Irvine-Area Private Elementary School Rankings

Schools that require the ISEE usually start the process a year ahead. For the 2027-28 school year, for example, The Pegasus School opens its online application on September 1 with a January 4 deadline, and Harbor Day School opens on September 1, 2026 with a January 8, 2027 deadline. EDUBUS advises Irvine families to settle on a list of schools in the summer before the year of entry, then visit and register for testing in the fall. Schools with rolling admission, such as Fairmont Schools, Stratford School – Mission Viejo and Carden Conservatory, accept applications whenever seats are open, though popular grades may still be full.

Of the 101 schools on this page, 6 state that applicants take the ISEE or SSAT, 63 use a school assessment (a test, trial class or interview arranged by the school itself), and the remaining schools either do not say on their websites or do not require a test. The ISEE has four levels by grade of entry: Primary, Lower, Middle and Upper. For example, Harbor Day School and The Pegasus School require the ISEE for grades 2 through 8, while kindergarten and the early grades take an on-campus assessment instead.

K-8 schools end in grade 8, so students apply again to high school in the fall of grade 8, and the entrance exam depends on the target high school: some Orange County private high schools require the ISEE, some require the HSPT (the entrance exam common at Catholic high schools), and some require no exam. K-12 schools continue through high school graduation, so students do not need to change schools. Each card shows the school's grade span, and the grade span filter narrows the list. EDUBUS advises Irvine families to compare total tuition across all grades together with the high school direction they have in mind.

Based on the starting tuition published on each school's website, schools on this page range from $5,400 at Bethel Baptist School (2022-23 school year) to $39,350 at Harbor Day School (2026-27 school year). Beyond tuition there are usually registration fees, uniforms, extended care and field trips, so Irvine families should estimate the total cost across all grades.

Schools whose websites state that bus routes cover Irvine are the Historic Anaheim and San Juan Capistrano campuses of Fairmont Schools. The Pegasus School has a busing program but does not list stops by city on its website, and the Anaheim Hills and North Tustin campuses of Fairmont do not provide buses. Most school websites do not say, so Irvine families should ask during a visit and test the drive once during school commute hours.