Best Private Schools in San Diego – 2025

February 24, 2025

San Diego Area parents looking for the right private school for their children are likely interested in assessing the college counseling and college matriculation statistics of all prospective private high schools. This is even relevant information even for parents of an elementary or middle school student as, ideally, your child will continue at the same private institution for the bulk of their K-12 experience. Ultimately, you will need to balance your student’s academic, emotional, and social needs with financial and logistical considerations. However, College Transitions’ list of the Best Private Schools in San Diego will focus primarily on our area of expertise—college admissions. As such, we will highlight the job that each of the best private schools in San Diego fare at sending their graduates on to the region/nation’s premier 4-year schools.

Best Private Schools in San Diego

Here’s a quick preview of the schools that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Army and Navy Academy

2) Cathedral Catholic High School

3) Francis Parker School

4) La Jolla Country Day School

5) Pacific Ridge School

6) San Diego Jewish Academy

7) Santa Fe Christian Schools

8) The Bishop’s School

9) The Cambridge School

10) The Grauer School

The following list is not representative of any type of ranking system (the order is alphabetical), but rather, is simply intended to provide prospective students and their parents with a detailed overview of each school. All of the schools profiled below have a history of sending graduates to the top colleges in the country. For each of the 10 schools, College Transitions will provide you with:

Location
Tuition (9-12)
Enrollment (9-12)
Average SAT Score
Average ACT Score
Senior Class Size
College Admissions Highlights
Academic Highlights

Now, without further delay, let’s look at the ten best private schools in San Diego.

#1 Best Private Schools in San Diego

Army and Navy Academy – San Diego

2605 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008

College Admissions Highlights: Recent graduates have gained acceptance into the US Naval, Military, Air Force, and Coast Guard Academies plus ROTC universities Norwich, The Citadel, VMI. Graduates have also attended prestigious universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cal Tech, Pomona, Stanford, USC, Purdue, UMichigan, WashU, GaTech, VaTech, BC, BU, Cornell, Columbia, MIT, NYU, Johns Hopkins, and RIT.

Academic Highlights: All boys institution. JROTC program has 5 levels of Leadership Education Training. 19 AP courses are offered. 90% of cadets are boarded on campus. STEM focused core classes, alongside electives like computer science and aviation (students can get pilot’s license while attending high school).

Tuition (9-12): $41,800 (Day); $60,750 (Boarding)
Enrollment (7-12): 320
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

#2 Best Private Schools in San Diego

Cathedral Catholic High School – San Diego

5555 Del Mar Heights Rd, San Diego, CA 92130

College Admissions Highlights: Graduates in 2023 were accepted at Baylor, BC, BU, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Oberlin, Ohio State, Penn State, Pepperdine, Purdue, Stanford, TCU, UMich, USC, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Tennessee, UW Madison, Penn, Vanderbilt, Vassar, and WashingtonU.

Academic Highlights: Dual enrollment courses are offered through MiraCosta College. 26 AP and 32 honors courses are available. 156 students were recognized as AP Scholars. 76% of AP test-takers scored a 3 or higher. Over 100 campus clubs and organizations. Over 30 athletic teams and sports available fore students.

Tuition (9-12): $20,910
Enrollment (seniors): 403
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

#3 Best Private Schools in San Diego

Francis Parker School – Dan Diego

6501 Linda Vista Rd, San Diego, CA 92111

College Admissions Highlights: In one recent 4-year stretch, students have matriculated into American, Barnard, Bates, BU, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Cornell, Dartmouth, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Hofstra, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northwestern, Pepperdine, Princeton, Scripps, Stanford, Tufts, UCLA, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, U Michigan, Penn, Tennesse, UVA, Vassar, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wesleyan, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: 24 AP courses & 39 honors courses. 80% of AP students earned a 3 or above. The average teacher has 16 years of experience. 88% of faculty members hold advanced degrees. 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 42% students of color.

Tuition (9-12): $44,300
Enrollment (seniors): 142
Average SAT Score: 1369
Average ACT Score: 31.7

#4 Best Private Schools in San Diego

La Jolla Country Day School – San Diego

9490 Genesee Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037

College Admissions Highlights: For the last 3 years multiple students have enrolled at the following highly-selective schools: Barnard, BC, BU, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Emory, George Washington, Howard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Pomona, Princeton, Stanford, Tufts, UC Berkeley, UCLA, U Chicago, U Michigan, Penn, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington U, William & Mary, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: Average class size for upper and middle school 16-18. 90 zip codes represented in student body. 62% faculty members with postgraduate degrees. 20 AP classes are offered. 87% students scored a 3 or higher. 17 introductory courses in the arts. 90% of upper school student play one or more of the 38 varsity, JV, or novice athletic teams.

Tuition (9-12): $44,400
Enrollment (seniors): 121
Mid-50% SAT Score: 1240-1500
Mid-50% ACT Score: 27-33

#5 Best Private Schools in San Diego

Pacific Ridge School – San Diego

6269 El Fuerte St, Carlsbad, CA 92009

College Admissions Highlights: Over a four year period, students from Pacific Ridge have been accepted to: BC, BU, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Claremont McKenna, William & Mary, Columbia, Cornell, Drexel, Emory, Georgetown, GaTech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, NYU, Northeastern, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pepperdine, Penn State, Penn, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Tufts, UCLA, UC Berkeley, U Chicago, U Mass, U Miami, USC, U Michigan, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Washington U, and Yale,

Academic Highlights: Student-teacher ration 7:1. Over 15 AP & post-AP courses are offered. 92 students scored 3 or above on AP exams. 2 National Merit semi-finalists. 28 multilingual households in a recent class. 65 countries visited and 29 domestic destinations as part of the Global Engagement.

Tuition (9-12): $42,550
Enrollment (seniors): 120
Middle 50% SAT Score: 1270-1430
Average ACT Score: 31

#6 Best Private Schools in San Diego

San Diego Jewish Academy – San Diego

11860 Carmel Creek Rd, San Diego, CA 92130

College Admissions Highlights: Over the last five years, graduates from San Diego Jewish Academy were accepted at American, Babson, Baylor, BC, CalTech, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, King’s College London, MIT, Miami University, NYU, Northeastern, Penn State, Princeton, SMU, Stanford, Tulane, Tufts, UCLA, U Chicago, Michigan, USC, Vassar, Wake Forest, Washington U, William & Mary, Yeshiva, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: 59% of AP testers scored a 3 or better. 75-minute classes meet every other day. 15 AP courses are available. San Diego Jewish Academy also runs 17 honors courses. Visual & performing arts includes theater productions in a state of the art auditorium. Varsity athletic teams are a part of the coastal conference competing between division 3-5.

Tuition (K-12): $41,300
Enrollment (seniors): 480
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

#7 Best Private Schools in San Diego

Santa Fe Christian Schools – San Diego

838 Academy Dr, Solana Beach, CA 92075

College Admissions Highlights: Students from SFC have enrolled in the following schools: Baylor, BC, Caltech, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Duke, Emory, GaTech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Colorado School of Mines, MIT, Notre Dame, NYU, Northwestern, Penn State, Pepperdine, Princeton, Purdue, Rensselaer, Vanderbilt, USC, Rice, Stanford, SMU, UVA, US Military Acad, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Wheaton, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: There are 19 AP courses offered. Average class size for k-12 is 20 students per class. Over 20 athletic teams. Students can participate in Instrumental, Vocal, Media, Visual, and Theatre Arts.

Tuition (9-12): $27,520
Enrollment (9-12): 452
Mid-50% SAT Score: 1100-1320
Mid-50% ACT Score: 23-31

#8 Best Private Schools in San Diego

The Bishop’s School – San Diego

7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

College Admissions Highlights: Over the last four years, Bishop’s celebrated students matriculating to: Amherst, BC, Brown, Cal Tech, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Drexel, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, MIT, NYU, Northeastern, Penn State, Pepperdine, Princeton, Stanford, UT Austin, Tufts, US Air Force Acad, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, UMass, Michigan, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington U, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: Students of color made up more than 50% of the student population. 80% of students play a varsity or JV sport. Honors courses are offered in place of AP, there are 22 AP-equivalent courses and 14 Advanced Honors equivalent to “post-AP”. Over 70 clubs and affinity space give students the opportunity to engage and serve.

Tuition (9-12): $47,100
Enrollment (Seniors): 127
Mid-50% SAT Score: 1360-1550
Mid-50% ACT Score: 30-35

#9 Best Private Schools in San Diego

The Cambridge School – San Diego

12855 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92129

College Admissions Highlights: The graduates of The Cambridge School over the last seven years have attended schools such as Baylor, Cal Poly, Claremont McKenna, William & Mary, DePaul, George Washington, Georgetown, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Lehigh, Loyola, Pitzer, Princeton, Rutgers, Stanford, TCU, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, Notre Dame, Wesleyan, and Whitworth.

Academic Highlights: Average class size is 19. A recent sample of two classes had 7 National Merit Semi-Finalists. 90% of faculty hold advanced degrees. Students complete 4 years of Latin. Participation in Debate Team, athletics and house programs are co-curricular distinctions.

Tuition (9-12): $29,650
Enrollment (Seniors): 27
Average SAT Score: 1430
Average ACT Score: 32

#10 Best Private Schools in San Diego

The Grauer School – San Diego

1500 S El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024

College Admissions Highlights: Recent college acceptances included of Grauer School graduates include: American, Amherst, Bates, Barnard, Berklee College of Music, BU, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Case Western, U Chicago, Colby, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Emory, George Washington, Hofstra, John Hopkins, Kenyon, Loyola, Macalester, U Mass, Miami, NYU, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitzer, Princeton, Rice, Swarthmore, USC, Tufts, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Wake Forest, Washington U, Wellesley, and Williams.

Academic Highlights: 86% of faculty members have an advanced degree. 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio. 86% of students take advantage of Grauer’s offerings in the arts. Seniors complete a portfolio and then present a Thesis Defense. 70% student body participation in team sports. Students complete a minimum of 50 hours of community service.

Tuition (9-12): $32,839
Enrollment (7-12): 160
Average SAT Score: 1341
Average ACT Score: 29.0

Final Thoughts – Best Private High Schools in San Diego

We hope you found our blog on private schools in San Diego to be helpful. All high school students and families may wish to explore further information regarding the college search and admissions process at our Dataverse, Blog, and List-Building Tool.

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High School Success

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).