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Best Arizona Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations

For the 2026-27 school year, there are 282 private schools belonging to membership associations in Arizona.
The most popular school membership associations are Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (21% of schools), National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (20% of schools) and Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia) (13% of schools).

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 282

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 282

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

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) (ACE)
4
79
76%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
6
445
32%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
18
1,645
39%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
14
1,457
40%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
59
17,213
21%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
2
240
23%
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
5
1,128
20%
Association of Colorado Independent Schools (ACIS)
1
203
16%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
1
223
20%
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
1
167
-
Christian Schools International (CSI)
5
868
22%
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)
36
11,393
22%
Council of Bilingual Education (PVSR legacy category)
2
120
42%
Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS)
2
483
16%
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
6
467
37%
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Education) (GCSDAC)
7
483
69%
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS)
2
922
32%
Institute for Independent Education (PVSR legacy category)
2
289
24%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
2
443
38%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
1
75
100%
Jesuit Schools Network (formerly JSEA) (JSN)
2
2,037
32%
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
2
200
-
Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
1
74
33%
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
1
587
10%
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
33
3,166
35%
National Association for the Gifted
1
26
46%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
7
1,163
42%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
12
3,056
42%
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
2
311
100%
National Association of Private Schools (NAPS)
1
273
16%
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
2
152
57%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
57
19,290
57%
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS)
1
133
26%
National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
4
415
47%
National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA)
5
1,177
33%
National Lutheran Schools Accreditation (NLSA)
4
1,939
16%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
3
448
1%
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
1
91
20%
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
6
750
32%
Other Montessori association(s)
6
941
18%
Other religious school association(s)
33
9,065
45%
Other school association(s)
36
6,122
46%
Other special emphasis association(s)
8
794
44%
Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS)
1
110
94%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
2
85
40%
State or regional independent school association
6
1,572
30%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
1
99
32%
Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)
1
223
20%
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) (ACS WASC)
8
1,634
48%
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)
2
336
17%

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