St. Cecilia Catholic School

Overview

St. Cecilia Catholic School is a Catholic K-8 private school in Tustin, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1961, with about 236 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $9,200 to $10,300, which puts it in the lower range among Orange County private schools at this level. Religion classes are required, so confirm your family is comfortable with that before applying.

Admissions

Entrance exam requirements are not published; contact admissions.

The school publishes the following application details. Rolling admission. The Admissions page on the school website states that the application is submitted online through the school’s portal and that paper documents are turned in at the front desk, and that campus tours must be scheduled by emailing admissions coordinator Mrs. Diana Anoc (danoc@stceciliak8.org) or calling (714) 544-1533; the page does not mention any entrance testing or assessment requirement. The school website does not publish open house dates, an application deadline or a decision date for the 2027-28 school year; early registration for 2026-27 closed April 15, 2026 (school website, Admissions page and Tuition and Fees PDF).

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

$9,200 per year (K-8, first child; $8,700 for the second child, $8,050 for the third and $6,700 from the fourth on); TK and full-day preschool $10,300, half-day preschool $6,600 (2026-27, school website, Tuition and Fees PDF)

2026-27 fee schedule (school website, Tuition and Fees PDF): application fee $50 per student; annual family fee $800 per household, in two payments due June 1 and July 1; registration fee $500 per student, or $400 with early registration before April 15, 2026; annual dinner gift fee of at least $125 per family, rising to $200 after October 1; 40 volunteer hours per family, with unfulfilled hours billed at $40 an hour up to a maximum of $1,600, and 20 hours up to $800 for single-parent families; FACTS processing fee $20-$50; extended care registration fee $30 per family, $60 after July 1, with monthly fees of $250-$400; late fee $25 and returned check fee $30. Paying the full year’s tuition before August 31 earns a 4% discount.

Financial aid: Need-based tuition assistance is applied for online through the FACTS Financial system; the Admissions page on the school website states that current families submit applications in the spring and that the contact is Mr. Jesse Zepeda (jzepeda@stceciliak8.org). The school website does not publish the share of families receiving aid, the amounts, or a deadline (school website, Admissions page).

Academics and programs

• Spanish, art and music courses (school website, About page)
• One-to-one iPad technology integration; small group literacy instruction at every grade level and small group math instruction in grades 5-8 (school website, About page)
• Weekly and monthly liturgical celebrations (Mass), and a community outreach project each year in every class (school website, About page)
• TK-8 morning and afternoon extended care: full time $400 per month, afternoon only $370 per month, morning only $250 per month, drop-in $22 per hour (school website, Tuition and Fees PDF)
• Preschool: from age 3, for children who turn 3 by September 1 and can use the toilet independently, with a full-day option or a half-day option ending at noon (school website, Admissions 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
St. Cecilia Catholic School	Tustin	K-8	$9,200	—	—	—
Red Hill Lutheran School	Tustin	K-8	$10,950	On-campus assessment	—	1.5 mi
Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School – Tustin	Tustin	K-8	Not published	—	—	1.3 mi
Holy Family Catholic School	Orange	K-8	$9,365	On-campus assessment	—	4.0 mi
St. John’s Lutheran School	Orange	K-8	$9,410	On-campus assessment	—	4.4 mi

Total tuition through graduation

At the 2026-27 rate of $9,200, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $82,800 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $97,000. 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	5.1 miles
Northwood	2.1 miles
Turtle Rock	6.4 miles
Portola Springs	7.2 miles

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

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Whether religion classes and chapel are required, and how many families are not members of the faith
• Whether the ISEE is required above grade 5, and roughly where the score bar sits
• How many mid-year openings come up in a typical year, and how the waitlist works
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track St. Cecilia Catholic 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.