Huntington Christian School

Overview

Huntington Christian School is a Christian K-8 private school in Huntington Beach, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1981, with about 598 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $11,616 to $12,628, which puts it in the middle range among Orange County private schools at this level. Religion classes are required, so confirm your family is comfortable with that before applying.

Admissions

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

The school publishes the following application details. The application form goes live each October, opening admission for the following school year about 11 months ahead; the school does not accept transfers in the middle of a term (school website, Admissions page). The process has four steps: visit the campus, with tours beginning in late October on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, booked through an online form and confirmed within one business day, as described on the Plan a Visit page; submit the application online with recent report cards and a teacher evaluation form; bring the student to campus for an academic assessment used to judge readiness and identify gaps in knowledge; and receive the decision after review by the Admissions Panel, which may be an acceptance, a denial or a place on the waitlist.

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

Tuition for the 2026-27 school year is set at two levels by division (school website, Tuition & Fees page): the full elementary rate is $11,616 a year, or $1,056 a month, and the full middle school rate is $12,628 a year, or $1,148 a month. Families who pay by ACH automatic debit receive a discounted rate: $11,220 a year, or $1,020 a month, for elementary, and $12,199 a year, or $1,109 a month, for middle school. The school does not set separate church member and non-member rates. Tuition is collected over 11 months from June through the following May, with no payment in January. Tuition already includes textbooks, classroom materials, field trips, enrichment classes such as music, art, STEM and PE, and use of campus facilities, and the school website states that these carry no additional charge

Each additional enrolled child receives $325 off per year. Beyond tuition, families should budget for the annual enrollment fee collected each January, whose amount the school website does not list, along with uniforms, the Chromebook that middle school students must purchase through the school, middle school athletic participation fees if the student plays, and the optional overnight trips in grades 4, 6 and 8 (school website, Tuition & Fees page)

Academics and programs

• The K-8 core curriculum covers reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, Bible and grammar, designed in four developmental stages (school website, Academics page)
• Enrichment includes music, art, STEM/Maker Studio and physical education, along with library, chapel and computer skills classes, all included in tuition (school website, Academics page, Tuition & Fees page)
• All K-5 classes maintain a 12:1 student-teacher ratio (school website, Academics page)
• Middle school classes are capped at 24 students (school website, Academics page)
• Middle school students must purchase a Chromebook through the school for classroom use (school website, Tuition & Fees page)
• Optional overnight trips are offered in grades 4, 6 and 8, at additional cost (school website, Tuition & Fees 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
Huntington Christian School	Huntington Beach	K-8	$11,616	On-campus assessment	—	—
Saints Simon & Jude Catholic School	Huntington Beach	K-8	$9,900	—	—	0.8 mi
Christ Lutheran School	Costa Mesa	K-8	$8,652	On-campus assessment	—	1.7 mi
Saint Joachim Catholic School	Costa Mesa	K-8	$9,195	On-campus assessment	—	3.0 mi
Page Academy — Costa Mesa Campus (Newport Mesa Campus)	Costa Mesa	K-8	$18,920	—	—	2.0 mi

Where students go next

The Academics > Middle School page on the school website states that “approximately 80% of graduates are placed into Honors or AP tracks at the high school of their choice.” The school website publishes no list of the specific high schools graduates go on to attend (school website, Middle School page).

Applying to high school from here usually begins in the spring of grade 7: sit the ISEE or HSPT in the fall of grade 8, then submit materials between November and January. 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 the 2026-27 rate of $11,616, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $104,544 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $123,000. 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	12.7 miles
Northwood	10.5 miles
Turtle Rock	8.5 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 — neither the Tuition & Fees page nor the Admissions page on the school website mentions financial aid, scholarships or a channel such as FACTS Grant & Aid
• Average class size — the school website gives only the 12:1 student-teacher ratio for K-5 and the 24-student cap for middle school classes, and does not publish an average class size; both figures have been placed in the…
• F-1 students — the Admissions, Plan a Visit and About pages on the school website make no mention of international students or the I-20, so this cannot be determined
• Enrollment — no page on the school website publishes enrollment, so the California Department of Education filing of 598 is used
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track Huntington 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.