What grades Santa Ana’s 9 private schools cover
Three of Santa Ana’s nine private schools reach grade 12.
- Mix of programs: Two high schools, three K-12 schools and four elementary or K-8 programs.
- Compared with Irvine: Only one of the seven schools inside Irvine runs K-12, while three Santa Ana schools reach grade 12.
- K-12 schools: Bethel Baptist School and Calvary Chapel Schools serve K-12; The Open School enrolls ages 5 to 19 with no grade levels, according to its website.
- Elementary programs: The two Catholic schools run through grade 8, while Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School and Irvine Hebrew Day School end at grade 6.
- Name and location: Irvine Hebrew Day School carries Irvine in its name but is located in Santa Ana, 5.3 straight-line miles from central Irvine.
Key point: Children at the two schools that end at grade 6 need a new school from grade 7, so start planning in grade 5.
Santa Ana’s Catholic schools run from K-8 through high school
Santa Ana has four Catholic schools, covering both the K-8 years and high school inside the city.
| School | Grades | Admissions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Anne Parish School | K-8 | On-campus assessment | Diocese of Orange parish school run by Pax Christi Academies; no published tuition |
| St. Barbara Catholic School | K-8 | On-campus assessment | Diocese of Orange parish school run by Pax Christi Academies; $6,850 for 2025-26 |
| Mater Dei High School | 9-12 | HSPT | Founded 1950, about 1,851 students; accepts F-1 students, offers Chinese |
| Cristo Rey Orange County High School | 9-12 | On-campus assessment | Founded 2023, about 210 students; cost model below |
According to its website, Cristo Rey Orange County High School splits each student’s education cost three ways:
- Donor scholarships: Cover 50%.
- Corporate work study: The student earns about 45% through the Corporate Work Study Program.
- Family: Covers the remaining 5%, with monthly payments starting from $25 to $320, set by verified household income and financial need.
Key point: The two Catholic high schools operate very differently and suit different families.
What is missing from Santa Ana’s private schools
Santa Ana’s private schools are mostly religious, and none admits through the ISEE or SSAT.
- Religious affiliation: Four Catholic, two Christian, one Jewish community day school and one Armenian school.
- Non-sectarian option: Only The Open School, which uses an ungraded, self-directed model that differs sharply from a conventional school.
- Admissions: One HSPT school, four on-campus assessments, one school that states no exam is required, and three whose websites do not say.
- Chinese classes: Only Mater Dei High School offers Chinese.
Key point: For a non-sectarian, graded independent school, or one that admits through the ISEE or SSAT, look beyond Santa Ana: see private schools within 15 miles of Irvine.
How Irvine families can choose among Santa Ana’s private schools
Group the schools by path first, then look at distance and cost.
- Catholic path: Focus on how the two K-8 schools connect to the two high schools, and prepare early for the HSPT that Mater Dei High School requires.
- One school through graduation: Compare Bethel Baptist School and Calvary Chapel Schools; both accept F-1 students.
- Armenian or Jewish culture: Families who value that cultural and religious education can look at the last two schools below, but should plan ahead for grade 7 and beyond.
| School | Tuition | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bethel Baptist School | $5,400 to $7,510 (2022-23) | K-12, about 78 students; website still shows an old year |
| Calvary Chapel Schools | No published tuition for local students | K-12, about 743 students |
| Ari Guiragos Minassian Armenian School | $8,500 (2026-27) | Ends at grade 6 |
| Irvine Hebrew Day School | $23,000 to $23,500 (2026-27) | Ends at grade 6 |
Key point: All nine schools are within 7.4 straight-line miles of central Irvine, so distance is rarely the deciding factor in this city.
Next steps for Irvine families considering Santa Ana private schools
First settle on a path, then check costs and drive the commute.
- Settle on a path: A Catholic K-8 school followed by a Catholic high school, a single K-12 school, or an elementary program followed by a second application.
- Check costs: Request the current fee schedule from schools that do not publish tuition or whose published year is old.
- Drive the commute: Drive the route once at school hours.
- HSPT preparation: Families preparing for Mater Dei 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 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 lay out the path, the commute and the application timeline together.
