Private School Review - Established 2003
Saint Matthew Catholic School Top 7 · Lowest Acceptance Rate (TN)
St. Agnes Academy and St. Dominic School Top 5 · Oldest Founding Date (TN)
Evangelical Christian School Top 10 · Largest Endowment (TN)

Tennessee Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations

For the 2026-27 school year, there are 407 private schools belonging to membership associations in Tennessee.
The most popular school membership associations are Other school association(s) (20% of schools), Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (17% of schools) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) (17% of schools).

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 407

Quick Facts (26-27)

  • # Private Schools: 407

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

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) (ACE)
40
1,435
17%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
34
5,670
18%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
14
1,203
47%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
2
196
12%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
68
20,864
12%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
3
743
12%
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
15
4,114
8%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
1
-
-
Christian Schools International (CSI)
5
2,757
7%
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)
42
18,343
13%
Council of Bilingual Education (PVSR legacy category)
1
93
33%
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
1
27
100%
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Education) (GCSDAC)
21
1,697
33%
Institute for Independent Education (PVSR legacy category)
2
61
33%
International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC)
3
2,208
17%
International Coalition of Girls' Schools (formerly NCGS) (ICGS)
5
2,948
15%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
5
701
19%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
1
36
17%
Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
2
897
17%
Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
7
1,554
18%
National Alliance of Christian Schools (NACS)
1
127
-
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
1
93
33%
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
26
3,797
24%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
11
3,070
27%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
45
23,183
16%
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
3
140
29%
National Association of Private Schools (NAPS)
1
749
-
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
2
162
28%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
34
11,332
23%
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
16
10,343
13%
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS)
1
36
8%
National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
2
183
39%
National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA)
8
1,139
43%
National Lutheran Schools Accreditation (NLSA)
5
712
16%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
1
206
1%
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
2
443
23%
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
7
533
38%
Other Montessori association(s)
2
348
21%
Other religious school association(s)
34
5,105
18%
Other school association(s)
81
17,085
20%
Other special emphasis association(s)
11
2,248
35%
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools (absorbed SSDSA) (Prizmah)
1
57
-
Society for Classical Learning (SCL)
2
595
10%
Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)
2
241
5%
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
68
32,290
15%
Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
35
21,201
18%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
8
2,444
8%
State or regional independent school association
32
11,146
18%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
4
2,733
25%

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