草榴社区

St. Francis High School - Salesian College Preparatory Photo - St. Francis is a welcoming and inclusive school that celebrates diversity. Since we serve families from 2 dioceses, 4 counties, and multiple countries outside of the US, we are blessed with a diverse population that mirrors the world of college and adulthood our students will experience as they mature.

Best Santa Cruz County 草榴社区 Schools (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 30 private schools serving 6,131 students in Santa Cruz County, CA (there are , serving 34,133 public students). 15% of all K-12 students in Santa Cruz County, CA are educated in private schools (compared to the CA state average of 10%).
The top-ranked private schools in Santa Cruz County, CA include Monte Vista Christian School, Moreland Notre Dame School, and Merit Academy.
The average tuition cost is $18,811, which is higher than the California private school average tuition cost of $18,026.
48% of private schools in Santa Cruz County, CA are religiously affiliated (most commonly Christian and Catholic).

Top-Ranked Santa Cruz County 草榴社区 Schools (2026)

School
Location
Quick Facts
Baymonte Christian School
Baymonte Christian School Photo
(Christian)
(1)
5000B Granite Creek Rd
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
(831) 438-0100
Gr: NS-8 | 462 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 6 Tuition listed
Gateway School
Gateway School Photo
(3)
255 Swift Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 423-0341
Gr: K-8 | 243 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 3 | Extracurrculars: 9 Tuition listed
Holy Cross School
Holy Cross School Photo - Holy Cross School ~ 2019 Preschool -8th grade
(Catholic)
(4)
150 Emmet
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 423-5852
Gr: PK-8 | 159 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition listed
Merit Academy
Merit Academy Photo - Engineering a brake-light system. All students engage in ProjectMERIT where they start an independent project that teaches them leadership and critical thinking skills in the real world. These projects separate Merit Academy students from their peers in the competitive college admissions process.
Alternative School
(4)
2392 North Rodeo Gulch Road
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 462-5655
Gr: 9-12 | 24 students Avg. class size: 1 student Sports: 6 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Monte Vista Christian School
Monte Vista Christian School Photo - Students from the Class of 2025 on College Decision Day
(Christian)
2 School Way
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 722-8178
Gr: 4-12 | 824 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 18 | Extracurrculars: 18 Tuition listed
Monterey Bay Academy
Monterey Bay Academy Photo
(Seventh Day Adventist)
783 San Andreas Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-1481
Gr: 9-12 | 143 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 6 | Extracurrculars: 11 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Moreland Notre Dame School
(Catholic)
(1)
133 Brennan St
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-2051
Gr: K-8 | 289 students Avg. class size: 27 students
2400 East Lake Ave.
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 724-5933
Gr: 9-12 | 213 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 14 | Extracurrculars: 30 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
1 Victor Sq Ste 3036
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
(650) 681-0681
Gr: 8-12 | 1,650 student
Twin Lakes Christian School
(Christian)
(1)
2701 Cabrillo College Drive
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 465-3301
Gr: K-8 | 404 students Avg. class size: 23 students Sports: 6 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Vhm Christian School
Vhm Christian School Photo - Invest in a Christ-centered education for your children
(Seventh Day Adventist)
427 Capitola Road Extension
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 475-4762
Gr: K-8 | 68 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 3 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
The Bay School
The Bay School Photo - Educating Children with Autism
Special Education School
1026 Capitola Road
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 462-9620
Gr: Inquire with school | 39 students
Beach High School
Alternative School
5520 Old San Jose Rd
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 462-5867
Gr: 9-12 | 9 students Tuition & acceptance rate listed
112 E Beach St
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 428-5956
Gr: 3-12 | 29 students
Green Valley Christian School
(Christian)
376 S Green Valley Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 724-6505
Gr: K-8 | 177 students
Kirby School
Kirby School Photo - At Kirby, classes average 12 students, creating space for real connection and individualized challenge.
(2)
425 Encinal Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 423-0658
Gr: 6-12 | 133 students Avg. class size: 12 students Sports: 12 | Extracurrculars: 18 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Magic Apple School
Special Program Emphasis
(3)
2120 Trout Gulch
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 688-1753
Gr: 2-6 | 46 students
Midtown Montessori
Midtown Montessori Photo - Cooking and eating are part of the daily curriculum.
Montessori School
987 Bostwick Lane
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 423-2273
Gr: PK-K | 25 students
Montessori Community School
Montessori Community School Photo
Montessori School
123 S Navarra Dr
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
(831) 439-9313
Gr: NS | 21 students
Mount Madonna School
Mount Madonna School Photo - Our lovely rural setting greatly enhances our learning environment.
(5)
491 Summit Road
Watsonville, CA 95076
(408) 847-2717
Gr: PK-12 | 145 students Avg. class size: 13 students Sports: 5 | Extracurrculars: 8 Tuition listed
Mountain Bible Christian School
(Christian)
23946 Summit Rd.
Los Gatos, CA 95033
(408) 353-2302
Gr: K-4 | 17 students
Orchard School
Orchard School Photo
Alternative School
2288 Trout Gulch Rd
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 688-1074
Gr: K-6 | 59 students Avg. class size: 16 students Tuition listed
St. Abraham's Classical Christian Academy
(Christian)
(2)
1940 Bonita Dr
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 239-4657
Gr: K-12 | 185 students
St. Lawrence Academy
St. Lawrence Academy Photo - Hike in Henry Cowell
(Greek Orthodox)
6184 Highway 9
Felton, CA 95018
(831) 335-0328
Gr: K-8 | 31 students Avg. class size: 10 students Extracurrculars: 2 Tuition listed
Salesian Elementary & Junior High School
(Catholic)
(1)
605 Enos Ln
Watsonville, CA 95076
(831) 728-5518
Gr: PK-8 | 164 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 6 Tuition listed
366 Gault St
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-8444
Gr: K-6 | 48 students Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Santa Cruz Montessori School
Santa Cruz Montessori School Photo - Primary Class
Montessori School
6230 Soquel Dr
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 476-1646
Gr: PK-9 | 247 students Avg. class size: 21 students Tuition listed
Santa Cruz Waldorf School
Santa Cruz Waldorf School Photo
Waldorf School
2190 Empire Grade
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 425-0519
Gr: PK-8 | 136 students Avg. class size: 14 students Extracurrculars: 3 Tuition listed
Spring Hill School
Spring Hill School Photo - Kindergarten working in the garden. With hands on learning and plan, students can integrate their new understanding of the world.
(14)
250 California Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 427-2641
Gr: K-6 | 54 students Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 3 Tuition listed
Tara Redwood School
Tara Redwood School Photo - KNOWLEDGE | STRENGTH | COMPASSION-crating compassionate cultures since 1989.Preschool-kindergarten-1st to 6th grades.
Special Program Emphasis
(3)
5810 Prescott Rd
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 462-9632
Gr: NS-6 | 66 students Avg. class size: 12 students Tuition listed
[+] Show Closed 草榴社区 Schools in Santa Cruz County, California

Santa Cruz County 草榴社区 Schools (Closed)

School
Location
Quick Facts
2727 Mattison Ln
Santa Cruz, CA 95065
(831) 476-4000
Gr: PK-8 | 217 students Avg. class size: 25 students Tuition & acceptance rate listed
12780 East St
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
(831) 338-4112
Gr: PK-K | 52 students

Overview

This County (Santa Cruz County)
This State (CA)
# Schools
31 Schools

Student Body:

# Students
6,131 Students
665,538 Students
% Average Students of Color
40%
51%

Academics and Faculty:

# Teachers
463 Teachers
55,537 Teachers
Average Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
12:1
% Average Faculty w/Advanced Degree
55%
59%
Average Class Size
16 students
17 students
Average Number of AP Courses
17 courses
15 courses
Average SAT score
1238
(Out of 1600)
1262
Average ACT score
28
(Out of 36)
27

Tuition and Acceptance Rate:

Average Yearly Tuition Cost
$18,811
$18,026
Average Summer Program Cost
$925
$1,043
Average % on Financial Aid
37%
29%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$7,114
$8,932
Average Acceptance Rate
91%
81%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.67
0.74
# American Indian Students
7 Students
3,583 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
n/a
# Asian Students
475 Students
72,174 Students
% Asian Students
8%
11%
# Hispanic Students
1,177 Students
104,621 Students
% Hispanic Students
19%
16%
# Black Students
438 Students
30,465 Students
% Black Students
7%
5%
# White Students
3,225 Students
236,378 Students
% White Students
52%
37%
# Hawaiian Students
14 Students
5,515 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
1%
# Two or more races Students
n/a
n/a
% of Two or more races Students
n/a
n/a
# Others Students
888 Students
190,007 Students
% of Others Students
14%
30%
All Ethnic Groups

Extracurriculars and Sports:

Average Number of Extracurriculars
9 extracurriculars
9 extracurriculars
Average Number of Sports
7 sports
7 sports

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top-ranked private schools in Santa Cruz County, CA?
The top-ranked private schools in Santa Cruz County, CA include Monte Vista Christian School, Moreland Notre Dame School, and Merit Academy.
How many private schools are located in Santa Cruz County?
30 private schools are located in Santa Cruz County.
How much do private schools cost in Santa Cruz County?
The average tuition cost is $18,811, which is higher than the California private school average tuition cost of $18,026.
How diverse are private schools in Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County private schools are approximately 40% minority students, which is lower than the California private school average of 51%.
What percentage of students in Santa Cruz County go to private school?
15% of all K-12 students in Santa Cruz County are educated in private schools (compared to the CA state average of 10%).
What percentage of private schools are religiously affiliated in Santa Cruz County?
48% of private schools in Santa Cruz County are religiously affiliated (most commonly Christian and Catholic).
Which private schools in Santa Cruz County are often viewed compared to one another?

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