Best �� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations in California (2026)

Best California �� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 2,415 private schools belonging to membership associations in California.

The most popular school membership associations are Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) (29% of schools), National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (21% of schools) and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (16% of schools).

Victory Christian Academy Photo - We are Grounded in Christ and Ready for the World

Woodcrest School Photo - Woodcrest School in Tarzana leadership opportunities

Fusion Academy Pleasanton Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy San Diego Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Students have different teachers for different subjects, and teachers act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Reformation Lutheran School Photo - Students in our Transitional Kindergarten have fun with a math activity

Fusion Academy Warner Center Photo - In our mixed-media art studio students can discover their artistic passions or continue their love of creating art. We offer painting, drawing, graphic design, and many more different mediums for students to express themselves through art.

The Child's Primary School Photo - First day of school for our Kindergartners!

Fusion Academy Miracle Mile Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Students have different teachers for different subjects, and teachers act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Almaden Country Day School Photo - Students in grades 1-5 all play a role in our theater arts program performing once a year in a full-length production. They learn lines, songs, and choreography, step into their characters' shoes to strengthen their empathy "muscles" and gain confidence along the way!

Fusion Academy Palo Alto Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Students have different teachers for different subjects, and teachers act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy Aliso Viejo Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Stratford School Milpitas Great Mall Parkway Photo

Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning Photo - Provocative, hands-on teaching, highlighting puzzles, mysteries, controversies and quandaries, is crucial to our deeper learning model.

Top-Ranked California �� Schools by Membership Association (2026)

Membership Association

# Schools

# Students

% Minority

Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) or (School of Tomorrow)

2,848

57%

Accreditation International

123

47%

American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)

2,231

59%

American Montessori Society (AMS)

167

21,420

52%

Association for Experiential Education (AEE)

181

Association Montessori International (AMI)

3,416

60%

Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)

1,925

45%

Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

387

98,237

42%

Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)

4,160

39%

Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS)

4,870

35%

Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS)

152

53%

Association of Military Colleges and Schools

448

64%

Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

188

80%

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

4,941

27%

Bilingual School Association

834

43%

California Association for the Gifted

1,788

30%

California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)

200

69,493

38%

California Association of �� Special Education Schools (CAPSES)

1,147

50%

Carden Educational Foundation

450

53%

Christian Schools International (CSI)

8,138

33%

Cognia

9,938

42%

Council of Bilingual Education

1,193

52%

Educational Records Bureau

4,252

42%

European Council for International Schools

4,010

33%

Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)

3,463

46%

Friends Council on Education (FCE)

498

42%

General Conference of SDA Church

112

31%

General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (GCSDAC)

6,462

63%

Institute for Independent Education

4,422

57%

International Baccalaureate (IB) World School

8,171

51%

International Boys Schools Coalition

1,072

40%

International Coalition of Girls Schools

980

53%

International Montessori Council (IMC)

772

60%

Islamic School League of America (ISLA)

1,918

67%

Jesuit Schools Network

449

100%

Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA)

6,840

47%

Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)

207

38%

Mercy Secondary Education Association (MSEA)

387

60%

Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools

223

41%

National Association for the Education of Young Children

208

25,157

51%

National Association for the Gifted

1,380

30%

National Association of College Admissions Counselors

6,052

50%

National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)

9,277

50%

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

272

106,819

40%

National Association of Laboratory Schools

739

64%

National Association of �� Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)

2,237

27%

National Association of �� Schools

870

National Association of �� Special Education Centers

1,419

55%

National Association of Secondary School Principals

449

23%

National Catholic Education Association

2,377

91%

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

506

159,334

60%

National Christian School Association (NCSA)

310

49%

National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools

177

89%

National Coalition of Boys Schools

163

88%

National Coalition of Girls

4,095

47%

National Council for �� School Accreditation

1,892

70%

National Honor Society (NHS)

4,128

45%

National Independent �� Schools Association

14,512

61%

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)

2,210

National Lutheran Schools Accreditation

7,822

41%

National Middle School Association

707

55%

National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)

4,025

20%

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

254

New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)

Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).

559

40%

Oral Roberts University Educational Fellowship (ORUEF)

144

48%

Orton Gillingham Academy of Practioners and Educators

420

40%

Other associations(s) for exceptional children

4,568

58%

Other Montessori association(s)

10,997

48%

Other religious school association(s)

141

31,275

45%

Other school association(s)

318

64,582

53%

Other special emphasis association(s)

19,469

40%

Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools

903

Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)

1,845

Southern Association of Independent Schools

1,429

39%

Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)

1,510

41%

State or regional independent school association

17,227

44%

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)

5,872

49%

The French school system abroad (AEFE)

The Jewish Community Day School Association (SSDSA)

493

35%

Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America

2,896

25%

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

706

233,000

47%

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)

327

23%

Recent Articles

January 29, 2026

Parent Engagement in �� Schools in 2026

Explore how parent engagement in private schools builds strong communities, support networks, and student success in 2026.

January 29, 2026

So Many Choices: Navigating �� School Selection in 2026

A 2026 parent guide to choosing the right private school, with updated admissions timelines, tuition trends, affordability strategies, and expert insights.

January 29, 2026

2026 Roadmap to Starting a �� School

A 2026 guide to launching a private school, covering planning, costs, admissions timing, governance, and trends parents care about now.

Quick Links

SCHOOL SEARCH TOOLS:

SCHOOL BY TYPE (CA):

OPEN-HOUSES & JOBS:

PUBLIC & BOARDING SCHOOLS:

PRIVATE SCHOOL DATA:

Most Popular Articles

2026 �� School Tuition Forecast: What Families Should Know

What Is A Montessori School? 5 Facts About Montessori Schools

School Rankings by Category

Paying for �� School: 7 Options

Sliding-Scale & Income-Based Tuition Models for �� Schools

Expert School Views
Well-Rounded Achievements
Programs for Exceptional Learners
Funding the Future
Advanced Learning Frameworks

��������

Best California �������� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026)

Top-Ranked California �������� Schools by Membership Association (2026)

More Articles

��

Best California �� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026)

Top-Ranked California �� Schools by Membership Association (2026)