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Best Virginia Private Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026-27)

For the 2026-27 school year, there are 654 private schools belonging to membership associations in Virginia.
The most popular school membership associations are Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (17% of schools), Other school association(s) (16% of schools) and Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) (14% of schools).

Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • # Private Schools: 654

Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • # Private Schools: 654

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

Membership Association
# Schools
# Students
% Minority
Accelerated Christian Education (School of Tomorrow) (ACE)
16
399
32%
Accreditation International
1
142
20%
Alternative School Network
1
70
96%
American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)
25
3,436
39%
American Montessori Society (AMS)
58
5,611
42%
Association for Middle Level Education (formerly NMSA) (AMLE)
1
163
8%
Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
11
738
40%
Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
110
20,169
27%
Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)
15
2,101
28%
Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS)
17
3,363
19%
Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS-MDDC)
1
146
10%
Association of LD Schools (ALDS)
1
242
19%
Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS)
6
1,212
37%
Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
3
400
22%
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
1
146
10%
Christian Schools International (CSI)
7
1,398
51%
Cognia (formerly AdvancED / SACS CASI / NCA CASI) (Cognia)
59
14,050
42%
Council of Bilingual Education (PVSR legacy category)
4
198
31%
Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA)
1
197
64%
Educational Collaborative for International Schools (ECIS)
3
320
50%
Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)
1
295
-
Friends Council on Education (FCE)
2
163
8%
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (Education) (GCSDAC)
9
479
61%
Institute for Independent Education (PVSR legacy category)
3
180
74%
International Baccalaureate World School (IB)
4
1,222
13%
International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC)
2
228
28%
International Coalition of Girls' Schools (formerly NCGS) (ICGS)
7
1,588
22%
International League of Christian Schools (ILCS)
2
539
70%
International Montessori Council (IMC)
3
390
27%
Islamic School League of America (ISLA)
2
315
62%
Jesuit Schools Network (formerly JSEA) (JSN)
1
92
79%
Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
28
11,373
44%
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
1
144
81%
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
66
7,730
34%
National Association for the Gifted
2
130
52%
National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)
16
5,184
22%
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
89
30,323
24%
National Association of Laboratory Schools (NALS)
2
61
18%
National Association of Private Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)
2
677
13%
National Association of Private Schools (NAPS)
4
961
41%
National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC)
7
320
60%
National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
54
20,730
30%
National Christian School Association (NCSA)
2
85
-
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools (NCACS)
1
130
19%
National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
7
1,284
41%
National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA)
17
2,267
37%
National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)
4
147
27%
Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).
1
75
7%
Orton Gillingham Academy of Practioners and Educators
1
93
8%
Other associations(s) for exceptional children
10
359
21%
Other Montessori association(s)
17
1,382
36%
Other religious school association(s)
35
4,391
34%
Other school association(s)
103
16,756
31%
Other special emphasis association(s)
22
2,728
29%
Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools (absorbed SSDSA) (Prizmah)
1
120
18%
Society for Classical Learning (SCL)
2
820
9%
Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)
2
479
16%
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
48
20,819
32%
Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
18
5,746
18%
Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)
4
267
23%
State or regional independent school association
44
10,626
29%
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
12
2,996
29%
Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS)
94
29,418
22%
Virginia Independent School Association (VISA)
6
2,954
33%
Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)
2
285
31%
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission for Schools) (ACS WASC)
1
-
-
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)
1
95
45%

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