Schools by city · the City of Orange

The 11 Private Schools in the City of Orange

Nine of the 11 private schools in the City of Orange are K-8, and Orange Lutheran High School is the only high school. Lutheran families can go from K-8 through high school inside the city; Catholic K-8 graduates must leave the city for a Catholic high school.

11
private schools: $8,600–$20,800
starting tuition range (7 published): 6.4–10.2
miles, straight-line to central Irvine: 4
schools state they issue I-20s

Yellow dots are the 11 private schools in the City of Orange; dashed rings are 5, 10 and 15 miles from central Irvine.

The 11 Private Schools in the City of Orange: a good fit if

You want private school for the elementary and middle years and will plan high school separately
You are drawn to the Lutheran tradition and want K-8 and high school both inside the City of Orange
Cost matters: the four Lutheran and Catholic K-8 schools that publish tuition all fall between $8,600 and $10,370
Your child needs F-1 status and you want to compare the four schools that accept international students

The 11 Private Schools in the City of Orange: look elsewhere if

You want to compare several high schools rather than having one option
You want a Catholic high school without commuting outside the City of Orange
You are looking for a K-12 school with full-time, five-day attendance

The 11 Private Schools in the City of Orange: Grade Coverage and School List

Each row is a school and its bar shows the grades it offers. Together, private schools in the City of Orange cover kindergarten through grade 12.

Elementary and K-8
K-12
High school

High school (1)

Orange Lutheran High School is the only high school in the City of Orange. It has no entrance exam, accepts F-1 students and offers Chinese online only.

Orange Lutheran High School (Lutheran High School of Orange County)9-12$20,800Not requiredI-209.7 mi from Irvine

K-12 (1)

Adelphia Classical Christian Academy uses a hybrid model with three on-campus days a week; Wednesdays and Fridays are at-home learning days.

Adelphia Classical Christian AcademyK-12Tuition n/aSchool assessment6.4 mi from Irvine

Elementary and K-8 (9)

Three Lutheran, three Catholic, one Christian and two non-sectarian independent schools, all listed as K-8 in the school library.

Filtered from each school’s official pages, verified 2026-09. Tuition is the published starting price; open a school for its full timeline, fees and counselor notes.

The City of Orange’s 11 private schools are mostly K-8

Nine of the City of Orange’s 11 private schools are K-8, so Irvine families come here mainly for elementary and middle school.

City scope: Orange is a city within Orange County, and this page covers only private schools inside the City of Orange.
Mix of programs: One high school, one K-12 school and nine K-8 schools.
K-8 core: Three Lutheran, three Catholic, one Christian and two non-sectarian independent schools form the core of private education in the city.
High school: Orange Lutheran High School is the only one.
K-12 school: Adelphia Classical Christian Academy runs as a PSP (Private School Program, a private school satellite program) hybrid, on campus Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and at home Wednesday and Friday, unlike a conventional full-time school.

Key point: For high school, families either choose Orange Lutheran High School or widen the search beyond the City of Orange.

The City of Orange’s Lutheran schools run from K-8 through high school

The City of Orange has four Lutheran schools, covering both K-8 and high school inside the city.

School	Grades	Founded	Students	2026-27 tuition
St. John’s Lutheran School	K-8	1882	About 849	$9,410 church members, $10,370 non-members
St. Paul’s Lutheran School	K-8	1908	About 342	$9,600, with $1,000 off for members of its church
Salem Lutheran School	K-8	1965	About 410	Not published; request rates through a form
Orange Lutheran High School	9-12	1973	Nearly 1,500 (school-reported)	On campus: $20,800 member-church families, $22,525 non-members

High school admissions: Orange Lutheran High School has no entrance exam and accepts F-1 students.
Chinese classes: The high school offers Chinese only online, as Chinese 1-4, with no AP Chinese.

What is missing from the City of Orange’s private schools

The City of Orange has no Catholic high school and no school that admits through the HSPT, ISEE or SSAT.

Admissions: Across the 11 schools, seven use an on-campus assessment, one states that no exam is required, and three do not say.
Catholic K-8 schools: Holy Family Catholic School, La Purisima Catholic School and St. Norbert Catholic School all use an on-campus assessment.
K-12 schools: The city has no K-12 school with full-time, five-day attendance.
Chinese classes: Only Orange Lutheran High School offers Chinese, and only online.

Key point: A Catholic K-8 student who wants a Catholic high school after grade 8 must apply outside the city, for example to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, which admits through the HSPT.

How Irvine families can choose among the City of Orange’s private schools

Decide on high school first, then choose a K-8 school.

Planning on Orange Lutheran High School: Start with the three Lutheran K-8 schools.
Planning on a Catholic high school: Look at the three Catholic K-8 schools; tuition is in the table below.
Need F-1 status: At the K-8 level, the options are Covenant Christian School, Oakridge Private School and St. Paul’s Lutheran School.
Want a non-sectarian school: Consider Oakridge Private School and the French-English immersion International School of Orange County.

School	Type	Tuition	Note
Holy Family Catholic School	Catholic K-8	$9,365 to $9,675 (2026-27)	Single rate
St. Norbert Catholic School	Catholic K-8	$8,847 active parishioners, $9,601 others	Two rates by parish status
La Purisima Catholic School	Catholic K-8	Not published	Request from the school
Oakridge Private School	Non-sectarian	$12,300 to $14,800	Accepts F-1 students
International School of Orange County	Non-sectarian, French-English immersion	$18,220 to $22,670	Listed as K-8 in the school library, but the 2026-27 tuition table only goes up to grades 6-7; confirm before applying for upper grades

Next steps for Irvine families considering private schools in the City of Orange

First plan K-8 and high school together, then check costs and drive the commute.

Decide on high school: Start with whether high school will be Lutheran, Catholic or something else.
Check costs: Request the current fee schedule from the four schools that do not publish tuition.
Drive the commute: Drive the route once at school hours; the 11 schools are 6.4 to 10.2 straight-line miles from central Irvine, all beyond 5 miles.
HSPT preparation: Families planning on a Catholic high school can use the Orange County Catholic high schools that require the HSPT to plan test preparation.
Compare other cities: Start from Orange County private schools by city, private schools within 15 miles of Irvine or the Orange County private school finder.
Planning help: EDUBUS is based in Irvine and works on school selection and application planning, and can help families place the K-8 and high school applications on one timeline.

The 11 Private Schools in the City of Orange: Frequently Asked Questions

For Irvine families searching for private schools in Orange, how does the City of Orange differ from Orange County?

Orange is a city within Orange County. This page counts only the 11 private schools whose addresses are inside the City of Orange, not schools in other Orange County cities. Private schools across all of Orange County can be filtered in the Orange County private school finder.

For Irvine families considering private schools in the City of Orange, how far is the commute?

Measured as a straight line from each school's coordinates to central Irvine, the City of Orange's 11 private schools are 6.4 to 10.2 miles away, and 10 of them are within 10 miles. The three closest are Adelphia Classical Christian Academy (6.4 miles), Holy Family Catholic School (6.8 miles) and St. John's Lutheran School (7.2 miles); the farthest is St. Paul's Lutheran School (10.2 miles). Straight-line distance is not drive time, so drive the route once at school hours before deciding.

For Irvine families whose child finishes K-8 in the City of Orange, how does high school connect?

The only high school in the City of Orange is Orange Lutheran High School (grades 9-12), which has no entrance exam. A child at a Catholic K-8 who wants to continue at a Catholic high school must apply outside the city, for example to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, which admits through the HSPT. The city's only K-12 school, Adelphia Classical Christian Academy, uses a three-day hybrid schedule and suits families comfortable with that format.

For Irvine families whose child holds an F-1 visa, which private schools in the City of Orange can they apply to?

Counting only schools whose websites state that they issue the I-20 (the school document needed to apply for an F-1 visa), the City of Orange has four: Orange Lutheran High School (grades 9-12), plus Covenant Christian School, Oakridge Private School and St. Paul's Lutheran School (all K-8). Orange Lutheran High School charges F-1 international students $41,470 for 2026-27, plus mandatory health insurance of $1,150. The other seven do not say, so confirm with admissions before applying.

For Irvine families comparing tuition at private schools in the City of Orange, what should they watch for?

Seven of the 11 publish 2026-27 tuition. The four Lutheran and Catholic K-8 schools that publish rates fall between $8,600 and $10,370; the two non-sectarian independent schools cost more, with Oakridge Private School at $12,300 to $14,800 and International School of Orange County at $18,220 to $22,670; Orange Lutheran High School is $20,800 to $22,525. St. John's Lutheran School, St. Norbert Catholic School, St. Paul's Lutheran School and Orange Lutheran High School charge two rates depending on parish or member-church status. Adelphia Classical Christian Academy, Covenant Christian School, La Purisima Catholic School and Salem Lutheran School publish no tuition amounts, so request them from the schools.

Private Schools in Other Cities Near Irvine

7schoolsInside IrvineSeven schools, each covering part of the grade span and only one running K through 12, which is why most families who want private schooling commute out of the city.6schoolsNewport Beach, 6 schoolsNewport Beach's six private schools cover kindergarten through grade 12 and sit 3.9 to 7.4 miles in a straight line from central Irvine. Four of them require the ISEE or SSAT, and annual tuition for one child ranges from $9,912 to $58,100.4schoolsTustin, 4 schoolsAll four of Tustin's private schools end at grade 8 and sit 3.0 to 5.1 straight-line miles from central Irvine. Families living in Tustin will leave the city for high school, and the nearest options are in Orange, Santa Ana and Irvine.7schoolsCosta Mesa, 7 schoolsSix of Costa Mesa's seven private schools end at grade 8, and the only one running through grade 12 is a Waldorf school. All sit 3.0 to 6.8 miles in a straight line from central Irvine, which makes them a close-in option for the elementary and middle school years.4schoolsLake Forest, 4 schoolsLake Forest's four private schools sit 7.9 to 9.4 straight-line miles from central Irvine. Two Christian schools run into the secondary grades, but one high school has 80 students and the other will graduate its first high school class only in 2028.3schoolsMission Viejo, 3 schoolsMission Viejo's three private schools sit 10.3 to 10.6 straight-line miles from central Irvine; one ends at grade 6 and two at grade 8. After that, the nearest private secondary schools are in Lake Forest, within two straight-line miles.9schoolsSanta Ana, 9 schoolsSanta Ana's nine private schools sit 3.9 to 7.4 miles from central Irvine in a straight line, and its four Catholic schools run from K-8 through high school inside one city, which suits Irvine families who want a Catholic path with a short commute.29citiesEvery Orange County cityEvery Orange County private school by city, with grades, tuition, entrance exams and distance from Irvine.

Filter Orange County Private Schools Another Way

ISEE / SSAT8 HSPT5 No entrance exam70 International / I-2044 Mandarin & AP Chinese20 Inside Irvine7 Near Irvine91

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