4)
- Private elementary schools in Des Moines (15)
- Private middle schools in Des Moines (12)
- Private schools with kindergarten in Des Moines (14)
- Private schools with pre-K in Des Moines (7)
- Lutheran schools in Des Moines (3)
- All schools in King County
- Private schools in Kent (5 mi)
- Private schools in Federal Way (5 mi)
- Private schools in Burien (6 mi)
- Private schools in Auburn (8 mi)
- Private schools in Renton (8 mi)
- Private schools in Tacoma (12 mi)
- Private schools in Mercer Island (13 mi)
- Private schools in Gig Harbor (14 mi)
- Private schools in Puyallup (15 mi)
- Private schools in Seattle (16 mi)
- School choice in Washington: what is available
Get one email when applications open
Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state (you are looking at Des Moines) and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.
One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.
Questions parents ask
How many private schools are there in Des Moines?
3 private schools give Des Moines as their address: St. Philomena School, Holy Trinity Lutheran School and K-School. Counting nearby towns, we list 15: 3 in Des Moines and 12 within 6 miles of downtown. Together they enrolled about 2,553 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest in Des Moines is St. Philomena School with 261 students. The largest within 6 miles is Seattle Christian Schools with 606 students.
Does Washington pay for private school?
No state program pays private school tuition. No Washington program pays private school tuition. The state constitution bars public money for religious instruction and keeps public schools free of sectarian control, and Washington has no individual income tax, so there is no tuition tax break.