Independence Christian School

Independence Christian School does not publish entrance exam requirements; contact admissions.

The school publishes the following application details. The school website’s Apply page sets out a three-step process: fill out the online inquiry form (after which reminders about admission events and the process arrive automatically), schedule a campus tour and meet with the admissions office, and create an account online to submit the application. The admissions office can be reached at (714) 970-7009 or info@independencechristianschool.com. The school website gives no application deadline or open house dates, and does not say whether an entrance test is required.

The website does not state an entrance test requirement, so ask the admissions office whether a test is needed, and which one, before you start preparing. Application dates are set by the school each year; ask the admissions office for the current calendar and plan backward from it.

Independence Christian School tuition for 2026-27 is $7,200.

K-8 tuition for the 2026-27 school year is a single rate: $7,200. Discounts: sibling discounts of 10% for the second child, 20% for the third and 30% for the fourth; 20% for families of police officers, firefighters, EMTs or active-duty military; and $325 off per school year for active registered members of Cornerstone Church. The school website states clearly that the discounts cannot be combined and must be verified by an employer or by a Cornerstone Church pastor. Payment options are annual (August 1), semiannual (August 1 and the following January 1) or monthly, all through FACTS Management. (School website, Tuition & Financial Aid page)

The annual registration fee for elementary and middle school is $550 and covers curriculum and textbooks, school supplies for the year, standardized testing, ACSI-related fees and use of the Family Portal and the ICS App; the annual technology fee is $50. The FACTS account setup fee is $55. After-school sports are $150 per sport. K-8 before- and after-school care runs from 6:30 to 18:00 and costs $7,500 for the year (full-time enrolled students receive a 60% discount), or $9 per hour billed the following month; after 18:00 the charge is $1 per minute. Overnight trips begin in grade 3 (grade 3 Wild Animal Park, grade 4 Sacramento, grade 5 Outdoor Education, grade 6 Grand Canyon, grade 7 Catalina marine science, grade 8 Washington, DC) and cost extra. The early childhood program (18 months through TK) is billed monthly and carries a $250 registration fee and a $75 monthly surcharge for children not yet out of diapers. All payments are nonrefundable.

Financial aid: K-8 students can apply for need-based financial aid through FACTS Management Tuition Aid at factstuitionaid.com, school ID 25567, by submitting an application and supporting documents; the early childhood program does not offer financial aid. The school website does not publish the share of students receiving aid or the range of awards. (School website, Tuition & Financial Aid page)

Academics and programs described on the Independence Christian School website include:

• Four divisions: Preschool (18 months through TK), Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-5) and Middle School (6-8) (school website, Academic Program page)
• A special education support program for students with learning differences (school website, Academic Program page)
• A hands-on STEAM Lab, plus art, music, physical education, world language and technology integration (school website, Academic Program page)
• Daily Bible class plus a weekly Chapel, using the DeepRoots Bible Curriculum for Defendable Faith (school website, Spiritual Education page)
• School traditions including the elementary arts festival, winter and spring musicals, Chapel skits (practice in speaking in public) and Spirit Week (school website, Elementary School page)
• Overnight trips from grade 3 on: Wild Animal Park, Sacramento, Outdoor Education, Grand Canyon, Catalina marine science, and Washington, DC (school website, Tuition & Financial Aid page)

These are the schools nearest to Independence 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
Independence Christian School	K-8	$7,200	—	—
Fairmont Anaheim Hills	K-8	$26,093	On-campus assessment	0.9 mi
Hephatha Lutheran School	K-8	$7,988	On-campus assessment	1.6 mi
Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda Christian Academy	K-8	$10,400	—	2.0 mi
St. Paul’s Lutheran School	K-8	$8,600	—	2.8 mi

These are straight-line distances to Independence 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	11.7 miles
Northwood	10.7 miles
Turtle Rock	15.5 miles
Portola Springs	12.2 miles

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

When you visit Independence Christian School, confirm these points with the admissions office:

• Important note — this school does not follow a classical education model. The school website’s Academic Program, Elementary School and Middle School pages describe a conventional Christian school curriculum plus a ST…
• CDE grade span — copied from the batch table as “K-7”, but the Low Grade / High Grade fields on that record in the CDE private school directory now show K-8, and the school website also says K-8 (Middle School covers…
• Entrance exam — the school website’s Apply page lists only the three steps of inquiry, tour and online application, mentions no entrance test or grade requirement, and does not explicitly say that none is required
• F-1 students — the school website has no International or I-20 page and no information about international students, so it cannot be determined whether the school issues an I-20
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

EDUBUS counselors in Irvine work in both Chinese and English with families applying to Independence Christian School. We track Independence 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.