California has one of the largest and most varied private school sectors in the country, and the 3,277 listings in this directory show it. They range from Montessori programs in Sacramento and Long Beach to Christian high schools in Bakersfield and Torrance, an Armenian day school in Santa Ana, and small preschools on residential streets. None of these schools belong to a single system. Each is run by its own owner, nonprofit board, congregation, or religious order, so tuition, calendars, and admission rules are set school by school. This page explains how the state oversees them and how to turn the listings into a realistic shortlist.

How the State of California Oversees Private Schools

The first surprise for many families is how little the state does. The California Department of Education (CDE) does not license, accredit, or approve private schools. Instead, under Education Code section 33190, every private school offering elementary or high school instruction files a Private School Affidavit with CDE each year, during a window from October 1 to October 15. The affidavit gives the school's name, address, enrollment, and officers, and attests that it keeps required records and meets basic fire, health, and safety obligations. CDE uses these filings to publish its Private School Directory. Appearing there means a school filed the paperwork. It is not a quality rating.

A few other rules do apply. Education Code section 48222 says private full-time day schools must teach in English, use teachers capable of teaching, and cover the branches of study required in public schools. California does not require private school teachers to hold a state teaching credential. Employees must, however, go through a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Compulsory education law still covers children from age 6 to 18, and school immunization requirements apply to private schools too. Since 2016 California has allowed only medical exemptions, not personal belief exemptions.

Programs for younger children sit under a different agency. Preschools and child care centers are generally licensed by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. That matters here because many listings, such as Carmel Mountain Preschool in San Diego or Apple Tree Learning Center in Riverside, are early learning programs rather than K–12 schools.

Private Schools Across California: Los Angeles Basin, Bay Area, and Central Valley

Where you live changes what you will find. The Los Angeles area dominates. Los Angeles County holds nearly a third of all listings in the state, with entries from Los Angeles, Pasadena, Long Beach, Torrance, Glendale, and Whittier. Examples include Chandler School on Armada Drive in Pasadena, Marina Montessori School on Ximeno Avenue in Long Beach, and Bishop Montgomery High School on Torrance Boulevard. Commutes are long, so many families shortlist by drive time along their actual route rather than by distance on a map.

Farther south, Orange County and San Diego County have steady clusters of church-affiliated and Montessori schools. Look at American Montessori Academy in Anaheim, Covenant Christian School in Orange, Cornerstone Community School in Mission Viejo, and Berean Bible Baptist Academy in Chula Vista.

In the Bay Area, Santa Clara County includes Bowman International School in Palo Alto, Cornerstone Kindergarten in San Jose, and a Kindercare center in Santa Clara. Alameda County has Archway School in Oakland and Bethel Christian Academy in Fremont. San Francisco has 96 listings in a compact city, so many programs are small and neighborhood-based.

Inland, the picture thins out. Kern, Fresno, and San Joaquin counties each have established schools, including Bakersfield Christian High School on Stockdale Highway, Central Valley Christian Academy on East Dakota Avenue in Fresno, and Children's Home of Stockton. Options within a short drive are fewer, though. Sonoma County is a notable exception outside the big metros, with about 100 listings, many around Santa Rosa. In the far north and the Sierra, a county may have only a handful of schools. Families there often look at religious schools, small independent programs, or home-based programs that register as private schools.

What You Will Find in the California Listings

The categories overlap, but most entries fall into a few groups:

A listing is a starting point. Some entries carry a PO Box instead of a street address, including Adda Clevenger Jr Preparatory & Theater School in San Francisco and Cornerstone Community School in Mission Viejo. Ask for the campus address before you drive out.

Checking a California Private School Before You Apply

Start by confirming the school appears in CDE's current Private School Directory. Then call or visit and ask a short list of questions. Is the school accredited, and by whom? Accreditation is voluntary, but it means outside reviewers have examined the program. Common accreditors in California include the Accrediting Commission for Schools of WASC, the California Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, and, for Catholic schools, the Western Catholic Education Association.

If your child is heading to college, ask whether the school's courses appear on the University of California's A–G list. UC and Cal State admission both depend on that pattern of subjects, and private schools submit their own course lists for review. Ask about graduation requirements and whether the school issues a transcript that colleges accept.

Next, read the enrollment contract before you pay a deposit. California does not set tuition or fee rules for private schools, so the contract governs refunds, re-enrollment fees, and what happens if you withdraw mid-year. There is also no statewide voucher program, so tuition is paid by families, sometimes with financial aid from the school.

Timing varies. Many selective independent schools set application deadlines in winter for the following fall, with tours beginning the autumn before. Preschools, Montessori programs, and many church-run schools often accept students through the year if space allows. Visit on a regular school day, ask to see the classroom your child would join, and ask whether you can speak with current families.

Private schools in California are licensed and regulated by the state's department of education, which sets minimum standards for safety, curriculum, and accreditation while allowing institutions significant freedom in operations and admissions. California may also offer education savings account or voucher programs that provide public funding assistance to eligible families attending private schools.

Private Schools locations are available in 500 cities across California. They are spread across 54 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of private schools include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, reflecting larger population centers where demand for diverse educational options tends to support a wider range of private school institutions.

Families in California exploring private school options should contact each school's admissions office to request a prospectus, schedule a tour, and learn about financial aid availability, as tuition and assistance programs vary significantly from one institution to the next.

Private Schools by Counties

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Families in California comparing private school options should check each school's accreditation status through the state department of education and request standardized test score data, graduation rates, and college placement outcomes. Many private schools in California hold open house events in the fall that are open to prospective families without an appointment.

Browse Private Schools by county across California to find the nearest location.

Records, Transfers, and Special Education for California Private School Families

Because California leaves most private school decisions to the schools themselves, your own paperwork carries more weight than it would in a public district. Keep the enrollment agreement, tuition schedule, and immunization records together, and ask for a progress report or transcript at the end of each year. Families in Sacramento County, where Bergamo Montessori School on Pocket Road runs from preschool through 8th grade, or anywhere else in the state, will need these if they move to a public district later.

Public districts set their own placement practices for transfer students, so call the district office before the move and ask which documents it wants. Expect to show proof of immunization and age.

Children with disabilities have some protection too. Under federal law, the public school district where a private school is located must locate and evaluate children with suspected disabilities who attend it. You can request an evaluation in writing from that district. Services for parentally placed private school students are more limited than those for public school students, so ask what the district can offer. A district-placed student in a CDE-certified nonpublic school is a separate arrangement, arranged and paid for by the district, and is not the same as choosing a private school yourself.

California Private School FAQs

No. The California Department of Education does not license, accredit, or approve private K–12 schools. The state's role is mostly record keeping: each school files an annual Private School Affidavit and appears in CDE's Private School Directory. Safety oversight comes from other bodies. Local fire marshals and county health departments handle building and sanitation matters, and the Department of Justice processes employee fingerprint checks. Accreditation is voluntary and comes from outside organizations such as WASC or a religious school association. If you have a concern about a specific school, start with its head or governing board, then the accreditor if it has one, and contact local authorities about any safety issue.

Schools file the affidavit online with CDE between October 1 and October 15 each year, under Education Code section 33190. The information feeds the Private School Directory, which CDE publishes on its website and which you can search by school name, county, or city. If a school you are considering does not appear, ask why. It may be new, it may file under a parent organization's name, or it may be a preschool licensed by Social Services rather than a K–12 school. A school should be able to tell you its status when you ask.

No state teaching credential is required for private school teachers in California. Education Code section 48222 requires only that teachers be capable of teaching, so qualifications are set by each school. In practice, many independent and Catholic schools expect a bachelor's degree and often a master's or a credential, and Montessori schools usually look for training from a recognized Montessori organization. Every employee must still pass a fingerprint-based criminal background check. Ask the school what share of its teachers hold degrees or credentials, how long teachers stay, and what professional training the school pays for. Those answers tell you more than the absence of a state rule.

Yes. California's school immunization law, Health and Safety Code section 120335, covers private schools and child care centers as well as public schools. Since the 2016 law known as SB 277, personal belief exemptions are no longer allowed for new enrollment. Medical exemptions are the only option, and they must be supported by a licensed physician. Schools check records at entry, and families should expect requirements at kindergarten entry and again for 7th grade. Ask the school which documents it wants and by what date, ideally before you pay a deposit, so a missing record does not delay the first day.

Preschools and child care centers are licensed by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, not by CDE. The division offers an online facility search and posts inspection reports for licensed facilities. Search by the facility name or city, then compare the address and capacity with what the program tells you. Some programs, such as those run by a school that mainly serves older children, may fall under different rules, so ask which category applies. For a Kindercare center, a Montessori school, or a neighborhood preschool alike, licensed centers are expected to display their license on site, so you can ask to see it.

Some schools give only a mailing address in public records. In this directory, Adda Clevenger Jr Preparatory & Theater School in San Francisco and Cornerstone Community School in Mission Viejo appear with PO Box addresses. You cannot visit a PO Box, so call the phone number on the listing and ask where classes meet. Small schools sometimes use space in churches or community buildings, and that location can change between school years. Confirm the campus address, drop-off hours, and parking before your first visit, and check that the location is realistic for your daily commute.