ChoiceFunded What your state pays

Private schools in Wisconsin

WI Choice pays $11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27. New students must be under an income limit. For a family of four it is $96,450 in Milwaukee and Racine and $70,730 in the rest of the state, and married parents subtract $7,000 from income first. Outside Milwaukee, a new student must also be entering K4, K5, 1st or 9th grade, or be coming from a public school, another state, or homeschool. Returning Choice students do not prove income again. The Special Needs Scholarship has no income limit and requires an IEP or services plan.

775 schools listed
112,897 students (2023-24)
435 on the official WI Choice list
WI
Wisconsin Private School Choice Programs Scholarship
$11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27 The Special Needs Scholarship is $16,477, a figure the state labels as estimated. Four year old kindergarten is paid at $6,783. The state notes that all 2026-27 amounts can still change by statute.

Figures read from each program’s official pages, 2026-09-21. Sources and how to apply

In 2025-26 about 61,000 students used the four programs: 29,949 in Milwaukee, 4,170 in Racine, 23,417 statewide and 3,436 on the Special Needs Scholarship. Counts for 2026-27 are not published yet. For 2026-27, 140 schools signed up in Milwaukee, 40 in Racine, 374 statewide and 233 for the Special Needs Scholarship.

Worth knowing: This is four programs with different rules: Milwaukee, Racine, the statewide program, and the Special Needs Scholarship. Which one you use depends on where you live. The statewide program used to cap how many students each district could send (10 percent in 2025-26). State law ends that cap starting in 2026-27, though a school with more applicants than seats still holds a random drawing.

How WI Choice works, start to finish

By city

The number is how many private schools sit within 12 miles.

By kind of school

By county

The largest private schools in Wisconsin

School City Grades Students Per teacher Affiliation
Seton Catholic Schools Saint Francis PreK-8 2,624 15.3 Roman Catholic
Green Bay Area Catholic Education, Inc. ✓ Green Bay PreK-11 2,001 11.9 Roman Catholic
Green Bay Area Catholic Edu. Inc Grace Green Bay PreK-11 2,001 11.9 Roman Catholic
St. Augustine Preparatory Academy ✓ Milwaukee PreK-12 1,759 14.5 Christian (nondenominational)
St. Anthony School ✓ Milwaukee PreK-12 1,436 17.2 Roman Catholic
Siena Catholic Schools of Racine ✓ Racine PreK-12 1,435 13.2 Roman Catholic
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System ✓ Appleton PreK-12 1,280 15 Roman Catholic
Messmer Catholic Schools ✓ Milwaukee PreK-12 1,180 13.5 Roman Catholic
Salam School ✓ Milwaukee PreK-12 985 8.9 Islamic
Freedomproject Academy Appleton K-12 972 14.8 Christian (nondenominational)
St. Marcus Lutheran School ✓ Milwaukee PreK-8 956 18.4 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Aquinas Catholic Schools ✓ La Crosse K-12 954 9.2 Roman Catholic
Milwaukee Lutheran High School ✓ Milwaukee 9-12 934 18.3 Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
Wisconsin Lutheran High School ✓ Milwaukee 9-12 921 12 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
Marquette University High School ✓ Milwaukee 9-12 893 14.5 Roman Catholic

Run your own numbers

What would you pay?

WI Choice pays between $11,305 and $13,799 depending on your household. We start with the lower figure. Change it if you know yours. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.

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 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 much does Wisconsin pay toward private school?

$11,305 a year for grades K to 8 and $13,799 for grades 9 to 12 in 2026-27. The Special Needs Scholarship is $16,477, a figure the state labels as estimated. Four year old kindergarten is paid at $6,783. The state notes that all 2026-27 amounts can still change by statute.

Who can get it?

New students must be under an income limit. For a family of four it is $96,450 in Milwaukee and Racine and $70,730 in the rest of the state, and married parents subtract $7,000 from income first. Outside Milwaukee, a new student must also be entering K4, K5, 1st or 9th grade, or be coming from a public school, another state, or homeschool. Returning Choice students do not prove income again. The Special Needs Scholarship has no income limit and requires an IEP or services plan.

Is there still room?

In 2025-26 about 61,000 students used the four programs: 29,949 in Milwaukee, 4,170 in Racine, 23,417 statewide and 3,436 on the Special Needs Scholarship. Counts for 2026-27 are not published yet. For 2026-27, 140 schools signed up in Milwaukee, 40 in Racine, 374 statewide and 233 for the Special Needs Scholarship.

How do I know a school takes WI Choice?

Schools marked here appear on the 2026-27 lists the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction publishes for each program. The badge names every program a school signed up for. The state titles these lists “intent to participate”, and a school must still meet every program requirement to be paid.

Pick your city How WI Choice works