Christ Lutheran School

Christ Lutheran School does not use a standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.

The school publishes the following application details. The tuition schedule and the Tuition & Fees page on the school website state that every new student is assessed at entry by the school’s Director of Student Support Services, who measures cognitive, motor and language skills; applicants to Kindergarten also need a questionnaire completed by a parent or guardian and, where there is one, the preschool teacher. The school website has Schedule A Tour and Apply Online Now entry points and does not publish an application deadline. The school states explicitly that it does not treat applicants differently on the basis of race, color, national origin or ethnic background.

This school does not use a standardized entrance test. It assesses applicants on campus, so preparation centers on the visit day and the parent interview rather than test registration. Application dates are set by the school each year; ask the admissions office for the current calendar and plan backward from it.

Christ Lutheran School tuition for 2026-27 is $8,652 to $9,652.

For the 2026-2027 school year, grades K through 8 (school website, Tuition & Fees page and Day School Schedule of Fees PDF): the Community Rate is $9,652 and the Church Member Rate is $8,652, a difference of $1,000 per student. With two or more siblings enrolled in the Grade School at the same time, each receives a further 5% reduction.

The registration fee is $500 per student, or $900 per family for two or more children. Other costs: lunch at $5-6 a day, which is optional; athletics in grades 5-8 at $85-100 per sport; musicals and performing arts at $85-150; uniforms, which must be purchased through the school website; and field study costs at each grade level. The conditions for the member rate are spelled out in detail: worship attendance of at least 50% over the year, continued financial support of the congregation, regular reception of communion, and an Annual Member Tuition Agreement signed each year. The school checks attendance and giving records twice a year, in January and June; families who fall short lose the discount, and can have it restored one quarter after meeting the standard again. Discounts do not stack: a family that is both a member of the congregation and a Concordia University employee, for example, receives only the larger of the two.

Academics and programs described on the Christ Lutheran School website include:

• The middle school has an immersive S.T.E.A.M. program, and S.T.E.A.M. is also integrated into the existing curriculum from the preschool through grade 8 (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page)
• NWEA MAP computer-adaptive assessments three times a year in K-8, covering math, language arts and science, with three additional Acadience math and reading assessments in K-6 (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page)
• Performing arts options include handbells in grades 6-8, choir in K-8, Chapel Band in grades 6-8, Tech Crew in grades 6-8 and a musical for grades 3-8 (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page)
• K-8 physical education meets twice a week with a dedicated PE teacher; art and music both have dedicated teachers, and music covers ukulele, Orff instruments and xylophone by grade level along with vocal training (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page)
• The Student Success Resource program has a dedicated teacher who writes individualized learning plans for students with special learning or social-emotional needs (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page)
• Interscholastic athletics in grades 5-8 include basketball, volleyball, flag football and track and field; there is also Journeys Counseling on campus and before- and after-school care through SAC (school website, Why Christ Lutheran page, Academics page)

These are the schools nearest to Christ Lutheran School at the same level, with the basic facts each school publishes. Select a name to open that school’s admissions guide:

School	Grades	Tuition	Entrance test	Distance
Christ Lutheran School	K-8	$8,652	On-campus assessment	—
Page Academy — Costa Mesa Campus	K-8	$18,920	—	0.3 mi
Saint Joachim Catholic School	K-8	$9,195	On-campus assessment	1.3 mi
Carden Hall	K-8	$20,760	On-campus assessment	1.6 mi
Huntington Christian School	K-8	$11,616	On-campus assessment	1.7 mi

Christ Lutheran School tuition for 2026-27 is tiered by grade or program, from $8,652 to $9,652. Over 9 years covering grades K-8, total tuition falls between $77,868 and $86,868, depending on which tier each grade falls in; ask the school for its grade-by-grade tuition table. This uses current-year rates and excludes registration fees, deposits, uniforms and activity fees; the school sets tuition for later years annually.

These are straight-line distances to Christ Lutheran School from neighborhoods where many Irvine families live. Actual drive times will be longer; time the drive once during school hours:

Neighborhood	Straight-line distance
Woodbury	11.2 miles
Northwood	10.2 miles
Turtle Rock	6.8 miles
Portola Springs	13.0 miles

The website does not describe bus service; confirm this during your visit.

When you visit Christ Lutheran School, confirm these points with the admissions office:

• Synod — neither school.christcm.org nor church.christcm.org, including its Our Beliefs page, states whether the congregation belongs to the LCMS, the ELCA or the NALC. The school holds NLSA accreditation and…
• F-1 students — at this review the /international-students/ page on the school website had body text, stating “We are excited to offer the opportunity for International Students to be part of Christ Lutheran Schools…
• Chinese program — the Academics and Why Christ Lutheran pages on the school website list no foreign language courses at all
• Financial aid — the school website has no financial aid page, and the tuition schedule PDF makes no mention of FACTS, Clarity or any other aid channel, listing only the various discounts
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition