Washington does not run private schools through one local office. Families looking for a school in Washington deal with three layers: the school itself, the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and often a church, diocese or accrediting association. Our directory lists 588 private schools across the state, from Montessori classrooms in Kirkland to Christian academies in Spokane Valley. This page explains how the system works, so you can judge a listing before you pick up the phone.

Who Regulates Private Schools in Washington State

State law places private schools under RCW 28A.195. The short version is that a private school in Washington operates with state approval but without state funding. OSPI runs the private schools program, and each school files an annual report and an approval statement with that office. Approval means the school attests that it meets the state's minimum standards, such as required subjects, instructional time and basic health and safety. It is a floor, not a ranking.

Attendance rules matter here. Washington's compulsory attendance law covers children from age 8 until their 18th birthday. Enrolling in an approved private school satisfies that requirement, and so does public school or home-based instruction under a separate state law. Kindergarten itself is not compulsory, which is one reason so many listings in our directory are preschools and early learning programs.

Quality signals come from elsewhere. Accreditation is voluntary and comes from groups such as Cognia, the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools, or denominational bodies. Catholic schools answer to their diocese: the Archdiocese of Seattle in western Washington, the Diocese of Spokane in the east, and the Diocese of Yakima in the central part of the state. Early learning programs, including many preschools and chains such as the Kindercare center in Lacey, are usually licensed by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families rather than treated as K-12 schools.

Where Private Schools Cluster: Puget Sound, Spokane and the Smaller Counties

King County and the I-5 corridor

King County holds the largest share, 213 of the 588 listings, well over a third. Seattle alone has 75. The Eastside adds many more, including Bellevue Christian School at 1601 98th Avenue Northeast in Bellevue, Dartmoor School in Redmond, Emerald Heights Academy in Issaquah and Countryside Montessori School in Kirkland. North of Seattle, Northlake Montessori sits on Bothell Way Northeast in Bothell, and the Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children is in Shoreline. South King County has Brooklake Christian School in Federal Way, Rainier Christian Schools in Renton and Overcomer Academy in Auburn. The French American School of Puget Sound is on Mercer Island.

Geography shapes the choice. Lake Washington, I-405, SR 520 and I-90 can turn a ten-mile trip into a 45-minute drive at rush hour. Many families pick by commute first and curriculum second. Ask each school whether it runs buses or organizes carpools, because small schools often do not offer transportation.

Farther along the corridor, Snohomish County has 57 listings, including Archbishop Murphy High School in Everett and Gloria Dei Preschool in Lynnwood. Pierce County has 46, among them Concordia Lutheran School in Tacoma and Gig Harbor Academy. Kitsap County has 28, mixing Hyla Middle School on Bainbridge Island, Central Kitsap Montessori in Bremerton and Children's Garden Montessori in Poulsbo. Water crossings in Kitsap mean ferry schedules can shape a school day for families who commute to Seattle.

Eastern Washington, Clark County and the north

East of the Cascades, Spokane County has 52 listings, with 33 in Spokane and 13 in Spokane Valley. Examples include Calvary Chapel Christian School on East Broadway Avenue in Spokane Valley and Can Learn Christian Academy in Spokane. Can Learn lists a PO Box, so confirm the campus location before you visit. Yakima County has 17 listings, including St John of Kronstadt School on West Stewart Street in Yakima.

In the southwest, Clark County has 32 listings, and Cascadia School in Vancouver is one of them. Whatcom County has 21, including Bellingham Christian School at 1600 East Sunset Drive. Thurston County has 20 across Olympia and Lacey, Island County has 9, and counties such as Skagit and Walla Walla have fewer. In rural areas, the nearest private school can be a long drive, and families often depend on the one church-affiliated school in the region. Gospel Outreach Reformational Church in Olympia shows another pattern: some listings are congregations that run a school program, so ask exactly what is offered.

Types of Private Schools You Will Find in Washington

The listings are not one uniform category. Knowing the type helps you ask better questions.

Steps Before You Contact a Private School in Washington

A little preparation saves weeks. Work through these points before you apply or pay a deposit.

Visit in person when possible. Sit in on a class, ask about staff turnover, and talk with current parents. A school that welcomes those questions is usually one worth considering.

Private schools in Washington 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. Washington 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 137 cities across Washington. They are spread across 32 counties.

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

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

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

Choosing Between Western and Eastern Washington Private Schools

Washington's private school map is lopsided. The Puget Sound corridor from Bellingham to Olympia holds most of the 588 listings, while the eastern half of the state, with its farms, orchards and long highway distances, holds far fewer. That gap shapes real decisions.

In the Seattle area, the question is usually which school, because the choices are plentiful: Montessori, bilingual, faith-based and special-purpose. Waitlists for common entry grades such as kindergarten, sixth grade and ninth grade can be long, so families often apply to several schools at once. Application windows commonly open in the fall and close in winter for the following school year, but each school sets its own calendar.

In Spokane, Yakima and smaller towns, the question is more often whether a suitable school is within a reasonable drive. Spokane and Spokane Valley account for 46 of the 52 Spokane County listings. Families outside those cities may weigh a private school against their public district, a homeschool arrangement or a church-run program.

Two practical points apply everywhere. First, the school's own office is the fastest source of truth. Small schools are often staffed by one administrator who returns calls after dismissal. Second, check that the phone number and address in any listing still match the school's current materials. Schools move, merge and close, and a mailing-only PO Box, as with Can Learn Christian Academy, is not a visiting address.

Start by asking the school for its current approval status. Washington private schools operate under RCW 28A.195, and the private schools program at OSPI handles the annual approval process, so that office is the right place to verify what a school tells you. Approval means the school has filed with the state and attests that it meets minimum standards for subjects, instructional time and health and safety. It does not rate teaching quality. For that, ask about accreditation through groups such as Cognia or the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools, and ask to see recent documents. A school that hesitates to answer either question deserves extra scrutiny.

Washington's compulsory attendance law applies to children from age 8 until their 18th birthday. A child can meet the requirement by attending a public school, an approved private school, or by receiving home-based instruction under the state's separate homeschool law. Homeschool families file a declaration of intent with their local school district, which is a different process from enrolling in a private school. Kindergarten is not compulsory in Washington, so many families begin with a private preschool or kindergarten program and decide on a longer-term school later. If your child leaves a school mid-year, tell the next school promptly so records transfer without delay.

Washington does not currently operate a general voucher or tax-credit scholarship program for private school tuition, so families usually pay tuition directly. Each school sets its own tuition and fees, and amounts vary widely between a small church-run school and a large independent campus in Bellevue or Seattle. Many schools offer need-based financial aid, sibling discounts or payment plans, and congregation members may receive reduced rates at faith-based schools. Ask the admissions office for a written fee schedule that includes registration, books, uniforms, lunch and after-school care. Charter schools in Washington are public schools and do not charge tuition, so they are not private schools.

Washington asks students to show proof of required immunizations or a valid exemption when enrolling in private as well as public schools, and the Washington State Department of Health sets the requirements. Since 2019, the state no longer allows personal or philosophical exemptions for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, though medical exemptions remain available with a health care provider's signature. Schools typically ask for a Certificate of Immunization Status or equivalent records. Gather these before applying, because a school may delay a start date if records are incomplete. Your child's health care provider or your local health department can help you obtain records.

King County alone has 213 listings, so families in Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond can compare Montessori, bilingual, faith-based and special-purpose schools within a short drive, although traffic can limit the practical options. Spokane County has 52 listings, concentrated in Spokane and Spokane Valley, and the named examples there, such as Calvary Chapel Christian School, are faith-based. Yakima County has 17 listings, and smaller rural counties may have only one or two schools. Visit in person where you can, and ask about transportation, because longer distances in eastern Washington make school buses and carpool networks matter more.

Treat the listing as a starting point. Some entries, such as Can Learn Christian Academy in Spokane, show a PO Box, which is a mailing address rather than a campus. Call the number and ask where classes meet. If the line is disconnected, look for the school's current website or check with the church, diocese or association that sponsors it. You can also ask the OSPI private schools program whether the school is currently approved and operating. Small schools open and close from year to year, so confirm every detail before you drive across town or send in an application fee.