When looking for the best private school in California, you of course want to factor in location, such as whether you need a private school in the Bay Area, Orange County, San Diego, or elsewhere.
But in addition to location, there are several other factors to consider when evaluating whether or not a school is right for your child, such as:
- Class size: Generally, the fewer students in the class, the more personal attention your child will receive. This is a factor that commonly leads parents to consider private school in the first place.
- Social and extracurricular activities: An excellent private school education extends beyond the classroom. Look for a school that offers opportunities for your child to pursue their extracurricular interests, become well-rounded young adults, and prepare for college applications.
- Flexibility: Most private schools have set term times for when a student can enroll in the semester. But some families may need more flexibility, like if they’re moving into a new neighborhood and need to take their child out of their current school and enroll them into a new one.Flexibility also extends to class schedules, accommodating students with learning differences, such as ADHD or sensory processing disorder, and student athletes who often travel. A flexible school can adjust to non-traditional schedules while still offering a high-quality education.
- Tuition: Private schools have tuition among other fees. Some schools offer scholarships or grants. If you want your child to go to a private school, but are worried about the expense, focus on finding schools that offer financial support or lenient payment plans.
We’ve compiled a list of the 8 best private schools in California. We’ll begin with Fusion Academy, our own private school, which offers a unique 1-to-1 learning model.
Best Private Schools in California
- Fusion Academy
- The Harker School
- Castilleja School
- The College Preparatory School
- Lick-Wilmerding High School
- Harvard-Westlake School
- The Bishop’s School
- The Nueva School
To learn more about Fusion Academy, feel free to browse our website, or listen to what parents and students have to say.
1. Fusion Academy: Best Private School for Personalized Learning in California
Fusion Academy is a private middle and high school offering a customized 1-to-1 learning model. Each student is paired with a dedicated teacher for every class, allowing the teacher to tailor the curriculum to the student’s needs.
This approach is ideal for various types of students, including those with learning differences, those who thrive in a faster-paced learning environment, and those requiring a flexible schedule.
Lessons can be conducted in person at one of our campuses, online through Fusion Global, or in a hybrid format.
We have 29 campuses across California, including:
- 11 in the Bay Area
- 9 in the Los Angeles Area
- 5 in the Orange County Area
- 3 in the San Diego Area
- 1 in the Sacramento Area
To find the campus that’s closest to you and your family, click here.
We also have campuses in 17 other states and Washington, D.C., which could be beneficial if your family plans on moving in the future but you still want your child to attend Fusion Academy.
In addition to our part-time or full-time programs, we also provide services such as:
- Private tutoring
- Post-secondary counseling
- A math intervention program
- A reading intervention program
- And more
In the next section, we look at how Fusion Academy works as a private school, focusing on our 1-to-1 classroom structure, student clubs and activities, and our program’s flexibility.
One-to-One Classes Personalized to Your Child
As a general rule, private schools in America have smaller classes than public high schools. A low student:teacher ratio is attractive for parents, as it means that children receive more personal attention from teachers. This can not only eliminate a student falling behind in their studies, but can also give students a deeper understanding of the topics being taught.
Fusion enhances this principle with 1-to-1 classes, providing your child with maximum individual instruction from the teacher. This format lends itself to all types of students.
For example, this 1-to-1 environment is great for:
- Gifted children: Gifted children can sometimes fall behind in traditional schools due to a lack of sufficient challenge, leading to boredom, restlessness, and withdrawal. At Fusion Academy, teachers customize lesson plans to align with each child’s strengths, providing academic challenges that keep them engaged and stimulated.For example, we had a student who was really interested in military strategies used throughout history. Our teachers used this passion as a topic to introduce new concepts and enhance the student’s education, connecting the syllabus with something they were passionate about.
- Students with learning differences: Students with learning differences, such as dyslexia, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder, can thrive in Fusion’s environment. Our teachers have the time and flexibility to adapt the classroom setting to each student’s needs.For instance, a student with sensory processing disorder began to excel both academically and socially once she was allowed to wear headphones during lessons — something that wouldn’t be permitted in most traditional private schools.
- Students who struggle with the social aspect of a larger classroom: For some students, large classrooms and big campuses can be overwhelming, leading to struggles both academically and socially. At Fusion, these students receive a well-rounded education that addresses both of these needs, in a setting that complements their learning and communication styles.
Moreover, teachers at Fusion only see 6–8 students per day, significantly fewer than most private schools. This allows them to dedicate more emotional bandwidth and time to addressing each child’s individual needs.
A Rich Variety of Clubs and Activities on Campus
The social aspect of school is still essential. Outside the classroom, Fusion offers numerous ways for your child to engage in extracurricular activities and connect with their peers.
Each Fusion campus has two Homework Cafés. One provides a quiet space for students to complete their homework, eliminating the need to bring work home. This dedicated study area helps many students who find it challenging to focus at home due to distractions.
Students studying in the Homework Café
The other, a social Homework Café, is where students come alive socially. This space is designed for students to meet, connect, work on academic projects, and explore a variety of niche interests.
Student clubs include:
- Chess
- D&D
- Film
- Photography
- Yoga
- Video games
… and anything else that enriches the students’ experience.
Teachers at Fusion are specially trained to actively help students make friends, ensuring that no one gets forgotten. For example, if a teacher notices a student is shy, they might ask about the student’s interests. If the student likes chess, the teacher will connect them with another student who shares that interest.
In addition to activities in the social Homework Café, we often organize day trips or excursions, such as:
- Hikes
- Rock climbing
- Volunteering
- Community service
Flexible, Customizable Education for to Your Family’s Needs
Fusion’s private school offers customization to fit your family’s schedule. For example:
- Your child can arrive at and leave school at times that suit your family, without being confined to a traditional school day.
- Open enrollment allows your child to enroll in or leave classes at any time, without waiting for a new semester. This flexibility is ideal for trying out new subjects or teachers.
- You can switch between in-person classes on a Fusion campus and online classes, or choose a hybrid of both options.
Fusion Academy Tuition
Fusion Academy offers flexible academic programs, so tuition can vary based on whether your child needs a full-time, part-time, or supplemental program.
Each campus in California offers slightly different packages and tuition rates; you can view the full list here.
As an example, here’s the tuition breakdown for full-time and part-time programs at our Cupertino campus for the 2024–2025 school year. Note that these prices do not include enrollment or registration fees.
Here’s a breakdown of additional academic programs at Fusion, such as tutoring and exam prep:
When it comes to payment, you have several options:
- Paying in full (at a discounted rate)
- Enrolling in a payment plan
- Using third-party financing to help cover tuition costs
If Fusion Academy sounds like the right private school for your child, you can request more information here.
2. The Harker School: Largest Selective School in California
The Harker School is a highly selective private day school located in Silicon Valley. The school educates learners aged K–12 across three different campuses in San Jose: one for elementary school, one for middle school and one for high school.
The Harker School has earned international recognition for the quality of both its traditional academic education and extracurricular activities. It’s the largest private school of its kind in California, with 1,975 students.
Tuition runs from $43,750 for Kindergarten up to $62,950 for high school.
3. Castilleja School: Best All-Girls School
Castilleja School is one of the best schools in Palo Alto. The school educates girls between 6th–12th grade and is the only non-sectarian all-girls middle and high school in the Bay Area.
The school is known for its diverse student body, attracting students from a range of cultural and economic backgrounds from all over California. Extracurricular facilities include a 3D printer lab, a leadership and diversity center, a theater, two gyms and a 1,000-square-foot art gallery.
Tuition costs $62,400 per year.
4. The College Preparatory School: Best for Ivy League Connections
The College Preparatory School is a private co-educational high school located in Rockridge, Oakland. As its name suggests, it has an excellent track record of getting students into top colleges nationwide, including Harvard and Yale.
The school is known for its culture of debate, with many classes held at oval tables that are specially designed to facilitate open discussion. It offers a vast array of clubs and societies to cater to all types of interests, including leatherworking, sign language, Korean, chess, poetry and Model United Nations.
Tuition costs $57,600 annually and can be paid in up to 8 installments.
5. Lick-Wilmerding High School: Best for Values & Practical Skills
Lick-Wilmerding High School is a private, college-preparatory high school located in San Francisco. The school gets its unusual name from the merger of two schools in the 1950s.
Lick-Wilmerding is best known for its “head, heart, hand” curriculum, designed to make students well-rounded in academics, values, and practical skills. In addition to their rigorous academic curriculum, the school offers a Center for Civic Engagement that provides opportunities for students to learn about social justice, equality, and leadership. All students must pass courses in technical arts, performing arts, and visual arts before graduating.
Tuition at Lick-Wilmerding costs $57,000 annually.
6. Harvard-Westlake School: Best for Academic Excellence
Harvard-Westlake School is a co-educational private school in Los Angeles. The school operates two campuses in separate locations: one for middle school students and one for high school students. This is a prestigious school that has a strong reputation for academic excellence, both in Southern California and nationally.
Besides academics, Harvard-Westlake offers a huge range of extracurricular activities. For example, students contribute to 9 different publications each year, and put on a vast number of dance recitals, plays, and concerts. The school fields 90 teams across 28 different sports, and provides 50 different art classes.
Annual tuition at Harvard-Westlake School costs $49,700.
7. The Bishop’s School: Best for Sports
The Bishop’s School is a co-ed Christian school for students in grades 6 through 12, situated on an 11-acre campus in La Jolla. The school is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and consistently ranks highly in school evaluations, both in California and nationwide.
This is an athletic school, with 80% of students participating in at least one sports team. The Bishop’s School has earned multiple state titles in various sports, particularly in water polo. The arts are also strong, with one of the school’s choirs having performed at New York’s renowned Carnegie Hall.
Tuition at the Bishop’s School costs $47,100 annually.
8. The Nueva School: Designed for Gifted Children
The Nueva School is a K–12 school for gifted children. The school operates two campuses – their high school is in San Mateo and their middle and elementary school is in Hillsborough. Nueva’s educational philosophy is progressive and innovative, integrating social-emotional learning and design thinking to foster lifelong personal and professional growth.
Outside the classroom, Nueva students enjoy travel opportunities and numerous field trips, including visits overseas. There are 110 student clubs, with sporting opportunities including soccer, basketball, tennis, and golf.
The tuition fees at The Nueva School range from $35,585 for pre-K students to $59,720 for high school students annually.
A Private School Education That’s Tailor-Made for Your Child
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the best private schools in California.
We’re confident that the private education offered at Fusion Academy is an excellent fit for your child. Fusion’s unique 1-to-1 model allows classes to be tailored to your child’s needs, offering a level of flexibility unmatched by other schools mentioned in this article. With a wide range of clubs and activities, your child is bound to connect with like-minded friends.
To learn more about Fusion and begin the enrollment process, feel free to reach out to us today. We’d love to hear from you.
