Delaware is a small state with a surprisingly varied private school landscape. A family in Wilmington can compare Catholic parish schools, Montessori programs and college-preparatory academies within a short drive. A family near Georgetown or Seaford will weigh smaller Christian and Mennonite schools spread across farm country. Our directory lists 112 private schools statewide, and this page explains how they fit together so you know whom to call first.

Who Oversees Private Schools in Delaware

Delaware has no single office that runs private schools the way a district runs public ones. Private schools are independent: parish schools, church ministries, nonprofit boards and a few family-run operations. The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) administers state education policy, and compulsory attendance is set out in Title 14 of the Delaware Code. In general, children from age five through sixteen must attend school, and enrolling in a private school is one accepted way to meet that rule.

The practical result is that the state does not publish report cards for private schools. Quality checks come from other places: accrediting associations, denominational offices and each school's governing board. Catholic schools such as All Saints Catholic School in Wilmington and Our Lady Of Fatima School in New Castle are part of the Diocese of Wilmington, which covers Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Independent schools such as Archmere Academy in Claymont and St Andrew's School in Middletown answer to their own boards of trustees.

Preschools and child care follow a separate licensing track

Some entries in our database are nursery schools or day care programs, including Edu-Care Preschool Day Care in Newark, Lil Red Hen Nursery School in Delmar and Bethel Christian Preschool in Lewes. Programs that provide child care are generally licensed by the Office of Child Care Licensing, which sits within the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. That license covers staff-to-child ratios, background checks and safety inspections. It is separate from anything to do with K-12 schooling, so ask any preschool for its current license status before you enroll.

Tuition is paid by families

Delaware has not set up a statewide voucher program for private school tuition, so most families pay directly. Many schools soften the cost with their own financial aid, sibling discounts or monthly payment plans. Ask about these on your first call, because aid deadlines often fall months before classes begin.

Home instruction is a separate path

Families who teach their children at home deal with DDOE directly rather than with the schools in this directory. If you are weighing home instruction against a small private school, check DDOE for the current registration and reporting steps before you decide.

Metro Wilmington, Dover and Sussex County: How the Regions Differ

Where you live shapes your choices more than almost anything else. Delaware has only three counties, but they behave like three different markets.

New Castle County: the densest market

New Castle County holds 77 of the 112 listings, and Wilmington alone accounts for 40. Newark, Bear, New Castle, Hockessin and Claymont add more. Within this corridor you will find Hockessin Montessori School on Old Lancaster Pike, Caravel Academy on Del Laws Road in Bear, and Archmere Academy on Philadelphia Pike in Claymont. With this many choices, popular schools can fill early. Many set application deadlines in winter for the following fall, and some ask for entrance testing or a campus interview. Start at least a year ahead if you want a specific grade level.

Kent County: faith-based schools around Dover

Kent County has 22 listings, with 15 in Dover. Capitol Baptist School on Kesselring Avenue serves the capital area. Saint Thomas More Academy in Magnolia, Apple Grove School in Camden, Integrity Christian School in Felton, West Center School in Hartly and Kenton Mennonite School in Clayton draw families from the surrounding farm towns. Schools here tend to be smaller, and many are tied to a congregation or denomination. Expect to talk with a principal or pastor rather than a large admissions office.

Sussex County: long distances, small schools

Sussex County has 13 listings spread over a wide area. The Jefferson School in Georgetown, Lighthouse Christian School in Dagsboro, Pacem In Terris Academy in Frankford, Geneva Academy in Lincoln, Milford Christian School, Delmarva Christian Middle School in Milton, Seaford Christian Academy, Epworth Christian School in Laurel and Greenwood Mennonite School sit many miles apart. Because of that, commute time often matters more than campus facilities. Ask the school and your local public school district whether any bus service is available for your address.

Kinds of Private Schools Listed Across Delaware

The names in our listings point to a few clear groups:

A religious affiliation shapes the daily schedule, the curriculum and what the school expects from families. Ask each school how faith is part of the school day and whether it welcomes students from other backgrounds.

Steps for Researching a Delaware Private School

Start with grade range and location, then narrow by size, schedule and cost. Draw a realistic commute radius first. In Delaware, a school thirty minutes away can be an easy drive on Route 1 or U.S. 13, or a slow trip on a back road.

Call before you visit. The phone numbers in our listings, such as 302-995-2231 for All Saints Catholic School or 302-734-2410 for Capitol Baptist School, connect you to the school office. Ask about open seats, tuition, the application timeline and tour dates. Some small schools list a PO box instead of a street address, as Integrity Christian School in Felton does, so confirm the campus location before you drive out.

Fall and winter are the best seasons to tour. Classes are in session, and admissions staff are planning next year's classes. Weekday mornings usually work best, since many schools do not host visitors on weekends.

Bring records when you enroll. Schools typically want a birth certificate, recent report cards and immunization records. Having these ready lets a school place your child in the right grade and move your application along.

Finally, ask about accreditation and how the school handles transfer credits if you move. For a high school, ask where recent graduates went to college. Families in northern New Castle County sometimes look across the Pennsylvania line as well, and the same questions apply to any school you consider.

Private schools in Delaware 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. Delaware 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 24 cities across Delaware. They are spread across 3 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of private schools include Wilmington, Newark, Dover, reflecting larger population centers where demand for diverse educational options tends to support a wider range of private school institutions.

Families in Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware hold open house events in the fall that are open to prospective families without an appointment.

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

Matching a Delaware School to Where You Live

Delaware's small size works in your favor. From Claymont at the northern edge to Dagsboro near the southern coast, you can cross the state in a few hours, so touring schools in more than one county is realistic. Each county rewards a different approach.

In New Castle County, plan early and compare several schools in Wilmington, Newark, Bear and Hockessin, because the best-known ones can fill quickly. In Kent County, start with a phone call to schools near Dover, Camden and Magnolia, and ask how each connects to local congregations. In Sussex County, drive the route before you apply. A school in Milford, Milton or Seaford may look close on a map but take longer in summer beach traffic.

Check child care licensing for any preschool you consider. Programs such as Edu-Care Preschool Day Care in Newark or Child Care Academy II Inc in Bear appear in the directory, but a listing is not a license. Ask the provider for its current license and confirm it with the Office of Child Care Licensing.

Before you commit, ask for the handbook, tuition schedule and calendar in writing. Confirm that the phone number and address are current, since small schools sometimes move or change numbers. The answers below cover common Delaware questions.

Not in the way many families expect. Delaware sets compulsory attendance rules in Title 14 of the Delaware Code, and the Delaware Department of Education administers state education policy, but private schools run independently and do not receive public report cards. Quality signals come from elsewhere: regional accreditation, denominational oversight such as the Diocese of Wilmington for Catholic schools, and the school's own board. When you evaluate a school, ask which accrediting body it uses, request a copy of recent results or graduate outcomes, and talk with current parents. Because rules can change, confirm current reporting requirements with DDOE if you are starting a new school or a home program.

Under Delaware's compulsory attendance law, children generally must be in school from age five through age sixteen. A private school can satisfy that requirement, but the school sets its own entry age for kindergarten and its own policies for early learning programs. Preschools and nursery schools, such as those listed in Newark, Delmar and Lewes, fall outside the compulsory range, so enrollment there is entirely your choice. If your child is close to a cutoff date, ask the school directly how it treats birthdays near its deadline, since private schools can sometimes be more flexible or stricter than neighboring public districts. Get the policy in writing before you pay a deposit.

New Castle County has by far the most, with 77 of the 112 listings in our database. Wilmington leads the state with 40 listings, followed by Newark with 17 and Dover with 15. Kent County has 22 listings overall and Sussex County has 13. That split roughly follows population, since northern Delaware holds the largest share of residents. A bigger count does not automatically mean a better fit, though. A Sussex County family may prefer a nearby small school over a larger campus an hour away, and many Kent County schools offer a close-knit setting that suits younger children. Use the county pages to compare schools by distance.

Our listings include several Catholic schools, among them All Saints Catholic School on New Road in Wilmington, Our Lady Of Fatima School on North Dupont Highway in New Castle, Saint Thomas More Academy in Magnolia and Archmere Academy in Claymont. Parish and diocesan schools belong to the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, which is also the best place to ask about the diocesan school system as a whole. Tuition often differs for parishioners and non-parishioners, so ask each school about its rates and any parish discount. Archmere Academy operates as an independent Catholic school, so its admissions process works differently from a parish elementary school. Call each school to confirm grade levels and openings.

Yes. St Andrew's School on Noxontown Road in Middletown is widely known as a boarding school, so it draws students from beyond the Middletown area. For Montessori, Hockessin Montessori School on Old Lancaster Pike serves the Hockessin area in northern New Castle County. Because the word Montessori is used by schools with very different training standards, ask how the teachers were trained and what a typical day looks like. Ask for a tour during a regular school day, not a special event, so you see ordinary classrooms. Boarding programs usually require an application, records and an interview, so contact the admissions office well ahead of the fall start.

Most schools ask for a birth certificate, prior report cards or transcripts, and immunization records. Delaware sets immunization requirements for school entry, so get an up-to-date record from your child's doctor before the first day. Many schools also request a completed application, a registration fee and proof of address. Small schools, such as those in Kent and Sussex counties, may handle paperwork through a single office staff member, so call ahead to learn what to bring. If your child has an IEP or a learning plan, share it early so the school can tell you honestly what support it can provide.