Fusion Academy San Mateo - Foster City 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.

Best California Nonsectarian Private Elementary Schools (2025-26)

For the 2025-26 school year, there are 989 nonsectarian private elementary schools in California. You can also find more religiously affiliated schools in California.
The top-ranked nonsectarian private elementary schools in California include The Harker School Upper School, Oakwood School, and Alsion Middle/High School.

Top-Ranked Nonsectarian Private Elementary Schools in California (2025-26)

School
Location
Quick Facts
3500 Amber Dr
San Jose, CA 95117
(408) 248-2464
Gr: PK-8 | 551 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 7 Tuition listed
Adda Clevenger School - Noe Valley Campus
Adda Clevenger School - Noe Valley Campus Photo - The Adda Clevenger School is an independent elementary school providing an accelerated academic and arts curriculum to San Francisco Bay Area students grades TK-8 since 1980.
Special Program Emphasis
(3)
180 Fair Oaks Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 824-2240
Gr: PK-8 | 144 students Avg. class size: 16 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 9 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Almaden Country Day School
Almaden Country Day School Photo - Our dedicated faculty deliver personalized instruction to students embracing each student as an individual. Lessons are engaging, inquiry-focused, hands-on, and highly collaborative to prepare students for high school and beyond. Teachers are not solely focused on delivering instruction; rather, they are focused on each child feeling seen and care for, and teaching children to be lifelong learners.
(20)
6835 Trinidad Drive
San Jose, CA 95120
(408) 997-0424
Gr: PK-8 | 420 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 5 | Extracurrculars: 18 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Alsion Middle/High School
Alsion Middle/High School Photo - Alsion School is a non-profit Montessori based program that serves grades 7-12 in the Mission area of Fremont, CA.
Montessori School
(2)
750 Witherly Ln
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 445-1127
Gr: 7-12 | 48 students Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 12 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
BASIS Independent Fremont
BASIS Independent Fremont Photo
(1)
3300 Kearney Street
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 722-1056
Gr: PK-12 | 698 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 9 | Extracurrculars: 31 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
1290 Parkmoor Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126
(669) 766-1001
Gr: PK-12 | 1,248 student Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 83 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
3880 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 213-8245
Gr: PK-8 | 406 students Avg. class size: 24 students
The Child's Primary School
The Child's Primary School Photo - First day of school for our Kindergartners!
(19)
3811 Mount Acadia Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 576-2120
Gr: K-8 | 100 students Avg. class size: 10 students Extracurrculars: 8 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Clairbourn School
Clairbourn School Photo
(17)
8400 Huntington Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91775
(626) 286-3108
Gr: NS-8 | 283 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 11 | Extracurrculars: 11 Tuition listed
Dunn School
Dunn School Photo - The outdoor education program at Dunn School fosters greater self-awareness through physical challenges and leadership experiences in the outdoors.
(5)
2555 West Highway 154
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-6471
Gr: 6-12 | 256 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 13 | Extracurrculars: 12 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Emerson Montessori School - Palo Alto
Emerson Montessori School - Palo Alto Photo - * Individualized, self-paced core curriculum *Chinese, Spanish, art, music, and PE for all *Year-round, full-day program for grades 1-8 *Cultivation of thinking skills and ethical values *Emphasis on personal goal setting
Montessori School
(3)
2800 West Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 424-1267
Gr: NS-8 | 3,710 students Avg. class size: 12 students Sports: 3 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Foothill Country Day School
Foothill Country Day School Photo - Field Day and Art Walk is a tradition that dates back to our school's founding. Since our school was founded around a 1954 Kentucky Derby winner named Determine, we hold a day of races and fun each year on Derby Day. Our kids are superheroes!
(12)
1035 Harrison Ave
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 626-5681
Gr: NS-8 | 438 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 10 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
120 Vantis Dr, Suite 100
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(877) 673-8893
Gr: 6-12 Avg. class size: 1 student Extracurrculars: 3 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Fusion Academy Walnut Creek
Fusion Academy Walnut Creek 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.
Alternative School
3003 Oak Road, Suite 150
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
(877) 673-8893
Gr: 6-12 | 52 students Avg. class size: 1 student Tuition & acceptance rate listed
500 Saratoga Ave
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 249-2510
Gr: K-12 | 798 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 15 | Extracurrculars: 27 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Heritage Oak Private School
Heritage Oak Private School Photo
Special Program Emphasis
16971 Imperial Hwy
Yorba Linda, CA 92886
(425) 386-7853
Gr: PK-8 | 635 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 11 Tuition listed
Hollywood Schoolhouse
Hollywood Schoolhouse Photo
(1)
1233 North McCaddden Place
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 465-1320
Gr: PK-6 | 267 students Avg. class size: 17 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 13 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Imagination Lab School
Imagination Lab School Photo
(5)
4050 Middlefield Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 460-8940
Gr: PK-8 Avg. class size: 12 students Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Katherine Michiels School
Katherine Michiels School Photo
Alternative School
(1)
1335 Guerrero Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 821-0130
Gr: PK-5 | 80 students Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Laurel Springs School
Laurel Springs School Photo
(6)
302 El Paseo Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(866) 702-4777
Gr: K-12 | 2,210 students Avg. class size: 20 students Extracurrculars: 41 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
3261 Overland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 836-3464
Gr: NS-12 | 734 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 8 | Extracurrculars: 20 Tuition listed
2600 V Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 347-4934
Gr: NS-8 | 400 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 6 | Extracurrculars: 6 Tuition listed
Merryhill Elementary School
Merryhill Elementary School Photo
(2)
750 N Capitol Ave, Bldg D
San Jose, CA 95133
(408) 443-3237
Gr: NS-5 | 303 students Sports: 3 | Extracurrculars: 8 Tuition listed
1500 Yosemite Dr.
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 413-1471
Gr: NS-8 | 503 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 3 Tuition listed
Oakwood School
Oakwood School Photo
(4)
11230 Moorpark Street/11600 Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 732-3150
Gr: K-12 | 822 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 21 | Extracurrculars: 45 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
11255 Central Ave.
Ontario, CA 91762
(909) 999-0025
Gr: PK-12 | 218 students Avg. class size: 12 students Sports: 8 | Extracurrculars: 5 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Pacific Academy
Pacific Academy Photo - Rose Zhang, Class of 2021; AJGA World No. 1 Women Amateur Golfer; 2020 U.S Woman's Amateur Champion; Stanford University
(9)
4947 Alton Pkwy.
Irvine, CA 92604
(949) 398-5288
Gr: K-12 | 164 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 5 | Extracurrculars: 25 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Pacific Ridge School
Pacific Ridge School Photo - HARKNESS LEARNING: Students build critical communication skills and critical thinking through student-centered discussion-based learning.
(6)
6269 El Fuerte St
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(760) 448-9820
Gr: 6-12 | 695 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 16 | Extracurrculars: 47 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
2462 Wyandotte Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
(650) 493-7071
Gr: 8-12 | 65 students Avg. class size: 8 students Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Park Day School
Park Day School Photo - Studying renewable energy and building solar powered home models
(29)
360 42nd St
Oakland, CA 94609
(510) 653-0317
Gr: PK-8 | 348 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 8 | Extracurrculars: 19 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Phillips Brooks School
Phillips Brooks School Photo
(9)
2245 Avy Avenue
Menlo Park, CA 94025
(650) 854-4545
Gr: NS-5 | 306 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 2 Tuition listed
2060 Tapscott Ave / 960 Avis Drive
El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 809-9001
Gr: PK-8 | 458 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 5 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
4345 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
(310) 478-9900
Gr: 4-12 | 40 students Avg. class size: 5 students Tuition & acceptance rate listed
The Rhoades School
The Rhoades School Photo
(1)
141 S Rancho Santa Fe Road
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 965-3155
Gr: NS-8 | 666 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 9 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
2636 Latham Drive
Sacramento, CA 95864
(916) 481-8811
Gr: PK-12 | 594 students Avg. class size: 15 students Sports: 12 | Extracurrculars: 10 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Show 100 more private schools in California (out of 989 total schools)
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