Private School Review - Established 2003
The Rhoades School of Encinitas
Louisville High School
Pacific Ridge School

California Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations

For the 2026-27 school year, there are 2,400 private schools belonging to membership associations in California.
The most popular school membership associations are Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) (ACS WASC) (29% of schools), National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (21% of schools) and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (16% of schools).

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 2400

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 2400

Top Ranked California Private Schools by Membership Association (2026-27)

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) (ACE)
58
2,680
60%
Accreditation International
2
123
47%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
22
2,299
58%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
162
21,066
52%
Association for Experiential Education (AEE)
1
181
22%
Association for Middle Level Education (formerly NMSA) (AMLE)
1
707
55%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
45
4,631
56%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
383
96,831
42%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
18
4,066
39%
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
14
4,470
33%
Association of LD Schools (ALDS)
1
95
-
Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
2
448
64%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
24
4,949
28%
California Association for the Gifted
5
1,788
30%
California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS-CA)
202
68,525
40%
California Association of Private Special Education Schools (CAPSES)
19
1,052
50%
Carden Educational Foundation
3
450
53%
Christian Schools International (CSI)
20
8,076
33%
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)
55
11,020
43%
Council of Bilingual Education (PVSR legacy category)
12
1,228
65%
Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS)
23
4,008
33%
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
23
3,457
46%
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
3
498
42%
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Education) (GCSDAC)
50
6,574
62%
Institute for Independent Education (PVSR legacy category)
5
4,422
57%
International Baccalaureate World School (IB)
24
8,199
53%
International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC)
3
1,235
47%
International Coalition of Girls' Schools (formerly NCGS) (ICGS)
16
5,099
53%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
8
907
57%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
13
1,918
67%
Jesuit Schools Network (formerly JSEA) (JSN)
9
7,197
50%
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
3
207
38%
Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
4
223
41%
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
2
869
61%
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
210
26,037
51%
National Association for the Gifted
2
1,380
30%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
28
9,283
50%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
279
108,883
43%
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
8
739
64%
National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)
4
2,254
27%
National Association of Private Schools (NAPS)
3
245
-
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
22
1,419
55%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
512
157,641
60%
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
6
310
49%
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS)
2
177
89%
National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
10
1,895
70%
National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA)
54
14,469
62%
National Lutheran Schools Accreditation (NLSA)
25
7,952
41%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
12
4,025
20%
Network for Mercy Education (formerly MSEA) (NME)
1
387
60%
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
1
254
-
New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)
1
-
-
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
5
497
43%
Oral Roberts University Educational Fellowship (ORUEF)
2
144
48%
Orton Gillingham Academy of Practioners and Educators
1
-
-
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
31
4,568
58%
Other Montessori association(s)
92
10,701
48%
Other religious school association(s)
141
31,483
45%
Other school association(s)
312
63,126
54%
Other special emphasis association(s)
92
18,928
40%
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools (absorbed SSDSA) (Prizmah)
6
1,606
22%
Society for Classical Learning (SCL)
1
94
70%
Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)
4
1,845
7%
Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
1
1,429
39%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
10
1,392
40%
State or regional independent school association
55
16,581
44%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
18
5,872
49%
Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)
13
2,888
25%
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) (ACS WASC)
706
229,401
47%
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)
3
327
23%

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