In shortRSM Christian School is a Christian private K-8 school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, serving grades K-8 with about 283 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $9,500 to $12,550, or roughly $85,500 to $112,950 across all 9 years at today's rates. No standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.
- Location
- 29582 Aventura, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
- Affiliation
- Christian
- Head of school
- Matt Kladnik, Head of School
- Phone
- 949-589-4504
- Official Website
- rsmchristianschool.com
RSM Christian School overview
RSM Christian School is a Christian private K-8 school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, serving grades K-8, with about 283 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $9,500 to $12,550. Religion classes are required, so confirm your family is comfortable with that before applying. The school accepts F-1 international students and issues the I-20 needed for a student visa.
RSM Christian School admissions
RSM Christian School does not use a standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.
The school publishes the following application details. Re-enrollment for current students opens each December and applications for new students open each January, with rolling admission as space allows; the school website lists no single deadline. When a grade is full, applicants enter the PRIORITY WAIT POOL. Priority goes first to children of faculty and staff and then to siblings of current students; all other applicants are decided on the basis of available space, class composition, academic and social readiness, and recommendations from teachers and administrators at the previous school. The process has four steps: (1) apply online and pay the $100 application fee, uploading the birth certificate, immunization records, the last two years of report cards, and standardized test scores for grades 1-8; (2) K-8 students complete an admission assessment given by a school teacher or administrator; (3) new TK-8 families interview, with the student present; (4) the admission review committee deliberates and normally issues a decision within a week (school website, Admission Process page).
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.
RSM Christian School tuition and fees
RSM Christian School tuition for 2026-27 is $9,500 to $12,550.
For the 2026-27 school year, grades K-6 and grades 7-8 are priced the same at $12,550 per year, and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is $9,500 per year. The early childhood program is priced separately: Pre-K is $6,750 for three days a week and $8,650 for five days; Preschool is $4,500 for two days, $6,300 for three days and $8,100 for five days; and the 2-year-old class is $7,700 for three days and $9,500 for five days. Tuition includes campus security, technology, textbooks and course materials, lab work, enrichment classes, grade-level field trips that do not involve an overnight stay, and most desk supplies. The school offers discounts for payment in full, for families with two or more children enrolled, and for active-duty military, first responder and pastor families, but the school website does not list the discount amounts (school website, Tuition page).
The enrollment fee is $550 per student for K-8 and TK, $350 for Pre-K and the 2-year-old class, and $250 for Preschool. All are nonrefundable, and a family must select a FACTS payment plan and pay the enrollment fee before a place in the class is held. The application fee is $100 and is nonrefundable. Some grade 7-8 electives carry additional fees. International students have a separate schedule: a $200 application fee, a $2,000 international program fee and $18,000 in tuition, all payable in full before the start of school and all nonrefundable (school website, Tuition page, International Students Program page).
Academics and programs at RSM Christian School
Academics and programs described on the RSM Christian School website include:
- Math in grades 7-8 is tracked into Pre-Algebra in grade 7 and Algebra 1 in grade 8, using the Reveal Math Course 2 and Reveal Math Algebra I texts (school website, Junior High page)
- Bible is a graded course in grades 7-8, taught from David C. Cook’s Bible in Life for Middle School and the NLT translation, with small group discussion, independent work, quizzes and scripture memorization; the weekly chapel is led by students in worship (school website, Junior High page)
- Middle school electives change from year to year; the current list includes Spanish 1A/1B, STEM, music, Boss Club, digital media, drama, art, cooking and yearbook. Spanish is the only world language, and no Chinese course appears in the course lists on the school website (school website, Junior High page, Fast Facts page)
- Grade 8 takes a week-long history trip to Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia (school website, Junior High page)
- P.E., STEM, Spanish, library, music and art are taught by subject specialists (school website, Fast Facts page)
- Boys and girls in grades 5-8 compete in the Christian Athletic League of Orange County in volleyball, flag football, basketball, coed soccer and track and field (school website, Junior High page)
Schools near RSM Christian School at the same level
These are the schools nearest to RSM Christian 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSM Christian School | K-8 | $9,500 | On-campus assessment | — |
| St. John’s Episcopal School | K-8 | $23,675 | On-campus assessment | 0.9 mi |
| St. Junipero Serra Catholic School | K-8 | $15,757 | On-campus assessment | 1.1 mi |
| Heritage Christian School | K-6 | $11,515 | On-campus assessment | 2.4 mi |
| Mission Viejo Christian School | K-8 | Not published | On-campus assessment | 3.8 mi |
Where RSM Christian School students go next
RSM Christian School publishes the following on where its graduates go.
The International Students page on the school website states that graduates “make strong transitions to both private and public high schools” and says alumni have gone on to graduate from UCLA, USC, Stanford, Westmont, Auburn and Rice. The Junior High page gives two further self-reported figures: 70% of graduates enter honors courses when they start high school, and 86% carry a high school GPA above 3.5. The school website gives no class-by-class list of admissions and no student counts.
Which entrance test a student sits and when applications close depend on the target high school: some Orange County private high schools require the ISEE, some the HSPT, and some no test at all. EDUBUS works backward from each target high school’s requirements to plan grades, activities and test preparation across the K-8 years.
Total tuition through graduation at RSM Christian School
RSM Christian School tuition for 2026-27 is tiered by grade or program, from $9,500 to $12,550. Over 9 years covering grades K-8, total tuition falls between $85,500 and $112,950, 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.
Getting to RSM Christian School from Irvine
These are straight-line distances to RSM Christian 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 | 8.7 miles |
| Northwood | 10.1 miles |
| Turtle Rock | 11.5 miles |
| Portola Springs | 7.4 miles |
The website does not describe bus service; confirm this during your visit.
Questions to ask on a RSM Christian School campus visit
When you visit RSM Christian School, confirm these points with the admissions office:
- Year founded — the About Us, Fast Facts and Admission Process pages on the school website give no founding year, and the admissions page offers only phrasing such as “over 60 combined years of excellence in Christi…
- Financial aid — the school website has no Financial Aid or Tuition Assistance page, and the Tuition page mentions only discounts for payment in full, for multiple children and for military, first responder and pasto…
- Average class size — the Classroom Sizes section of the Fast Facts page on the school website says only that the school is “committed to maintaining small class sizes” and that sizes “may vary slightly depending on enrol…
- Enrollment — no page on the school website publishes a total enrollment figure, so the California Department of Education filing of 283 students is used, with the source noted
- Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition
How EDUBUS helps families applying to RSM Christian School
EDUBUS counselors in Irvine work in both Chinese and English with families applying to RSM Christian School. We track RSM Christian School’s admissions calendar, prepare students for the campus visit and interview, and review application materials before they are submitted. Book a school-selection consultation or read the Chinese version of this page.
RSM Christian School: Frequently Asked Questions
What test does RSM Christian School require?
RSM Christian School has no standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.
Does RSM Christian School accept F-1 international students?
Yes. RSM Christian School issues I-20s; international applicants also submit English proficiency and financial documents.
How much is tuition at RSM Christian School for 2026-27, and is aid available?
Tuition at RSM Christian School is $9,500 to $12,550 for 2026-27. Check the school website for aid policies.
When should an Irvine family start preparing for RSM Christian School?
RSM Christian 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. EDUBUS advises Irvine families from its Irvine office and works back from RSM Christian School's timeline for visit-day and interview preparation. RSM Christian School is in Rancho Santa Margarita; families driving from Irvine should time the commute during school hours on their visit day.
Sources12 sources · checked 2026-09-08
Compiled from the official RSM Christian School website and public filings. Tuition and deadlines follow the school's current notice.
- rsmchristianschool.com
- rsmchristianschool.com/about-us
- rsmchristianschool.com/facts
- rsmchristianschool.com/tuition
- rsmchristianschool.com/admission-process
- rsmchristianschool.com/international
- rsmchristianschool.com/junior-high
- rsmchristianschool.com/our-staff
- rsmchristianschool.com/new-family-info
- rsmchristianschool.com/downloads
- cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=30664646910137
- WeIrvine: community and commute notes for this school








