Challenger School - Strawberry Park Photo

Best California Nonsectarian Private Preschools (2025-26)

For the 2025-26 school year, there are 1,099 nonsectarian private preschools in California. You can also find more religiously affiliated schools in California.
The top-ranked nonsectarian private preschools in California include BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, Hollywood Schoolhouse, and Clairbourn School.

Top-Ranked Nonsectarian Private Preschools 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Starbright School
Starbright School Photo - Starbright School -- San Jose Campus
Daycare / Preschool
4645 Albany Drive
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 374-4020
Gr: NS-K Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 6 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
43077 Osgood Road
Fremont, CA 94539
(510) 826-3411
Gr: PK-8 | 639 students Avg. class size: 14 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition listed
341 Great Mall Parkway
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 716-3855
Gr: PK-8 | 680 students Avg. class size: 14 students Sports: 4 | Extracurrculars: 13 Tuition listed
24741 Chrisanta Drive
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 458-1776
Gr: NS-8 | 269 students Avg. class size: 16 students Extracurrculars: 8 Tuition listed
870 N California Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 899-7385
Gr: NS-8 | 353 students Avg. class size: 14 students Extracurrculars: 13 Tuition listed
6670 San Anselmo Way
San Jose, CA 95119
(408) 769-3845
Gr: NS-5 | 398 students Avg. class size: 14 students Extracurrculars: 6 Tuition listed
890 Pomeroy Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 542-0729
Gr: PK-5 | 874 students Extracurrculars: 5 Tuition listed
1196 Lime Dr
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 617-8198
Gr: NS-5 | 523 students Extracurrculars: 7 Tuition listed
820 W Mc Kinley Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 351-4120
Gr: PK-5 | 384 students Avg. class size: 14 students Extracurrculars: 3 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Westside Neighborhood School
Westside Neighborhood School Photo
(10)
5401 Beethoven Street
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 574-8650
Gr: NS-8 | 657 students Avg. class size: 20 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 11 Tuition listed
Beresford Montessori - San Mateo Location
Beresford Montessori - San Mateo Location Photo
Montessori School
1717 Gum St
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 571-8749
Gr: PK-K | 41 students Sports: 1 | Extracurrculars: 3 Tuition listed
The Berkeley School
The Berkeley School Photo - Students work collaboratively during morning choice time
(1)
1310 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 665-8800
Gr: PK-8 Avg. class size: 22 students Sports: 5 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Show 100 more private schools in California (out of 1,099 total schools)
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