Top private schools near Milwaukee, WI: 5 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near Milwaukee on measures parents ask about, from federal data, the state’s official WI Choice list and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 122 private schools in Milwaukee 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 (27 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (87 ranked)
- Largest schools (94 ranked)
- On the official WI Choice list (104 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (22 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 27 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 8 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Anthony School | 100% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 2 | Divine Savior Holy Angels High School | 100% | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Eastbrook Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Carter's Christian Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Believers in Christ Christian Academy | 100% | PreK-12 | 2 mi |
| 6 | Wisconsin Institute for Torah Study | 100% | 9-12 | 5 mi |
| 7 | Holy Redeemer Christian Academy | 100% | 10-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | Torah Academy of Milwaukee | 100% | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 9 | Marquette University High School | 99% | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Dominican High School | 95% | 8-12 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 27 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 87 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 | Milwaukee Jewish Day School | 4.7 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 6 mi |
| 2 | Our Redeemer Lutheran School | 5.7 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Milwaukee Montessori School | 6 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Bader Hillel Academy | 6 students per teacher | K-8 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Bader Hillel High School | 6 students per teacher | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Malaika Early Learning Center | 7.6 students per teacher | PreK-3 | 3 mi |
| 7 | St. Sava Orthodox School | 8.1 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 8 | St. Joan Antida High School | 8.3 students per teacher | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 9 | Salam School | 8.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 10 | Yeshiva Elementary School | 9.2 students per teacher | PreK-8 | 1 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 87 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 | St. Augustine Preparatory Academy | 1,759 students | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
| 2 | St. Anthony School | 1,436 students | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | Messmer Catholic Schools | 1,180 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 4 | Salam School | 985 students | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 5 | St. Marcus Lutheran School | 956 students | PreK-8 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Milwaukee Lutheran High School | 934 students | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Wisconsin Lutheran High School | 921 students | 9-12 | 3 mi |
| 8 | Marquette University High School | 893 students | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 9 | Shining Star Christian Schools | 777 students | PreK-9 | 4 mi |
| 10 | Divine Savior Holy Angels High School | 633 students | 9-12 | 4 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 94 ranked schools.
On the official WI Choice list
104 schools within 6 miles are on the list the state publishes; these are the 10 closest to downtown Milwaukee. 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 | Jo's Learning Academy | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 2 | Saint Catherine School | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 3 | Universal Scholars Academy | under 1 mi | not reported |
| 4 | Mt Calvary Lutheran School | under 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 5 | St. Coletta Day School of Milwaukee | under 1 mi | 5-12 |
| 6 | St. Sebastian School | under 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 7 | Mt Olive Christian Day School | 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 8 | Hope Christian School Prima | 1 mi | not reported |
| 9 | Yeshiva Elementary School | 1 mi | PreK-8 |
| 10 | Pilgrim Lutheran School | 2 mi | K-8 |
Source: the state’s official WI Choice list (dated August 4, 2026). Showing 10 of 104 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 22 of the 122 schools near Milwaukee, 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 | Living Hope Lutheran School | $4,400 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 2 | Mt Olive Christian Day School | $4,800 (lowest: K-5), 2025-26 | PreK-8 | 1 mi |
| 3 | St. Monica School | $7,651 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
| 4 | Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic School | $7,875 (lowest: K-5) | not reported | 8 mi |
| 5 | Saint Rafael the Archangel School | $7,875 (lowest: K-5) | not reported | 4 mi |
| 6 | St. Adalbert Elementary School | $7,875 (lowest: K-5) | K-8 | 4 mi |
| 7 | Up Christian Academy | $8,400 (lowest: K-5) | not reported | 2 mi |
| 8 | Eastbrook Academy | $9,000 to $11,000 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-12 | 4 mi |
| 9 | Hope Christian School-Semper | $10,877 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-8 | 2 mi |
| 10 | Hope Christian School: Fidelis | $10,877 (lowest: K-5) | PreK-8 | 5 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 22 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in Milwaukee?
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 122 private schools within 6 miles of Milwaukee on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which Milwaukee private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
8 of the 27 high schools near Milwaukee that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them St. Anthony School, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School and Eastbrook Academy (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 WI Choice list is the one the state publishes (dated August 4, 2026). Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.