Heritage Oak Private Education

Overview

Heritage Oak Private Education is an independent, non-sectarian K-8 private school in Yorba Linda, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1966, with about 520 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $21,630 to $24,440, which puts it in the upper range among Orange County private schools at this level. The school accepts F-1 international students and issues the I-20 needed for a student visa.

Admissions

No standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.

The school publishes the following application details. The school website’s Admissions Process page lists four steps: (1) inquiry, by contacting Enrollment Director Shawna Rhebergen (714-646-1546 ext. 1), who commits to responding within 24 business hours; (2) campus visit, in which a school leader walks families through the four-acre campus, including the science lab, art room, performance stage and athletic facilities; (3) application, submitted online after the visit; (4) assessment, in which elementary and middle school applicants take a placement test within a few weeks of applying (Beginning Preschool through Pre-K applicants do not test) and, if they pass and a seat is open, receive an enrollment contract. International students follow a separate process described on the International Students page: an international student application, an English teacher recommendation form, transcripts for the past two years and current grades converted to the US grading scale, a copy of the passport and bank statements showing funds sufficient to cover tuition, plus an English test (ITEP SLATE minimum 4.5, or TOEFL Junior 845 / CEFR B2 equivalent), a Zoom interview and the school’s own placement test.

The main entry points at a K-8 school are kindergarten and grade 6. Younger applicants are usually evaluated through an on-campus visit, while most applicants above grade 5 need an ISEE score. Start in the fall of the year before entry: visit first to confirm the school is a fit, then decide whether to register for testing.

Tuition and fees

2026-27 tuition (school website, Tuition & Fee Information PDF): Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten are both $21,630, grades 1-5 are $22,440 and grades 6-8 are $24,440; in the preschool division, five-day full-day Beginning Preschool and Intermediate Preschool (8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) are both $18,400 and Pre-K (8:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) is $20,200. There are two payment options. The Annual Plan is paid in full, due July 1, 2026, with a discount based on the start date: 4% off for students starting between August 1 and December 1, 2% off for those starting between January 1 and May 1, and no discount from June 1 on. The Monthly Plan is 10 installments, from August 1, 2026 through May 1, 2027. The school year runs ten months, September through June. Preschool admission uses September 1 as the age cutoff.

All enrollment-related fees are nonrefundable: application fee $75; new student fee $500, billed with tuition; assessment fee $125, for JK through grade 8 only; and an annual registration fee of $2,000. Before- and after-school care is billed separately (page 2 of the tuition PDF on the school website, applying to all divisions): Before Care, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until the start of class, $130 a month, and After Care, from dismissal until 6:00 p.m., $375 a month, both requiring separate sign-up through the school office. ACH bank debit is the preferred payment method and carries no fee, while credit card payments carry a surcharge. Changing a schedule requires 30 days’ written notice and withdrawal requires 60 days’ written notice. The school website states that a sibling discount exists but does not publish the amount, which must be requested from the Enrollment Director (school website, Tuition & Fee Information PDF). International student tuition is a separate schedule that the school website does not publish; families must contact the Enrollment Director (school website, International Students page).

Academics and programs

• Accelerated curriculum: the school website states in several places that the core curriculum runs a year ahead of national and public school standards (“one year ahead of national standards,” “one year ahead of public school standards”) (school website, Elementary School page and International Students page)
• Personal Learning Plan (PLP): starting in Junior Kindergarten, each student’s teachers build an individualized learning plan from assessment data and update it each year (school website, FAQ and Elementary School page)
• The foreign language offering is a choice between French and Spanish, assigned by grade; the curriculum descriptions on the school website include no Chinese course (school website, Elementary School page, Middle School page and International Students page)
• Required instrumental music: younger students study violin and older students move into band or orchestra; middle school students must also take one year-long elective chosen from band, orchestra, musical theater and debate (school website, Elementary School page and Middle School page)
• Cotillion etiquette class for grades 2-8, covering social conversation, public speaking and formal dining etiquette, and expanding in middle school to resume writing and interview preparation (school website, FAQ and Middle School page)
• Technology: every student has an iPad from kindergarten on, and the school website says more than 90% of teachers hold Apple Teacher certification; there is also a Computer Science course and a Technology Director (school website, Elementary School page and Leadership & Faculty page)

How this school compares

These are the nearest schools at the same level and a comparable price. Select a name to open that school’s admissions guide:

School	City	Grades	Tuition	Entrance test	Class size	Distance
Heritage Oak Private Education	Yorba Linda	K-8	$21,630	On-campus assessment	—	—
Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda Christian Academy	Yorba Linda	K-8	$10,400	—	12	2.1 mi
Fairmont Anaheim Hills (Fairmont Schools – Anaheim Hills Campus)	Anaheim	K-8	$26,093	On-campus assessment	—	3.9 mi
Heights Christian Schools - Brea Campus	Brea	K-4	$11,069	On-campus assessment	—	2.4 mi
St. Joseph Catholic School	Placentia	K-8	$8,495	On-campus assessment	20	2.4 mi

Total tuition through graduation

At the 2026-27 rate of $21,630, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $194,670 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $229,000. Neither number includes registration fees, deposits, uniforms or activity fees. A California 529 plan can cover up to $10,000 per child per year of K-12 tuition.

Getting there from Irvine

These are straight-line distances from neighborhoods where many Irvine families live. Actual drive times will be longer, and a morning rush-hour trip typically takes 1.5 to 2 times as long as an off-peak one:

Neighborhood	Straight-line distance
Woodbury	15.1 miles
Northwood	13.0 miles
Turtle Rock	18.5 miles
Portola Springs	15.3 miles

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

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Financial aid — the Admissions and Tuition pages on the school website and the tuition PDF mention only a sibling discount, with no amount published, and no need-based aid or scholarship channel of any kind appears
• Sibling discount amount — the tuition PDF on the school website says only to ask the Enrollment Director and does not publish the reduction
• International student tuition — the International Students page on the school website carries only an “International Student Tuition” link and a request to contact the Enrollment Director, with no amount published on the page
• Average class size — the elementary page on the school website says only “small group lessons,” and neither the FAQ nor the individual program pages gives a class size or student-teacher ratio
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track Heritage Oak Private Education’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.