How Private Schools Are Organized in the District of Columbia

Families looking for private schools in the District of Columbia face a different setup from the rest of the country. The city has no separate state government, so duties that a state department normally handles are divided among several local agencies. Our database lists 74 private school entries, all in Washington. They range from Catholic high schools to Montessori programs and a ballet academy. This page explains how the system fits together and how to use it.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education, known as OSSE, acts as the state education agency for the District. It handles federal reporting, statewide standards and early-learning licensing. DC Public Schools runs the traditional district schools, and the DC Public Charter School Board authorizes charter schools. Private schools sit outside all three when it comes to admissions, curriculum, tuition and hiring.

That surprises families who move from a state with a private-school approval office. In DC, an independent or religious school generally sets its own program and decides whom to admit. Quality signals come from other places: accreditation, membership in groups such as the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, and, for parish schools and Catholic high schools, the Archdiocese of Washington. Ask each school which accrediting body it uses, and ask to see proof.

Programs for babies, toddlers and preschoolers are treated differently. A center that provides child care in the District needs a license through OSSE. Several entries in our listings appear to fall into this group, including Lena Sears Child Development Center on Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast and Second New St Paul Baptist Church Day Care on Franklin Street Northeast. Before enrolling a young child, ask the director for the current license and check its status with OSSE.

Families also have legal duties. DC's compulsory attendance law covers school-age children whether they attend public, charter or private school. DC Health immunization rules apply in private schools too. Each school will tell you which forms to submit. The health certificate usually comes from your pediatrician, so book that visit early.

Private School Neighborhoods Across Washington's Eight Wards

The District has no rural areas, so the useful divide is neighborhood and commute rather than metro versus countryside. Washington is split into four quadrants and eight wards, and private schools are spread across most of them. Your daily route matters as much as a school's reputation. School start times rarely line up neatly with Metrorail and Metrobus schedules.

In Northwest, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School at 1524 35th Street Northwest is a Catholic preparatory school for girls in Georgetown. Maret School on Cathedral Avenue Northwest and Lowell School on Kalmia Road Northwest are independent day schools in the upper part of the quadrant. The School For Ethics And Global Leadership sits at 1528 18th Street Northwest, close to Dupont Circle. Franklin Montessori School on Connecticut Avenue Northwest and Howard University Early Learning Program on College Street Northwest add early-childhood options.

Georgia Avenue Northwest carries two listings: The Bridges Academy at 6119 and San Miguel School at 7705. Both sit along one of the city's main north-south corridors, which helps if you rely on buses.

Northeast has a cluster around Harewood Road, where Archbishop Carroll High School (4300) and Kirov Academy Of Ballet Of Washington Dc (4301) have neighboring addresses. St Anselms Abbey School is at 4501 South Dakota Avenue Northeast. Farther east, Nannie Helen Burroughs School at 601 50th Street Northeast carries the name of the educator who founded a school for women and girls in 1909. Kennedy Institute on Buchanan Street Northeast and Metropolitan Day School on Randolph Street Northeast are also in this quadrant.

Southeast listings include St Thomas More Catholic on 4th Street Southeast, Dupont Park Adventist School on Alabama Avenue Southeast and Lena Sears Child Development Center. These sit east of the Anacostia River, so families there should test commute times at real rush hours before committing to a campus.

Because the District is a single jurisdiction, every entry is grouped under the District of Columbia County page. Use it to scan addresses and phone numbers side by side.

Types of Private Schools You Will Find in Washington, DC

Names alone can hide what a school actually offers, so sort the listings by type before you start calling.

A few entries are day care or child development centers rather than classic schools. That is not a problem, but it changes what to ask. For a day care, focus on licensing, staff ratios and hours. For a high school, focus on graduation outcomes, course offerings and college counseling.

Practical Steps Before You Call a Washington Private School

Start with the school's own admissions office, not a central portal. Public and many charter schools share the My School DC common lottery. Private schools do not. Each one runs its own applications, deadlines and fees. Many independent schools set winter deadlines for the following fall, but dates differ. Check each website about a year ahead for entry grades.

Prepare a short list of questions before you call:

What accreditation does the school hold? What is the full annual cost, including fees, uniforms and after-care? How does the school support students with learning differences? Does it take part in the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, a federally funded program that helps eligible low-income District families pay private tuition? Participation is up to each school, so ask directly.

Bring what the school requests to tours and interviews. That is typically a recent report card, an immunization record and a birth certificate. If you plan to apply for a scholarship, bring proof of DC residency and income documents as well.

Visit on a normal school day so you can see classrooms in use, and walk or drive the route at pick-up time. Call the number in the listing during weekday school hours, and confirm the street address before you leave home. When you are ready to compare, return to the District of Columbia County page and mark your shortlist.

Private schools in District of Columbia 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. District of Columbia 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 1 cities across District of Columbia. They are spread across 1 counties.

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

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

Browse Private Schools by county across District of Columbia to find the nearest location.

Comparing Washington's Private School Options

Washington's private schools mostly serve District families, and the city is compact enough that you can visit campuses in several quadrants over one weekend. Sort your shortlist by three factors: the commute, the age range served, and the support your child needs.

A parish-based school such as St Thomas More Catholic on 4th Street Southeast offers a different community than a larger independent campus like Maret School or Lowell School. A Montessori program such as Franklin Montessori School or Christian Family Montessori follows a distinct classroom method, so visit during a working morning rather than an open house. For a child with a specific passion, Kirov Academy Of Ballet Of Washington Dc offers ballet training that will not resemble a standard day-school schedule.

Use the phone numbers in each listing and keep notes on every call: who you spoke with, which deadlines they gave and what documents they asked for. The District of Columbia County page collects all entries in one place. That makes it easier to compare addresses by neighborhood and to spot schools you may have overlooked outside your own ward.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools in the District of Columbia

The District does not run a general approval program for private academic schools the way many states do, so each school's academic program is largely its own responsibility. Building safety, fire code and health rules still apply. Any part of a school that offers licensed child care falls under OSSE oversight. Because there is no blanket stamp of approval, look at accreditation, membership in groups such as the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, and the Archdiocese of Washington for Catholic schools. If a school's status is unclear, ask OSSE directly.

Child care in the District is licensed through OSSE, which oversees early learning statewide. Several programs in our database appear to be early-childhood centers, including Lena Sears Child Development Center, Second New St Paul Baptist Church Day Care and Howard University Early Learning Program. Ask the director to show the current license, then contact OSSE to verify status and ask about inspection history. Also ask about staff-to-child ratios, hours, meals and pick-up rules. A center that welcomes these questions and answers them clearly is usually a good sign.

No. My School DC is the common lottery for DC Public Schools and participating charter schools. Private schools, from Maret School to Archbishop Carroll High School, handle their own applications, tours, interviews and deadlines. Contact each admissions office directly and keep a calendar, because dates vary. Expect requests for report cards, teacher recommendations and an application fee. Some schools use standardized testing for upper grades, and parish schools may ask about church membership. Apply to several schools if you can, since offers and financial aid decisions often arrive at different times.

It is a federally funded scholarship program that helps eligible District residents with limited incomes send their children to participating private schools. Eligibility depends on DC residency and household income, and families must submit an application with supporting documents. Not every private school participates, and an award may not cover the full tuition at every school. Rules and income limits change, so confirm current details with the program before you apply. Also ask each school's admissions office whether it accepts scholarship students and how its own financial aid works alongside the scholarship.

Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School and Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center appear in our data with PO box mailing addresses instead of street addresses. Don Bosco's number also has a 301 area code, which serves parts of Maryland, while District numbers use 202. A mailing box tells you where mail goes, not where classes meet. Call before you travel to confirm the campus address, visiting hours and whether visitors must check in. Do the same for any listing, especially if you are taking time off work for a tour.

Yes. Our listings include St Thomas More Catholic at 4265 4th Street Southeast, Dupont Park Adventist School at 3942 Alabama Avenue Southeast and Lena Sears Child Development Center at 3456 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast. Nannie Helen Burroughs School at 601 50th Street Northeast is also on the east side of the river. Distances between campuses can be long, so test the commute at the actual drop-off hour by bus, car or Metrorail. Ask each school about before-care and after-care too, since those hours often decide whether a schedule works for a working family.