How Private Schools Are Organized in Georgia

Georgia has no single state office that runs private schools. The 693 listings in this directory cover independent day schools, church-run academies, Montessori programs and small schools attached to child care centers. Each one sets its own tuition, calendar and admissions rules, so choosing a private school works very differently from enrolling in a public school zone.

This page explains who sets the rules, how metro Atlanta differs from the rest of the state, and what to ask before you apply. Use the listings for names, addresses and phone numbers. Then call the school to confirm current details.

One point helps right away. In Georgia, a private school is a legal way to meet the state's compulsory attendance law, which covers children from age 6 through 16. The state does not pick your school for you, and it does not grade the school for you either.

Who Oversees Private Schools in Georgia

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) runs public schools. It does not accredit or approve private schools the way it oversees school districts. Private schools are independent institutions, usually run by a nonprofit board, a church, a religious order or a family-owned company.

Quality checks come mostly from voluntary accreditation. Common accreditors and membership groups in Georgia include Cognia, the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Georgia Independent School Association, the Georgia Accrediting Commission and the Association of Christian Schools International. Montessori schools may hold credentials from the American Montessori Society or Association Montessori Internationale.

Accreditation is optional. Ask any school which body reviews it, how often, and when the last review took place. A school that cannot answer clearly deserves more questions.

Preschool and kindergarten programs follow a separate track. The Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL), also called Bright from the Start, licenses child care learning centers and administers Georgia's Pre-K Program. Listings such as ABC Day Care & Kindergarten in Augusta and Foundations for the Future Creative Child Care & School in Kennesaw combine child care with early schooling. Ask whether the center holds a DECAL license for its youngest children.

Health paperwork also applies. Schools typically ask for the Georgia Certificate of Immunization, known as Form 3231, which a physician or county health department completes. Get it before enrollment day, because many schools will not seat a child without it.

Metro Atlanta, the Coast and Rural Georgia Compared

The Atlanta Metro Counties

The densest cluster of schools sits in the metro area. Fulton County and Cobb County carry roughly 100 listings each, and DeKalb County adds 65 more. Together with Gwinnett County, these four hold more than 300 of the 693 listings.

The range is wide. In DeKalb County, Atlanta Montessori International School sits on Cliff Valley Way Northeast, and Academe of the Oaks is in Decatur. North Fulton has Eaton Academy in Roswell and McGinnis Woods Country Day School in Alpharetta. Cobb County has Atlanta Classical Christian Academy in Smyrna, Cornerstone Preparatory Academy in Acworth and Jubilee Christian Prep Academy in Powder Springs.

Traffic shapes the decision. A school ten miles away can mean a long drive at peak hours, so test the route at drop-off time before you commit. Ask about before-care and after-care too, since many working families rely on them.

Savannah and Chatham County

On the coast, Savannah accounts for all 28 listings in Chatham County. Benedictine Military School, at 6502 Seawright Drive, is a Catholic school for boys with a military program. Families comparing coastal options can browse the other Savannah schools in the county directory and call each one about openings.

Mid-Size Cities and Small Towns

Outside Atlanta and Savannah, each regional hub has a smaller set of schools. Augusta has ABC Day Care & Kindergarten on Pecan Street. Columbus has New Bethel Christian Academy on Woodruff Farm Road. Macon has Central Fellowship Christian Academy on Hawkinsville Road, and Albany has A School For Children on West Broad Avenue. These schools often serve families from several surrounding counties, so the drive can be longer than the city name suggests.

The listings span 104 of Georgia's 159 counties, which means more than 50 counties have no private school in our database. In small towns, a church-run school is often the only private choice, and some families drive across county lines. Schools in these areas tend to be smaller, so call early. A class with a low enrollment cap can fill well before the school year starts.

Paying for a Private School in Georgia

Georgia does not set private school tuition. Each school publishes its own rates, and fees for registration, books, uniforms, meals and activities often come on top. Ask for the full schedule in writing, along with the refund policy.

The state offers a few programs that can help. The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship lets a student with an Individualized Education Program move from a public school to a participating private school, with state funds following the child. The Georgia Promise Scholarship, which began with the 2025-26 school year, offers $6,500 per student to families zoned for lower-performing public schools. A separate tax credit program funds student scholarship organizations such as GOAL, which award need-based scholarships for private tuition. Each program has its own application, deadlines and eligibility rules, and the school must take part.

Confirm current amounts with GaDOE or the scholarship organization before you plan around any of them.

What to Ask Before You Call or Visit a Georgia School

A short list of questions saves time and avoids surprises. Work through these with each school you are considering:

Start with a shortlist of three schools in your county and one neighboring county. Visit during a normal school day, not only at an open house. Then compare the written costs and policies side by side before you pay any deposit.

Private schools in Georgia 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. Georgia 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 190 cities across Georgia. They are spread across 104 counties.

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

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

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

Reading the Georgia County Listings

Counties are the most useful way to narrow a school search in Georgia. Health departments, tax offices and public school districts all work at the county level, and that is where you will find records, bus routes and neighboring options. Start with the county where you live or work, then widen to the next one over.

Gwinnett County has 46 listings, including Country Brook Montessori School on North Norcross Tucker Road in Norcross. Richmond County has 18, among them ABC Day Care & Kindergarten on Pecan Street in Augusta. South of Atlanta, Creekside Christian Academy is in McDonough in Henry County, and Grace Christian Academy is on McDonough Road in Fayetteville in Fayette County. Covenant Christian Academy is on Post Road in Cumming in Forsyth County.

Religious schools make up a large share of the listings. Douglasville Sda Elementary School on Bright Star Road and Decatur Adventist Jr Academy on Young Road in Stone Mountain are Adventist schools. Georgia Christian School on Dasher Road in Valdosta is a Christian school. Athens Academy on Spartan Lane in Athens is an independent school in Clarke County.

Listing details can go out of date. If a call fails, search for the school's current website or check the address on a map. Small schools sometimes change names, merge or move between school years.

Not in the way most families expect. The Georgia Department of Education oversees public schools and does not accredit private ones. Accreditation is voluntary and comes from outside bodies such as Cognia, the Southern Association of Independent Schools or the Association of Christian Schools International. Child care centers and preschool programs are different, because the Department of Early Care and Learning licenses them. Because state review is limited, the burden of checking falls on you. Ask for the school's accreditation certificate, confirm which agency issued it, and compare the answer with what the school's website says before you pay a deposit.

Georgia's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 6 through 16, and a private school satisfies it. Kindergarten itself is not mandatory, but most families enroll at five. For public kindergarten, a child generally must turn five on or before September 1, and private schools set their own cutoff dates, which may be earlier or later. For four-year-olds, Georgia's lottery-funded Pre-K Program, run by the Department of Early Care and Learning, is offered through public schools and many private providers. Ask each school for its age cutoff in writing, because exceptions are handled case by case.

Requirements vary by school, but a few items come up almost everywhere. Expect to provide a birth certificate, the Georgia Certificate of Immunization (Form 3231) completed by a doctor or county health department, and proof of your address. Schools that take transfers usually want recent report cards, standardized test results and a records release for the former school. Many ask for an application fee and a signed enrollment contract that spells out tuition due dates and refund terms. Read the contract closely. Ask what happens to your deposit if you withdraw before the school year starts, and whether tuition is billed monthly or in full.

Yes, but each has limits. The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship is for students with an Individualized Education Program who move from a public school to a participating private school. The Georgia Promise Scholarship, available since the 2025-26 school year, provides $6,500 for eligible students zoned for lower-performing public schools. Tax-credit scholarship organizations such as GOAL award need-based aid. Start by asking the school's admissions office whether it participates and who handles the paperwork. Then check current eligibility and deadlines with the Georgia Department of Education or the scholarship organization, because amounts, income limits and application windows change from year to year.

Metro Atlanta offers the widest range. Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties together hold over 300 of the 693 listings here, from Montessori programs to college-preparatory academies. Our listings cover 104 of Georgia's 159 counties, which leaves many smaller counties with no private school listed. In those areas, church-affiliated academies are often the main option, and class sizes are usually smaller. Mid-size cities such as Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Albany and Valdosta each have a handful of schools. Rural families should ask about transportation early, since many private schools do not provide bus service and expect carpools.

Contact the public school district before the move and ask what it needs. Request your child's records from the private school, including report cards, test scores and immunization forms. Public districts generally place elementary students by age and grade. For middle and high school, they review transcripts, and a school without accreditation may face extra questions or placement testing about course credit. Having course descriptions and syllabi ready can speed up this review. Ask the district about enrollment timing and registration documents, and keep copies of everything, so your child does not miss class days while records are processed.