These 10 States Have the Most Affordable Private Schools

The words “private school” are often seen as synonymous with “pricey school,” but that is not always the case. In fact, in the states with low-cost private schools, the average annual cost is just $11,419.

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Certainly, this cost greatly exceeds that of a public school education, but there are many perks attached to it. Private schools typically have smaller student body counts — just 472, on average — and teacher to student ratios are also often lower than with public schools.

Recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress also shows that private school students score better in almost all subjects than public school students, echoing the results from other research as well.

To determine which states have the lowest cost of private school education, GOBankingRates looked at the five top-rated schools in each state, using data from Niche. Data was collected and up to date as of Aug. 2, 2022. States are listed in reverse order, with the most affordable state listed last.

If you’re considering a private school education for your children, you’re best served living in one of these states.

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $15,933
• Average Student Body Count: 817
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 8 to 1

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• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $15,268
• Average Student Body Count: 415
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 8 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $13,538
• Average Student Body Count: 460
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 9 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $13,330
• Average Student Body Count: 554
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 10 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $12,970
• Average Student Body Count: 786
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 9 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $9,374
• Average Student Body Count: 358
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 10 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $9,190
• Average Student Body Count: 265
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 11 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $9,022
• Average Student Body Count: 315
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 10 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $8,250
• Average Student Body Count: 142
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 8 to 1

• Average Highest Grade Yearly Tuition: $7,317
• Average Student Body Count: 603
• Average Student to Teacher Ratio: 11 to 1

Methodology: To find the states with the most and least affordable private schools, GOBankingRates looked at the five top-rated high schools from each state, according to Niche’s 2022 rankings. For each private school GOBankingRates found the following factors: (1) 2021-2022 yearly tuition for the highest grade level (does NOT include room and board); (2) enrollment numbers; (3) student to teacher ratio; (4) Niche ranking; and (5) location. Factors (1), (2) and (3) were averaged for each state, with only factor (1) used to determine final rankings. Those schools that did not separate room and board from tuition were not included. All data was collected on and up to date as of Aug. 2, 2022.