WhichPrivate School

Finding the fit

How to choose a private school in Texas

Start with schools that serve your child’s grade within a workable daily drive. Then compare the same facts for each school: program fit, support, official tuition and aid, accreditation, admissions steps, and current TEFA participation. Visit the finalists before signing a contract.

Reviewed 2026-09-08 · Which Private School editorial guide · How we work

Start with grade, location, and daily travel

Texas is too large for a useful statewide shortlist based on reputation alone. First, find campuses that serve your child’s entering grade and are close enough for the trip your family will make twice a day. Check the exact campus because one school system may have different grades or programs at different locations. Ask about transportation, before-school care, and after-school care before assuming the schedule works.

  • Entering grade and school year
  • Campus address and realistic rush-hour travel
  • School-day and school-calendar fit
  • Before-school, after-school, and transportation options

Compare the program with your child’s needs

School labels do not tell you what happens in class. Ask how teachers teach reading, writing, math, and science in the entering grade. If your child needs learning, behavioral, language, or disability support, ask who provides it, how often it is available, and what costs extra. Get a clear answer about needs the school cannot serve. A strong program for one student can be a poor fit for another.

  • Teaching approach in the entering grade
  • Class size and number of adults
  • Homework, testing, and technology use
  • Learning support, counseling, and language services
  • Arts, athletics, faith formation, or other family priorities

Verify tuition and aid on official school pages

Use the school’s current tuition and financial-aid pages as the starting point. Match every figure to the grade, schedule, campus, and school year. Then request a written family estimate. Tuition may leave out application fees, enrollment deposits, meals, uniforms, technology, care, transportation, trips, or support services. Aid may also have a separate application and deadline. Do not use a statewide average to budget for a specific school.

  • Tuition for the exact grade and year
  • Required fees and deposits
  • Services your family will actually use
  • School-aid application and final written offer
  • Payment, withdrawal, and refund terms

Check accreditation and understand its limit

The Texas Education Agency says it does not oversee, approve, register, or accredit private schools. TEA does recognize private accrediting entities, including the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission. Search the TEPSAC directory or the applicable recognized accreditor, then confirm the exact campus and current status. Accreditation provides an outside review framework, but it does not tell you whether the school fits your child, has space, or participates in TEFA.

  • Exact school and campus in the accreditor record
  • Current accreditation status and accrediting body
  • How credits and records transfer if the student leaves
  • What the accreditation review does and does not cover

Keep TEFA approval, admission, and funding separate

A school can meet accreditation requirements without being a current TEFA participant. Use the official TEFA finder to check the exact campus. Then ask the school to confirm participation for your child’s grade and school year. The school still controls admission. The state separately controls family eligibility and awards, and eligible applicants are not always guaranteed funding. Build the budget without pending funds until the award and school enrollment are confirmed.

  • School appears in the official TEFA finder
  • Child receives a school admission decision
  • Family receives an official TEFA funding status
  • School confirms enrollment through the program
  • School explains billing, aid, and refunds in writing

Visit finalists and compare the same evidence

Visit after you have checked the basic fit and cost. Ask to see the entering-grade classrooms and spaces your child would use. Talk with the person responsible for any support that matters. A polished tour is one sample, so ask for examples from an ordinary school day. After each visit, record the same facts and include your child’s response. Then compare two or three finalists side by side.

  • One clear strength for this child
  • One concern or tradeoff
  • Total confirmed family cost
  • One unanswered question
  • Child’s interest after the visit

Get final answers before signing

Ask admissions for the current checklist, decision timing, contract, and complete cost statement. Recheck accreditation and TEFA participation close to the contract date because status and listings can change. Read the withdrawal and refund terms before paying a nonrefundable deposit. Your next step is to choose three schools that pass the grade, travel, and budget screen, then request the same five facts from each: space, program fit, support, full cost, and visit options.

  • Current opening or wait-pool status
  • Grade-specific admissions checklist
  • Final tuition and aid statement
  • Contract and refund terms
  • Tour, student visit, or shadow-day options
Build your cost estimate →Find Texas schools

Sources & last checked