Top private schools near Seattle, WA: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Seattle on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 75 private schools in Seattle 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 (17 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (54 ranked)
- Largest schools (65 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (9 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 17 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 2 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bush School | 100% | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 2 | University Prep | 100% | 6-12 | 5 mi |
| 3 | Seattle Academy | 99% | 6-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | Holy Names Academy | 99% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 5 | The Northwest School of the Arts | 99% | 6-12 | 1 mi |
| 6 | King's School | 96% | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 7 | Bishop Blanchet High School | 96% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | The Downtown School, A Lakeside School | 93% | 9-12 | under 1 mi |
| 9 | O'Dea High School | 87% | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 10 | Seattle Waldorf School | 86% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 17 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 54 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 | Academy for Precision Learning | 4 students per teacher | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 2 | Academy for Precision Learning, Upper School | 4.1 students per teacher | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Seattle Jewish Community School | 4.5 students per teacher | K-5 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Tilden School | 5.3 students per teacher | K-5 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Bright Water Waldorf School | 5.5 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 6 | Menachem Mendel Seattle Cheder Day School | 6.4 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Seattle Waldorf School | 6.5 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 8 | Concordia Lutheran School | 7 students per teacher | PreK-7 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Hamlin Robinson School | 7.1 students per teacher | 1-8 | 3 mi |
| 10 | Epiphany School | 7.2 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 3 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 54 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 | King's School | 1,209 students | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 2 | Seattle Academy | 1,170 students | 6-12 | 2 mi |
| 3 | Bishop Blanchet High School | 922 students | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 4 | The Bush School | 715 students | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 5 | University Prep | 662 students | 6-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | St. Joseph School | 575 students | K-8 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Holy Names Academy | 571 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 8 | St. John School | 469 students | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Holy Rosary School | 465 students | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 10 | O'Dea High School | 461 students | 9-12 | 1 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 65 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 9 of the 75 schools near Seattle, 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 | Holy Rosary School | $14,186 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 2 | King's School | $16,265 to $26,700 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 10 mi |
| 3 | St. Joseph School | $20,276 to $21,264 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-8 | 2 mi |
| 4 | O'Dea High School | $24,035, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 1 mi |
| 5 | Bishop Blanchet High School | $25,300, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Holy Names Academy | $26,520, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | Hamlin Robinson School | $34,750 to $37,310 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | 1-8 | 3 mi |
| 8 | The Bush School | $41,835 to $50,800 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | K-12 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Seattle Academy | $52,940 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 6-12 | 2 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Seattle?
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 75 private schools within 6 miles of Seattle on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Seattle private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
2 of the 17 high schools near Seattle that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them The Bush School and University Prep (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. Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.