San Diego Private High Schools Guide: 10 Schools Compared

Short answer: This ten-school San Diego, California private high school reference compares school types, grade-specific fees, and application dates to help build a shortlist. For curriculum, language support, and family fit, continue with the detailed private-school selection guide.

EdCommGlobal breaks down one San Diego school-choice question at a time, so families know exactly what to do next.

10 private high schools at a glance

School	Grades	Affiliation	High school tuition (2026–27)	2027–28 key dates
Bishop's	6–12	Episcopal	$52,500 (grades 6–12)	2/1 deadline, 3/10 decisions
Francis Parker	JK–12	None	$49,100 (grades 9–12)	2/1 deadline, 3/10 decisions
LJCDS	K–12	None	See school site	Complete by 2/1, mid-March decisions
Pacific Ridge	6–12	None	See school site	2/1 deadline
SDJA	K–12	Jewish	See school site	February deadline (month only)
OLP	9–12 girls	Catholic	See school site	Regular 1/5 deadline, 3/5 decisions
Cathedral Catholic	9–12	Catholic	$22,637 (annual plan total incl. $500 deposit)	1/23 deadline, 3/12 decisions
Santa Fe Christian	K–12	Christian	Confirm high school amount with school	Round 1: 2/1, early–mid March decisions
Grauer	7–12	None	See school site	Priority 2/1, rolling when space allows
St. Augustine	9–12 boys	Catholic	See school site	No fixed published deadline; apply before 1/9 HSPT

Tuition reflects each school's published 2026–27 figures; confirm on the school's tuition page. Full dates: 10-school application deadlines calendar.

Four questions for narrowing the list

1. What’s the budget? Compare the same academic year and target grade. Parker and Bishop’s amounts above come from their tuition pages; Cathedral Catholic’s figure is an annual payment-plan total, not tuition alone. Add housing, care, and transport separately. Ask schools for amounts that are not listed; school type does not establish a price.

2. Where would you live? The two La Jolla schools (Bishop's, LJCDS) vs North County (SFC, Grauer, Pacific Ridge) are very different commutes. A school with a one-hour daily drive is the wrong school, however good.

3. What academic culture? Read course catalogs and prerequisites, then ask about writing support, teacher feedback, and course placement. A course count is not an individual student’s available schedule. Compare the Bishop’s 2026 curriculum review and Parker 2026 curriculum review, and confirm changes for the current year.

4. When to apply? Application opening dates differ by school; there is no single opening date for every school. Consortium members share a February 1, 2027 priority deadline; OLP (1/5) and Cathedral Catholic (1/23) are earlier. Visits, testing, and recommendations all need lead time.

Three common mistakes

Mistake 1: Shopping by ranking alone. San Diego has no official private high school ranking; Niche publishes a separate private high school ranking and its factor weights, but those factors do not replace family priorities. Rankings are a reference, not an answer.

Mistake 2: Assuming pricier means better. $22,637 Cathedral Catholic and $49,100 Parker educate different profiles of students — not different ranks on the same track.

Mistake 3: Waiting until February to start. February 1 is the priority deadline, not the starting gun. Recommendations, transcripts, ISEE, and visits all depend on other people's schedules — start by December.

EdCommGlobal's take

Cut ten schools to three or four on budget and commute first, then visit. On visits, ask about curriculum, support, and fit — bring the 20 school-visit questions. Contact EdCommGlobal and we'll turn each school's deadlines, open houses, and checklists into one execution sheet.

Source scope: Dates follow the school-specific official references and verification dates in the ten-school calendar. The three linked fee pages and Niche methodology were read October 14, 2026. Recheck current school policies before submitting.