Best Private Schools in Columbus, Ohio – 2025

February 28, 2025

As a parent in Columbus, Ohio—or the surrounding suburbs such as Powell, Westerville, Dublin, Upper Arlington, or Grandview Heights—you have a wealth of excellent private schools to choose from. Of course, having a ton of terrific options doesn’t make your selection any easier. After all, there are a multitude of considerations guiding your decision of which private schools in Columbus, Ohio will be best for your child. Are you seeking a boarding or day school? Do you want your child’s private high school to have a religious affiliation? How long of a commute is right for your teen’s lifestyle? However, College Transitions’ list of the Best Private Schools in Columbus will focus primarily on our area of expertise—college admissions. As such, we will highlight the job that each of the schools does at sending their graduates on to the region/nation’s premier 4-year schools.

Best Private Schools in Columbus, Ohio

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

1) The Wellington School

2) Columbus Academy

3) Columbus School for Girls

4) St. Charles Preparatory School

5) Columbus Torah Academy

6) St. Francis DeSales High School

7) Cristo Rey Columbus High School

8) Bishop Watterson High School

9) Bishop Ready High School

Please note that inclusion on our Best Private Schools in Columbus, Ohio list is a selective and criteria-based process. However, the order in which the schools appear is not representative of any further ranking; the numbering is solely intended to enhance the ease of navigating this resource. All of the schools profiled below have a history of sending graduates to the top colleges in the country. For each of our top institutions, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

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

Now, let’s dive in and examine the profiled Columbus, Ohio private schools.

#1 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

The Wellington School – Columbus, OH

3650 Reed Rd, Columbus, OH 43220

College Admissions Highlights: Graduates from the last five years from Wellington were accepted into these fine colleges and universities: Allegheny, Amherst, BC, BU, Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Dartmouth, Drexel, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Indiana, Loyola, NYU, Northwestern, Ohio State, Princeton, Purdue, Swarthmore, Syracuse, Tufts, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, WashingtonU, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: The student to teacher ratio is 8:1. 67 countries of origin for students past and present. 17 advanced courses, many in which students can sit for AP exams after completing. Wellington International Student Experience enables all students the opportunity to go abroad. 14 varsity sports with 38 teams. 76% students play at least one sport.

Tuition (9-12): $33,000
Enrollment (seniors) 57
Mean SAT Score: Not reported
Mean ACT Score: Not reported

#2 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Columbus Academy – Columbus, OH

4300 Cherry Bottom Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230

College Admissions Highlights: Over the last two years, students from Columbus Academy have gone on to continue their studies at these fine institutions: Baylor, BC, BU, Brown, Bucknell, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, NYU, Northeastern, Princeton, Stanford, Trinity, UCLA, UChicago, UMiami, UMichigan, UNC Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, William & Mary, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: The student to teacher ratio is 7:1. 70% of teachers hold advance degrees. 40% students of color. Honors and advanced courses prepare students for AP exams. 93% of students scored a 3 or higher on the AP exams. 145 AP Scholars. Art, theatre, & music every day. 60+ sports. The Academy Life is a student newspaper which covers school and world events.

Tuition (9-12): $35,300
Enrollment (seniors): 105
Mean SAT score: 1324
Mean ACT score: 30

#3 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Columbus School for Girls – Columbus, OH

65 S Drexel Ave, Columbus, OH 43209

College Admissions Highlights: Columbus school graduates over the last five years have gone on to enroll at these fine colleges & institutions: American, BC, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Harvard, Howard, Kenyon, NYU, Northwestern, Pitzer, Purdue, Skidmore, Ohio State, Tufts, UChicago, UMiami, UMichigan, Notre Dame, USC, UVA, Vanderbilt, Vassar, Villanova, VaTech, Wake Forest, WashingtonU, and Wesleyan.

Academic Highlights: Columbus School for girls serves females from 51 central Ohio zip codes. 42% of the student body identify as people of color. 41% of upper school faculty have earned a doctoral degree. 17 AP & 8 advanced courses. Arts curriculum offer visual from ceramics to drawing, musical orchestra to choir, and theater. 10 athletic teams & 25+ clubs and organizations.

Tutition (9-12): $32,300
Enrollment (seniors): 34
Mean SAT score: 1340
Mean ACT score: 27

#4 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

St. Charles Preparatory School – Columbus, OH

2010 E Broad St, Bexley, OH 43209

College Admissions Highlights: The two most recent classes were admitted to these prestigious colleges and universities: American, Baylor, Belmont, BC, Bucknell, Case Western, Clemson, Colorado School of Mines, Denison, Drexel, Duquesne, Embry-Riddle, Emory, GaTech, Hofstra, Indiana, Johns Hopkins, Loyola, Middlebury, Penn State, Purdue, RIT, SMU, Ohio State, Tennessee, UT Austin, U Chicago, UGA, Michigan, Notre Dame, Villanova, VaTech, Wake Forest, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: St Charles is an all boys school representing 56 different zip codes. 81% of faculty hold advanced degrees. 14 AP courses with 85% students scoring 3 or higher on the exams. 32.1% of seniors have completed an in-depth research experience or internship. 15 varsity teams with multiple JV or freshman teams for maximum participation.

Tuition (9-12): $15,950
Enrollment (seniors); ~120
Mean SAT score: 1297
Mean ACT score: 27.1

#5 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Columbus Torah Academy – Columbus, OH

181 Noe Bixby Rd, Columbus, OH 43213

College Admissions Highlights: Since 2005, students from CTA have been accepted into many fine colleges & universities: BU, Brandeis, Brown, Case Western, Cornell, Denison, Emory, George Washington, Hofstra, Indiana, NYU, Ohio State, Otterbein, Pratt, Princeton, RIT, Rutgers, UChicago, UCincinnati, UMaryland, UMiami, UMichigan, Penn, Pitt, USF, WashingtonU, Yeshiva, USC, and UVA.

Academic Highlights: Student to teacher ratio is 9:1. About 50% of faculty have an advanced degree. 1:1 technology plan. Depending on interest, AP classes available in Calculus, English, & Science. More than a 1000 alumni. 3 season of athletics with 6 teams in the high school. Students are encouraged to take a gap year in Israel after high school to deepen Jewish literacy; guidance department counsels on how to defer admissions.

Tuition (9-12): $21,000
Enrollment (seniors): 11
Mean SAT score: 1125
Mean ACT score: 24.5

#6 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

St. Francis DeSales High School – Columbus, OH

4212 Karl Rd, Columbus, OH 43224

College Admissions Highlights: Graduates in a recent class have chosen these colleges and universities to continue their studies: Belmont, Bowling Green State, Case Western, Clemson, Denison, Fordham, Harvard, Indiana, IUPUI, Loyola, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Saint Mary’s, Southeastern, William & Mary, Ohio State, UC Irvine, Cincinnati, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, Valparaiso, and Xavier.

Academic Highlights: Student to teacher ratio 17:1. 55% of faculty have advanced degrees. 37% identify as non-white. 20 AP & college credit through Ohio’s College Credit program. Innovation, engineering, and architecture department with CADD certification. 60+ clubs, performing arts, campus ministry, and service organizations. 22 varsity sports.

Tuition (9-12): $12,995
Enrollment (seniors): 213
Mean SAT score; Not reported
Mean ACT score: Not reported

#7 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Cristo Rey Columbus High School – Columbus, OH

400 E Town St, Columbus, OH 43215

College Admissions Highlights: Cristo Rey Columbus alumni have attended colleges and universities locally such as Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, Columbus College of Art & Design, Denison, and Ohio Dominican. And all over the country, like Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, U of San Diego, Loyola Marymount, Marshall, NYU, Northwestern, Notre Dame, UMass, Santa Clara, and Spelman.

Academic Highlights: Cristo Rey Columbus is a part of the Cristo Rey Network with 37 schools across the US. All students participate in a work-study program to cover some of the cost of their education. Yearly retreats for each grade level. 7 AP courses. 3 sports seasons with 14 sports and an option to play with local public school if the sport is not offered. 19 student clubs & organizations.

Tuition (9-12): $3000
Enrollment (seniors): 97
Mean SAT score: Not reported
Mean ACT score: Not reported

#8 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Bishop Watterson High School – Columbus, OH

99 E Cooke Rd, Columbus, OH 43214

College Admissions Highlights: Bishop Watterson HS students have been accepted at these colleges and universities: Allegheny, Amherst, Barnard, BC, Brandeis, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, U Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Davidson, Duke, Emory, Hamilton, Howard, Johns Hopkins, Kenyon, U Mass, MIT, U Michigan, NYU, UNC Chapel Hill, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, Princeton, Stanford, US Air Force Acad, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, and Washington U.

Academic Highlights: Student to teacher ratio is 10:1. 69% of faculty hold advanced degrees. 19 AP classes. One member of the class of 2023 had a perfect ACT score, 11 had a perfect subject score. Classes typically have 9100+ service hours. Over 100 students participate in student council & senior leadership. 27 varsity sports programs. Choir includes mixed, concert, handbell, & a Gold Standard A Cappella opportunities.

Tuition (9-12): $12,000
Enrollment (seniors): 244
Mean SAT score: 1179
Mean ACT score: 23.8

#9 Best Private High School in Columbus, OH

Bishop Ready High School – Columbus, Oh

707 Salisbury Rd, Columbus, OH 43204

College Admissions Highlights: Bishop Ready graduates from a recent 2 year sample, went onto these universities and colleges: Arizona State, BU, Bowling Green State, Citadel, Coastal Carolina, Duquesne, Loyola of Chicago, Miami U, Missouri U of Science & Tech, Ohio State, Ohio U, Ohio Wesleyan, Otterbein, US Military Academy, US Air Force Academy, U Cincinnati, UConn, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Wittenberg, and Xavier.

Academic Highlights: 12 AP & 31 College Credit Plus courses. 70% of students earn college credit for AP scores. 81% of professional staff have advanced degrees. 90+ service hours for each graduate. Yearly retreats with classmates. ~90% of students participate in the 22 clubs & organizations. 17 athletic teams were over 70% have been District Champions or better.

Tuition (9-12): $10,300
Enrollment (seniors): 104
Mean SAT Score: 1320
Mean ACT Score: 26

Final Thoughts – Best Columbus, Ohio Private Schools

We hope you found our blog on Columbus, Ohio private schools 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).