Virginia has no single office that runs private schools. Families in Virginia who want a private option deal with the school itself, an accrediting association and, for young children, a child care licensing system. This page explains how those pieces fit together across the state's 686 listed schools, so you know who to call and what to ask before you apply.

How Private Schools Are Overseen in Virginia

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) supervises public schools and the local divisions that run them. Private schools sit largely outside that system. In general, a private K-12 school in Virginia does not need a state operating license, and it is not bound by the Standards of Learning the way a public school is. Quality control comes mostly from voluntary accreditation. Checking a school's credentials is therefore the most useful first step you can take.

Several organizations accredit Virginia private schools. The Virginia Council for Private Education and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools are two statewide names. Cognia, the Association of Christian Schools International and Montessori organizations also accredit or affiliate with schools here. A school may hold more than one credential, and some hold none. Neither case is automatically good or bad, but a school should tell you plainly which group it answers to.

Catholic schools follow a different path. They operate under a diocese, and Virginia is divided between the Diocese of Richmond and the Diocese of Arlington. Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria and Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington are both Northern Virginia examples. Each can explain its admissions process directly.

What Virginia Law Asks of Families

Virginia's compulsory attendance law covers children who are at least five years old by September 30 and have not yet turned 18. Enrolling in a private school satisfies that requirement. Private schools also expect the same basics a public school does: proof of age, immunization records and a completed school entrance health form. Ask the school for its current forms early, because your child's doctor usually has to sign them and appointments can fill up in late summer.

Where Virginia's Private Schools Cluster, From Northern Virginia to the Valley

Fairfax County dominates the picture. With 139 listings, Fairfax County has more private schools in our database than any other jurisdiction. They are spread across Herndon, Reston, McLean, Chantilly, Springfield, Annandale and the Fairfax area. Examples include Kay School on Dower House Drive in Herndon, Al Fatih Academy on Pinecrest Road in Reston, Montessori School of Cedar Lane in Fairfax and Hope Montessori School on Ravensworth Road in Annandale. Many are small, specialized and tied to a faith community or a teaching method.

Farther out, Loudoun County includes St. Theresa Catholic School on Saint Theresa Lane in Ashburn. Prince William County lists Chesapeake Academy on Commission Court in Woodbridge, and Emmanuel Christian School on Spruce Street in Manassas is also in this part of the state. Commutes here are long, so many families weigh traffic on I-66, I-95 and the Dulles Toll Road as heavily as the curriculum.

Hampton Roads has a different mix. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News and Hampton all rank among the state's top cities for listings, and many schools are church-affiliated. Examples include Back Bay Christian Academy on Princess Anne Road, Atlantic Shores Christian School on Centerville Turnpike North, Denbigh Christian Academy on Shields Road in Newport News, First Friends Christian Academy on Big Bethel Road in Hampton and Portsmouth Christian School on Elliott Avenue. Bridges and tunnels can add real time to a school run, so map the route at rush hour before you commit.

Central Virginia centers on Richmond, which has more listings than any other city in the state. The City of Richmond County page covers schools inside city limits, while nearby Henrico and Chesterfield have their own pages. Trinity Episcopal School, at 3850 Pittaway Drive, carries a Richmond mailing address but is filed under Chesterfield County. Elsewhere, Charlottesville has Faith Christian Academy, and Fredericksburg has Childrens House Of Old Town on Sophia Street.

West of the Blue Ridge, choices thin out. Calvary Christian Academy on Mount Clinton Pike in Harrisonburg and Sacred Heart Academy on Keating Drive in Winchester serve the Shenandoah Valley. Eastern Appalachian Academy uses a Roanoke mailing address but is listed in Botetourt County. In rural areas, expect longer drives, smaller classes and fewer options at each grade level. Many private schools do not run bus routes, so ask about transportation early.

A few listings, such as Faith Christian Academy in Charlottesville and Discovery Woods Learning Community in McLean, show only a PO Box. That is a mailing address, not a campus. Call first and get the street address before you drive anywhere.

Why Virginia Cities Appear as Counties in This Directory

Virginia has 95 counties and 38 independent cities. An independent city is not part of any county and handles its own services. That is why Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Richmond each get a county-level page here. It also explains why a school's mailing city may not match its county listing. If you cannot find a school under the city you expect, try the neighboring county page. The Virginia Beach County page, for example, covers schools in that independent city only, not the rest of Hampton Roads.

Preschools, Montessori Programs and Child Care Rules in Virginia

Not every listing is a K-12 school. Some, such as Building Blocks Preschool on Jerome Avenue in Norfolk, serve very young children. Programs like these fall under child care rules rather than private-school accreditation. Virginia moved child care licensing from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Education in 2024. Some programs operate under a religious exemption instead of a license, which brings different oversight. Ask which category applies and ask to see the paperwork.

The word Montessori is not legally protected, so any school can use it. Ask about teacher training and whether the school is affiliated with a recognized Montessori organization. Visit a classroom while children are working, not just the front office.

Questions to Ask Before You Tour

Paying for Private School in Virginia

Tuition varies widely, from small church-run programs to large independent schools. Always ask for the full cost, including registration, books, uniforms and activity fees. Most schools run their own financial aid process, and it often has an earlier deadline than the admission application.

Virginia also has the Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits program, which VDOE administers. Donors who give to approved scholarship foundations can claim a state tax credit, and the foundations award scholarships to eligible students from lower-income families who attend participating private schools. Rules and funding change from year to year, so check with VDOE and with the school before you count on it.

If your child has an IEP and you are considering a school that advertises special education services, ask whether it is licensed by VDOE to accept publicly funded placements. Also ask about the credentials of the teachers who would work with your child. Enrolling privately on your own does not guarantee the services your public school division would provide.

Private schools in Virginia 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. Virginia 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 169 cities across Virginia. They are spread across 97 counties.

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

Families in Virginia 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

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
V
W
Y

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

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

Timing Your Private School Search in Virginia

Private school calendars run on their own schedules, and Virginia's busiest areas move first. Popular schools in Northern Virginia and the Richmond area often open applications in the fall or winter before the school year you want, and some fill grades early. Hampton Roads and Shenandoah Valley schools can have more flexibility, but waiting until summer still narrows your options. Start by shortlisting three or four schools within a realistic daily drive.

Call before you go. Our listings include phone numbers, such as Bishop O'Connell High School at 703-237-1400, Sacred Heart Academy in Winchester at 540-662-7177 and Calvary Christian Academy in Harrisonburg at 540-867-9848. Ask about tour dates, application deadlines and whether a visit requires an appointment. Families in the Valley can also browse the Rockingham County page for schools near Harrisonburg.

Weather and calendars deserve a question too. A private school sets its own holidays and snow-day rules. Some follow the local public school division's closings, and others decide separately, so confirm how the school will notify you. If you have children in both a public and a private school, compare calendars before you commit.

Finally, get the basics in writing: tuition, fees, deposit, refund terms and the accreditation the school claims. A school confident in its program will answer promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools in Virginia

Generally, no. Virginia does not issue a broad operating license to private K-12 schools, and the Department of Education does not oversee them the way it supervises public school divisions. Oversight comes from voluntary accreditation, local building and fire officials, and health rules such as immunization requirements. Programs that accept publicly funded special education placements are the main exception, because VDOE licenses those. Child care and preschool programs follow separate licensing or exemption rules. Since the state does limited vetting of ordinary private schools, ask any school for its accreditation letter and read it yourself.

Ask the school which accrediting body it uses and request the current certificate or letter. Then confirm it with that organization, since most keep a list of member or accredited schools on their websites. Groups commonly seen in Virginia include the Virginia Council for Private Education, the Virginia Association of Independent Schools, Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International. For Catholic schools, confirm with the Diocese of Richmond or the Diocese of Arlington. Be cautious about a school that says it is accredited without naming a group. A school in candidacy is not yet fully accredited, so ask about the timeline.

Yes. Virginia requires children who are five by September 30 to attend school until they turn 18, and the law accepts private school enrollment alongside public school and other approved options. If you leave a public school to enroll privately, tell the local school division and ask your new school to request your child's records. Private schools set their own attendance policies and can dismiss students for repeated absences or other violations of enrollment terms. Home instruction is a separate legal route with its own requirements, including notice to the local division, so do not treat it as the same thing.

There are two main routes. First, most schools have their own financial aid process, usually with a separate form and an early deadline, so ask before you apply. Second, Virginia's Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits program, administered by VDOE, allows donors to scholarship foundations to claim a state tax credit. Those foundations then award scholarships to eligible students from lower-income families attending participating private schools. Eligibility rules, funding levels and participating schools change over time. Ask the school whether it participates and which foundation to contact, and check VDOE for current requirements.

Mailing addresses follow post office boundaries, not county lines. Trinity Episcopal School uses a Richmond mailing address on Pittaway Drive but is filed under Chesterfield County. Eastern Appalachian Academy mails from Roanoke yet appears under Botetourt County. Virginia's 38 independent cities also sit outside any county, so this directory gives cities such as Norfolk and Chesapeake their own pages. If a school is not where you expect, check the neighboring county or city page. Always confirm the physical location by phone, especially when a listing shows only a PO Box.

Expect to provide proof of age, such as a birth certificate, along with immunization records and a school entrance health form signed by a health provider. Most schools also want prior report cards or transcripts, a completed application and a fee. Some add a teacher recommendation, a student visit or placement testing. Preschool programs may ask for extra medical forms. Popular schools in Prince William County and other busy areas may set winter deadlines, so request the full checklist and dates in writing when you first call.