Private schools in Kansas range from large Catholic high schools in the Kansas City suburbs to small church-run academies in towns of a few thousand people. Our directory lists 200 of them across 76 cities, from Wichita and Topeka to Hays and Pittsburg. This page explains how the system works in Kansas, so you know what a listing means before you pick up the phone.

How Kansas Oversees Private Schools

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is the state agency that deals with nonpublic schools, and the elected State Board of Education sets statewide education policy. KSDE accredits public school districts through its Quality Performance Accreditation system. Private schools sit outside that system. No school district runs them, and no local school board sets their budgets, calendars or admission rules.

Kansas requires children to attend school from age 7 until age 18, with limited exceptions. A private school can meet that requirement when it provides instruction by competent teachers. Beyond that, the state leaves most choices to the school, including curriculum, tuition, hiring and discipline. That freedom explains why two private schools a few miles apart can look completely different.

Accreditation is voluntary and comes from private bodies. Some schools hold accreditation through Cognia or a similar agency. Catholic schools also answer to their diocese. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas covers the northeast, including Johnson County, Topeka, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Atchison and Paola. The Diocese of Wichita serves much of the south, the Diocese of Salina covers the north-central region, and the Diocese of Dodge City serves the southwest.

Not every listing is Catholic. Our Kansas records also include Lutheran, Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist, Islamic, Montessori and independent schools. Trinity Lutheran School in Atchison, Great Bend SDA School, Annoor Islamic School in Wichita and Montessori Childrens House in Lawrence each follow a different tradition and set their own admission rules.

Light oversight puts more weight on your own checking. Ask to see the school's handbook, its calendar and its statement of beliefs, because religious schools may expect families to support their teaching. Check whether the school belongs to a recognized association, and read parent reviews with a critical eye. A school that answers these questions plainly is usually one that expects to be asked.

Private Schools in Johnson County and the Kansas City Area

Eastern Kansas has the densest concentration of private schools in the state. Johnson County alone has more listings than any other county, spread across Overland Park, Leawood, Olathe, Shawnee, Lenexa, Prairie Village and Roeland Park.

The names show the variety. John Paul II Catholic School sits on West 71st Street in Overland Park, and Good Shepherd Catholic School is on West 75th Street in Shawnee. Holy Trinity School is on West 92nd Street in Lenexa. Olathe Christian School on South Hedge Lane Terrace and Kansas City Christian School in Prairie Village are Christian schools. Accelerated Schools in Leawood and Horizon Academy in Roeland Park are listed as well.

Families here often compare schools across several suburbs, since commutes along Interstate 435 are short. They usually choose for a specific reason: a faith tradition, a teaching method or class size. Catholic parish schools commonly give priority to registered parishioners, so ask about parish membership early. Popular grade levels can fill well ahead of the school year, so start your inquiry in the winter before you need a seat.

Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka

In Wyandotte County the best-known listing is Bishop Ward High School at 708 North 18th Street. Our records store its city as “Kansas,” which means Kansas City, Kansas. In Lawrence, Douglas County has Montessori Childrens House on University Drive, a Montessori option in the college town that is home to the University of Kansas. In Shawnee County, Christ the King School on Southwest 25th Street serves Topeka families.

Smaller communities near this corridor also have schools. Xavier Catholic School is in Leavenworth, Trinity Lutheran School is in Atchison, and Holy Trinity Parish School is in Paola, in Miami County. These give families a nearby option without a daily drive into the metro.

Wichita, Sedgwick County and South-Central Kansas

Wichita is the second major hub. It has 29 listings, and Sedgwick County has 37 in total once suburbs such as Bel Aire are counted. Annoor Islamic School on East 34th Street and Resurrection Catholic School on North Woodlawn Boulevard in Bel Aire show the range of religious and educational approaches in the area.

Catholic schools in the Wichita area are tied to parishes in the Diocese of Wichita, so the parish office is often the fastest route to enrollment forms and tuition rates. Non-Catholic schools usually handle applications through the school office or an online portal.

Beyond Wichita, the schools are spread across mid-sized towns. Newton Christian High School is in Newton, in Harvey County. Central Christian High School is in Hutchinson, in Reno County. St Andrew's School is in Independence, in Montgomery County, and Ark City Christian Academy serves the Arkansas City area in Cowley County. In these towns a single private school is often the only alternative to the local public district, so there are fewer options to compare.

Small-Town and Rural Private Schools in Kansas

West of the Flint Hills, private schools are fewer and farther apart. Maranatha Christian School in Hays, Great Bend SDA School in Barton County and Faith Baptist Church in Finney County are examples. The Finney County listing is a church, so call to confirm that it runs a school program and ask which grades it serves.

Central Kansas has parochial options too. St Mary Queen of the Universe Grade School is on East Cloud Street in Salina, and St Andrews Parochial School is in Abilene, in Dickinson County. In southeast Kansas, Countryside Christian School serves Pittsburg.

Rural families should ask about transportation early. Many private schools do not run buses, and families often arrange carpools. Distance, weather and gravel roads matter more outside the metro areas than any listing page can show. Also ask whether the school has before- and after-school care, since work schedules may not match the school day.

Questions to Ask Before You Contact a Kansas Private School

A short list of questions saves time on the first call. Write them down before you dial.

Ask to tour while school is in session, because a visit shows more than a brochure. Bring your child's most recent report card, immunization record and birth certificate if the school asks for them. Calling the front office on a weekday morning usually gets you a person rather than voicemail.

If a school does not answer, try again before assuming it has closed. Small schools often rely on one office worker, and phone lines may be unstaffed during lunch or when a class trip is under way. Our listings give the address and phone number on file; confirm the details with the school itself.

Private schools in Kansas 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. Kansas 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 76 cities across Kansas. They are spread across 48 counties.

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

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

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

Using the Kansas Private School Listings Accurately

Some city names in our Kansas records look odd. Bishop Ward High School at 708 North 18th Street is stored under the city name “Kansas,” but it is in the Kansas City, Kansas area of Wyandotte County. Faith Baptist Church appears under “Garden,” which points to Garden City in Finney County, and Ark City Christian Academy appears under “Arkansas,” meaning Arkansas City in Cowley County. If a city search finds nothing, search by county or try the shortened name.

Use the county pages to narrow a search. Saline County includes St Mary Queen of the Universe Grade School at 304 East Cloud Street in Salina, while Montgomery, Cowley, Miami and Barton counties each hold four or five schools. Rural counties may have only one or two, so check the neighboring county as well. Many Kansas families cross county lines for school, and that is normal.

Schools change. Principals retire, parishes merge, and small schools sometimes close or move, so treat a phone number or address as a starting point. Office hours often shrink in June and July. The best times to call are the spring, when schools plan enrollment, and the last two weeks of August, when staff are back and classes are about to begin.

When you enroll, most schools ask for a birth certificate, an immunization record and records from the previous school. Ask your current school to send transcripts directly. If you are leaving a public school mid-year, tell the district office so attendance records stay accurate.

Finally, visit more than one school. Two schools with similar tuition can differ in class size, discipline and homework load, and only a visit will show you which fits your child.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools in Kansas

Kansas does not license private schools the way it accredits public districts. KSDE runs accreditation for public school systems, while private schools operate on their own authority. Accreditation for a private school is voluntary and comes from outside bodies such as Cognia, and Catholic schools also answer to their diocese. Because the state does not publish a quality rating for private schools, ask each school who accredits it and whether that status is current. For current reporting rules, contact the nonpublic school staff at KSDE in Topeka. Also ask how credits transfer if your child later moves to a public high school.

Kansas compulsory attendance law applies from age 7 until age 18, with limited exceptions. Enrolling in a private school can satisfy that law when the school provides instruction by competent teachers. Kindergarten is not mandatory in the same way, though many families enroll children at five. If your child is moving from a public school, notify the district office so records transfer smoothly. Ask the private school how it tracks and reports attendance, and what it expects from parents when a child is sick or travelling.

Start with the county page for the area where you live or work, then widen the search. Johnson County has the most schools, followed by Sedgwick County, Shawnee County and Wyandotte County, though the numbers fall quickly in rural areas. In places such as Ellis County, where Maranatha Christian School is in Hays, or Reno County, where Central Christian High School is in Hutchinson, you may find only a few options. Compare address, grade levels and drive time before calling, and remember that a school in the next county may be closer than one in your own.

Kansas sets immunization requirements for children entering school, and these requirements generally apply to private schools as well as public ones. Parents are usually asked to provide a record signed by a health provider or a clinic. Kansas law allows medical and religious exemptions, and each school sets its own paperwork process. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment publishes the current required vaccines by grade. Ask the school office which form it accepts and how early you must submit it, since missing records can delay the first day of class.

Many Kansas private high schools belong to the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA), which organizes championships in athletics and activities for member schools. Schools are classified mainly by enrollment, so a small private school may compete against public schools of similar size. Eligibility rules cover age, academic standing and transfers. If your child plays a sport and you are changing schools, ask the athletic director about transfer eligibility before you commit. Some schools that are not members run independent or club programs instead, so ask what is offered.

Tuition varies widely by school, grade level and denomination, and we do not list prices because they change each year. Catholic parish schools often charge lower rates to registered parishioners, and many schools offer sibling discounts or need-based aid. Aid applications often carry early deadlines, sometimes in winter. Kansas has also had a limited tax-credit scholarship program for low-income students, with eligibility rules set by state law, so ask the school and KSDE what is currently available. Request a written tuition schedule that includes registration, books, technology and uniform costs.