The transition from childhood to adolescence is a critical stage of growth and development. As parents, one of the most important obligations is to provide a high-quality education to your child — a learning environment tailored specifically to your child’s personal needs and interests. When it comes to the availability of private elementary schools in San Diego, you have plenty of options.
When your kids reach the age to begin elementary school, you will have to decide the best path for them. Private schools excel at meeting the unique needs of each child and ensuring their progress in both academic and social development. With access to some of the highest-quality programs and well-renowned faculty members, it’s no surprise why parents choose a private elementary school.
In San Diego, you’ll find over 300 private schools, including secular and parochial ones, making it challenging for parents to choose the best one. To identify the best private elementary school, we reviewed rankings for all private schools from the 2024 Best Private Elementary Schools in San Diego list released by school and neighborhood data clearinghouse Niche. The rankings below have been compiled based on several factors:
Let’s look at some of the top private elementary schools in San Diego that are considered among the best!
6501 Linda Vista Rd., San Diego, CA 92111
Phone Number: (858) 874-3376
#1 in Best Private K-12 Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A+
Students: 1,312
Student-Teacher Ratio: 5:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $44,300
At Parker’s Lower School, you’ll notice a high degree of engagement and enthusiasm in all of its classrooms. Students are given a balance of individual and collaborative working time, moving from learning pods to one-on-one time with their instructors. Teachers provide ample opportunities for students to ask questions and research topics that are meaningful for each student.
As a Parker Lower School student, your child will spark a lifelong love of learning, build a supportive community, master essential skills, and begin to discover their place in a larger world. They have daily examples of character education set by our teachers and staff who model friendliness, compassion, understanding, and patience—and then help our students grow those values into lifelong “ways of being.”
9490 Genesee Ave., La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone Number: (858) 453-3440
#2 in Best High Schools for STEM in San Diego Area
Grade: A+
Students: 1,157
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $41,530
La Jolla Country Day School’s Lower School is where parents are often reminded of the best aspects of their childhood. Every day, every hour, and every encounter, they use the skills they learned in grade school. They listen carefully, smile at others, ask questions, laugh often, and are present in the moment. They foster each child’s socioemotional growth to lay the foundation for academic success.
Lower School is where they lay the foundation for the joy of learning, and their educators play a critical role in that process. The sense of exhilaration present in this age group is something special. Children’s natural curiosity and questioning are nurtured alongside a well-balanced educational experience. LJCDS is where the best of classical and progressive education blends.
12855 Black Mountain Rd., San Diego, CA 92129
Phone Number: (858) 484-3488
#2 in Best Christian High Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A+
Students: 392
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $28,280
The Cambridge School seeks a distinctly Christian education in the classical tradition. This education equips students to know, love, and practice what is true, good, and beautiful and thus prepares them to live purposefully and intelligently in service of God and neighbor. The school is not simply concerned with what kind of student your child is but is more concerned with what kind of person your child is becoming.
Committed to a robust anthropology, Cambridge endeavors to teach the whole student through embodied learning experiences and a sensitivity to the complexity of human nature: its dignity and frailty. While vigorously pursuing academics, they recognize that people are more than their knowledge and intentionally concern themselves with character maturation.
11860 Carmel Creek Rd., San Diego, CA 92130
Phone Number: (858) 704-3801
#5 in Best Jewish Schools in California
Grade: A+
Students: 569
Student-Teacher Ratio: 13:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $26,560
At Golda Meir Lower School (GMLS), they see every student as an individual. Through personalized academics, positive nurturing relationships, and an integrated curriculum, they provide opportunities for students to challenge their strengths, explore their unique interests, and develop a lifelong passion for learning.
At GMLS, education comes alive through interdisciplinary inquiry, exploration, and reflection. Through intentional instruction in our academic and Middot (values-based) programs, they foster the whole child’s growth. Their intimate classroom environment inspires students to ask insightful questions and apply their knowledge to formulate real-life solutions to our world’s most significant challenges.
3547 Altadena Ave., San Diego, CA, 92105
Phone Number: (619) 287–3054
#5 in Best Private K-12 Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A+
Students: 273
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $21,810
Children learn best if they love their teacher. When children enter Grade 1 in the Waldorf School, they meet the person who will ideally teach them the core curriculum for the next eight years. The relationship between teacher and child constantly evolves and deepens, providing continuity often lacking today. Mutual trust and confidence allow the development of authority.
The Waldorf curriculum is organized around the block schedule, creating a school year of approximately nine blocks, each lasting three to four weeks. Students focus on one main academic area each block, including math, science, language arts, history, geography, and more. School days for all grades begin with an engaging two-hour main lesson period. These focused lessons allow students to dive deeply into academic studies in a lively, captivating way.
838 Academy Dr., Solana Beach, CA 92075
Phone Number: (858) 755-8900
#4 in Best Christian High Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A+
Students: 1,079
Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $20,220
SFC’s elementary curriculum is dedicated to nurturing the values that lay the foundation for your child’s success. With small classes, students are loved and known by their teachers and peers. The program also introduces students to specialty classes like fine arts, Spanish, and other extracurriculars.
Character training is another essential element of their elementary curriculum. Students are organized into small groups led by staff members that meet regularly throughout the year. In these groups, students foster relationships and have mentorship opportunities at various development levels.
500 Las Flores Dr., San Marcos, CA 92078
Phone Number: (760) 305-8505
#4 in Best Catholic High Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A
Students: 360
Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $12,881
St. Joseph Academy was established in response to the Second Vatican Council’s call for greater lay witness in contemporary society. Teaching by the Magisterium of the Church, their mission is to form young men and women committed to living by Catholic principles, which will transform and advance human culture.
They aim to accomplish this by offering a traditional learning environment that blends faith and reason in educating the whole child. Teachers use time-honored curricula and teaching practices that actively engage students at a high level of learning. Students demonstrate creative thinking, problem-solving, knowledge attainment, and application skills.
810 Buena Vista Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone Number: (619) 262-4444
#5 in Best Christian High Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A
Students: 80
Student-Teacher Ratio: 11:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $10,400
Victory Christian Academy’s primary education, spanning Kindergarten through 8th grade, focuses on the holistic development of its students and creating a foundation of character and knowledge that will propel them to success in high school, college, and life. Strong academics are central to this approach, and in recent standardized testing, Victory’s eighth-graders averaged college-level scores in the English, Math, and Complete Composite categories.
At Victory Grade School, every student receives the individual instruction necessary to cultivate a genuinely expansive education experience. Class sizes at Victory Grade School are as small as 50% smaller than Chula Vista and other public schools in the San Diego area. In addition to a world-class educational experience, students also have excellent opportunities for athletics and arts at Victory Grade School.
2277 Rosecrans St., San Diego, CA 92106
Phone Number: (619) 764-5200
#6 in Best Christian High Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A
Students: 582
Student-Teacher Ratio: 14:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $15,550
At the Rock Academy, they sincerely care about who your child will become. They are committed to building leaders who are deep thinkers, dynamic communicators, and Do Something Christians, prepared for college and life. Through their whole-student approach to education and an intimate and diverse school community, they will ensure your child is known, loved, and equipped to reach their fullest potential.
A Christ-centered, well-rounded education in a nurturing and supportive environment. Their teachers and staff are passionate about their calling. They integrate biblical truth throughout our curriculum as students experience the beauty of language arts, examine the depths of history, engage in the rigor of physical education, and explore the wonders of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).
679 Encinitas Blvd., Encinitas, CA 92024
Phone Number: (760) 634-1188
#9 in Best Private K-12 Schools in San Diego Area
Grade: A
Students: 119
Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
Average Graduation Rate: 100%
Yearly Tuition: $20,700
Pacific Academy Encinitas Elementary School teaches interdisciplinary lessons that integrate each subject. This provides exposure to different aspects of each subject and highlights the key concepts that the students are learning. The school incorporates self-guided research, hands-on scientific exploration, Socratic seminars, and diversified mathematics.
Pacific Academy Encinitas Elementary School (K-5) strives to create an exciting, energetic environment where students learn through hands-on activities. Using a whole-child approach, they will partner with you to support your student’s academic success, social development, and growth in their faith. They feature a 10:1 teacher-to-student ratio, allowing students the most positive learning experience.
Your child’s primary education provides a basic understanding of various subjects and nurtures their knowledge and skills that they can use in high school and college. As parents, you can choose a school whose values, philosophy, and teaching approach fit your child’s personal needs. With our list of private elementary schools in San Diego, your kids can grow and explore how they learn best!
San Diego offers so many opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources, or browse through our things to do in San Diego with kids. Still looking for more activities for kids in San Diego? No problem! Check out our comprehensive listing of places to go in the region and our highly recommended education blog posts.
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Our 10 Best Private High Schools in San Diego
Our 10 Best Private High Schools in Los Angeles
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