Austin Private Schools Guide (2026)

Austin Private Schools: Complete Guide

Austin's most established private schools are St. Stephen's Episcopal, St. Andrew's Episcopal, Regents School of Austin, St. Michael's Catholic Academy, and Austin Waldorf School. Tuition and admissions timelines vary by school - the comparison table and the Admissions and Timing section below cover both. Where you buy matters as much as where you apply: private-school families concentrate in Westlake, Tarrytown, Barton Creek, and Northwest Hills because campus commutes stay short and resale stays strong. Keenan Group has guided Austin families through school-driven moves for 25 years - #1 team at the Austin Board of Realtors in 2024, 1,000+ homes sold.

Based on the Keenan Group's experience advising luxury families on school-driven home searches, Austin has more than 30 private schools serving families from pre-K through 12th grade, with total private school enrollment in the metro exceeding 15,000 students. Private school tuition in Austin ranges from $12,000/year for smaller programs to $45,000+ at the top-tier independent schools, with most luxury-market families spending $25,000-$35,000 per child per year as of Q1 2026.

"About 30% of our luxury buyers in Tarrytown and Westlake Hills plan to use private schools. That changes the home search completely - instead of buying for a school zone, you are buying for commute proximity and neighborhood character. It opens up neighborhoods that families with public school requirements would not consider." --- Joe Keenan, Keenan Group, #1 ABOR Team 2024

For home buyers, private schools change the calculus. If your children will attend private school regardless of address, you are freed from attendance-zone constraints that drive so much of Austin's residential market. But proximity still matters.

School Comparison (As of Q1 2026)

St. Andrew's Episcopal School

St. Andrew's is Austin's largest independent school, offering Pre-K through 12th grade across two campuses. The lower school sits in central Austin on West 31st Street, near Tarrytown and Clarksville, while the upper school occupies a separate campus off Southwest Parkway in southwest Austin's 78735.

Tuition runs $25,000-$35,000 depending on grade level. Class sizes are small - typically 15-18 students - and graduates regularly place at top-25 universities. Despite the Episcopal name, St. Andrew's is nonsectarian in practice.

Families at St. Andrew's tend to live in Tarrytown, Clarksville, Westlake Hills, and the Zilker/Barton Hills corridor. Commute: 10-20 minutes from those neighborhoods.

St. Stephen's Episcopal School

St. Stephen's occupies a 370-acre campus off Highway 360 in the hills above Westlake. Grades 6-12 with both day and boarding options - one of the few boarding schools in Central Texas.

Tuition for day students runs $35,000-$45,000+, with boarding adding significantly. Academically, St. Stephen's emphasizes writing, discussion-based learning, and independent thinking. The campus itself is one of the most impressive in Texas - hiking trails, a creek, athletic fields, and Hill Country architecture.

Best neighborhoods for proximity: Westlake Hills, Lost Creek, Rob Roy, and parts of Barton Creek. From core Westlake, the campus is about 10 minutes.

Regents School of Austin

Regents follows a classical Christian model - Latin, rhetoric, logic, and a Great Books curriculum layered on rigorous math and science. Pre-K through 12th grade from a campus in Travis Country, off Southwest Parkway in southwest Austin's 78735. Tuition is $15,000-$22,000, making it more accessible than the Episcopal schools.

Families at Regents typically live in Circle C, Travis Country, Barton Creek, and the 78735/78749 corridor.

Austin Waldorf School

Experiential learning, arts integration, and developmental readiness over standardized testing. Pre-K through 12th grade from a wooded campus off South View Road in the Oak Hill area - southwest Austin's 78737, just past Circle C. Tuition $12,000-$18,000. Most families live in Circle C, Oak Hill, and Barton Creek up the corridor.

St. Michael's Catholic Academy

Grades 9-12, campus off Bee Caves Road. College prep within a Catholic framework. Tuition $15,000-$20,000. South Austin and Westlake Hills neighborhoods offer the shortest commutes.

Admissions and Timing

Applications typically open in the fall with January-February deadlines. St. Andrew's and St. Stephen's are the most competitive - some families apply to multiple schools and wait-list simultaneously. Start the process a full year before your intended entry date.

"If you are relocating to Austin mid-year, call the admissions offices directly. Several schools offer rolling admissions when space is available, but the top schools fill certain grade levels early. We've coordinated moves where families secured a private school spot before they even started their home search." --- Cara Keenan, CLHMS, Million Dollar Guild

How Private Schools Affect Home Values

Homes within a 10-minute drive of St. Andrew's or St. Stephen's carry a convenience premium among private school families, even if the public school zone is average. Conversely, buyers choosing private school can find better value in neighborhoods where public school ratings are lower - East Austin, South Austin, and parts of the 78745 zip code offer more house for the money when the school zone is irrelevant.

Where Private-School Families Buy

The practical question behind every private-school search is the drive. Here is how the geography actually works:

• St. Stephen's Episcopal: the west Austin corridor - Westlake, Davenport Ranch, and the Lake Austin waterfront keep the commute short and put you in the school's own backyard.
• St. Andrew's Episcopal (upper school): families split between central Austin for the lower school years and southwest Austin as students move up.
• Regents School of Austin: southwest Austin - Barton Creek and the 78735/78749 corridor make this an easy morning.
• St. Michael's Catholic Academy: Barton Creek and Westlake adjacency; many families pair it with a 78746 address.
• Austin Waldorf School: the southwest hills - Circle C, Oak Hill, and Barton Creek up the corridor.

And the alternative that shapes the whole west-side market: [Eanes ISD](/austin-schools/eanes-isd). Families who want private-school outcomes without tuition often solve it with a Westlake address instead - Eanes performs at the level these families are shopping for, rated A by TEA with a 10/10 GreatSchools rating and an A+ Niche grade, and that demand is a big part of why 78746 holds its value. If you are weighing tuition against a move, read our Westlake Hills guide and talk to us before you decide - the math is closer than most families expect.

Honest Tradeoffs

Private school tuition is a significant ongoing cost. Two children at St. Andrew's runs $50,000-$70,000/year for 12+ years. That is the equivalent of carrying an additional $800K-$1.1M mortgage. Families should factor tuition into their total housing budget - some opt for a less expensive home to fund private education, while others choose the top public school zone and invest the tuition savings elsewhere.

Athletic and extracurricular breadth is also a consideration. Smaller private schools cannot match the program depth of Westlake High (2,800 students) or Lake Travis High (3,500 students) in sports, band, and activities with large participation requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best private schools in Austin?

St. Andrew's Episcopal and St. Stephen's Episcopal are generally considered the top two independent schools, with strong college placement and the most established reputations. Regents School of Austin is the top choice for families seeking a classical Christian education. Rankings depend on what you value - class size, philosophy, athletics, arts, or college outcomes.

How much does private school cost in Austin?

As of Q1 2026, tuition ranges from $12,000-$18,000/year (Austin Waldorf, lower grades) to $35,000-$45,000+/year (St. Stephen's day program). Most luxury-market families spend $25,000-$35,000 per child per year. Financial aid is available at most schools, typically awarded based on demonstrated need.

Should I buy in a good school zone if my kids attend private school?

It depends on your priorities. Buying in a top public school zone (Eanes ISD, Casis zone) provides a safety net if plans change and supports resale value. But you will pay 15-25% more for comparable homes. If private school is definite, neighborhoods with lower-rated public schools can offer significantly more value.

Which Austin neighborhoods are closest to the top private schools?

For the southwest campuses - Regents, St. Michael's, Austin Waldorf, and the St. Andrew's upper school - Barton Creek, Circle C, and the 78735 corridor cover the shortest commutes. For the central and Westlake campuses - the St. Andrew's lower school and St. Stephen's - Tarrytown, Clarksville, Northwest Hills, and Westlake are closest.

Is Eanes ISD comparable to Austin's private schools?

It is the most common alternative our clients weigh. Eanes is rated A by TEA, with a 10/10 GreatSchools rating and an A+ Niche grade, and a Westlake address trades tuition for a housing premium. Which side of that trade wins depends on how many children you have and how long you plan to stay.

Do private schools affect Austin home values?

Yes, at the neighborhood level - proximity to the west-side campuses supports demand in Westlake, Barton Creek, and Tarrytown. The full picture is in the "How Private Schools Affect Home Values" section above.

The Keenan Group works with both public and private school families, helping you weigh commute logistics, neighborhood tradeoffs, and timing. We maintain relationships with admission counselors at the major Austin private schools and can coordinate your home search with enrollment timelines.

Ready to take the next step? Get a home valuation if you are considering selling, explore buyer resources if you are searching, or review the Keenan Group's track record across 1,000+ Austin transactions.