Challenger School - Shawnee (2026 Profile)

Name: Open House
Start: 2026-09-16T09:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-09-16T17:00:00-07:00
Location: Challenger School - Shawnee

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Quick Facts (2026)

Grades: Nursery/Preschool-8
Application Deadline: None / Rolling
Source: ✓Verified school update

Upcoming Events and News

Open House - Wed., September 16, 2026 - get more information!

8th Grader Sharanya Munjal Chudgar Named Thermo Fisher JIC Finalist - 07/16/2023
Sharanya Munjal Chudgar, an 8th grader from Challenger School Shawnee in San Jose, CA, built a solar-tracking trash-collecting robot to reduce trash pollution and improve solar panel efficiency.
Los Gatos, Saratoga students win civics contest - 02/10/2017
The winners include seventh-grader Danya Balagopal and fifth-grader Anika Tradhani from the Challenger School`s Shawnee campus in San Jose, and sixth-grader Dylan Nguyen from Challenger`s Almaden campus.
School Scene: South Bay middle-schoolers advance in Broadcom Masters science contest - 09/23/2016
The 30 finalists were chosen from among 300 seminfinalists. Each finalist won $500 and an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in late October for the finals.
Los Gatos, Saratoga: Saratoga’s Si-Yi wins top award in DAR contest - 02/10/2016
Four students from Challenger School were also awarded at the ceremony. The group includes Alec Corliss, fifth grade; Danya Balagopal, sixth grade; Pauline Le, seventh grade; and Srinivas Balagopal, eighth ...moregrade. They each received $75 for their essays titled, "A Colonial Family`s Reaction to the Stamp Act." hide

School Facts

Religious Affiliation

Nonsectarian

Grades Offered

Grades Nursery/Preschool-8

Year Founded

1963

Summer School Offered

Yes

Summer Program Details

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School Calendar

View School Calendar

Student Body

Student Body Type

Co-ed

Academics & Faculty

List of Courses Offered

Link to List of Courses

Matriculation DataMatric. Data

View Matriculation Data

Tuition & Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline

None / Rolling

Application URL

Online Application

School Notes

Celebrating over 60 years of learning and fun, Challenger School is an independent private school that focuses on academic excellence, individual achievement, strong logic and thinking skills, and self-reliance.

Our curriculum focuses on the foundations of knowledge: language arts, math, and logic. Early mastery of these basics prepares students for advanced studies and learning at an accelerated pace.
Breathtaking Results - Our uniquely structured classes yield astonishing results in young students. Challenger students achieve scores on average in the 90th percentile on the national Stanford Achievement Test (SAT). This means that our average student outperforms nine out of ten students who take that test. Challenger School offers preschool through eighth grade programs that prepare children to live happily and successfully for their whole lives.

Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- Barbara Baker, founder -

Source: Verified school update

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are famous alumni from Challenger School - Shawnee?

Challenger School - Shawnee famous alumni include: Barbara Baker, founder.

Does Challenger School - Shawnee offer a summer program?

Yes, Challenger School - Shawnee offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.

When is the application deadline for Challenger School - Shawnee?

The application deadline for Challenger School - Shawnee is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).

In what neighborhood is Challenger School - Shawnee located?

Challenger School - Shawnee is located in the Shawnee neighborhood of San Jose, CA. There are 1 other private schools located in Shawnee.

School Reviews

5.00 out of 5 (2 reviews)

5 11/24/2017

We love Challenger school. Challenger is the best private school around. I think it's worth every penny for your kid. The workload is a little bit too much for young kids but if parents spent some time helping them; they will be ok. If you want your kids to be challenged, then this is the right school. We are highly recommended.

- Posted by Parent - Kim V

5 10/8/2015

Challenger is an amazing school. Both of my children attend this school and wish they had been coming here since preschool. The academics are great, and the friendships they form are wonderful. Contrary to many stupid judgements, many children are (not surprisingly) incredibly social and polite and outgoing. Of course, a few are shy but this is based on their personality and parenting which is not affiliated with the school's practices in any way. In middle school, the children can attend dances. The dances are not only appropriate (in both duration and frequency) but also an awesome experience for the children who love it. In high school, the children flourish because of the standards they previously lived up to (and exceeded) so in high school, Challenger alumnae pursue a wide array of interests and take many Honors classes and attend prestigious high schools. The school fosters a healthy amount of competition, with contests in which the students rightfully earn their respective merits. Contrary to many other schools, Challenger offers no consolation prizes. Because of these many reasons, I believe all children must attend Challenger.

- Posted by Parent - samik

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in San Jose, CA is $23,928 for elementary schools and $29,701 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).

The average acceptance rate in San Jose, CA is 82% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).