St. Francis of Assisi School

Overview

St. Francis of Assisi School is a Catholic K-8 private school in Yorba Linda, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1998, with about 580 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $9,345, 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 process has five steps: attend an open house or campus tour; assemble the required documents; submit the application with the $150 application fee; complete an academic assessment; and interview as a family with the student. K-8 applicants must take an academic assessment to determine grade placement, and kindergarten has separate readiness guidelines. For documents, preschool requires a birth certificate, immunization records and, if applicable, a baptismal certificate; K-8 also requires a transcript, and grades 4-8 additionally require standardized test scores. The school website does not publish application deadlines or specific open house dates; the admissions contact is Mrs. Mariflor Jin, 714-695-3700, mjin@sfayl.org (school website, Apply Now page).

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

For the 2026-27 school year there are no separate parishioner and non-parishioner rates; a single rate applies school-wide. Kindergarten through grade 8 is $9,345, and the five-day full-day preschool/Pre-K program is the same $9,345; the three-day full-day preschool program is $8,545. Tuition may be paid in full before July 1, 2026, or in 10 or 12 installments through FACTS, with FACTS adding a 2.95 percent fee for credit card payments (school website, Tuition & Fees page).

The registration fee is $500 per student (returning families pay a $150 deposit first and the remaining $350 six weeks later); the application fee is $150; class fees range from $155 to $1,275 by grade; the Scrip participation fee is $300 or a $300 buyout; the service hours buyout is $490 per family, with unfinished hours billed at $22 an hour; and the extended care registration fee is $135 per family. Applying for financial aid also requires a $35 FACTS service fee (school website, Tuition & Fees page and Apply Now page).

Financial aid: Applications are made through FACTS. The school website’s Admissions > Tuition Assistance page states that all current St. Francis of Assisi families from kindergarten through grade 8 may apply, but only after admission and enrollment are complete; award amounts are determined from the information parents report on the FACTS Tuition Assistance Analysis form, and the assessment takes into account family income and assets, household size, the number of children enrolled at this school and at other tuition-charging schools, the state and metropolitan area of residence, and the number of working parents. Applying also requires a $35 FACTS service fee. As of the date of verification, the online application for the 2026-2027 school year had closed. The school contact is Lorraine Cross in the Business Office (714-695-3700, extension 104). The school website does not publish the number of awards, average award amounts, or the share of families receiving aid (school website, Tuition + Fees page and Tuition Assistance page).

Academics and programs

• Middle school students change classes by subject, with English, math, science, history and religion each taught by a subject specialist (school website, Middle School page)
• Math is leveled across multiple tracks, and students who qualify can reach Geometry in grade 8; all math classes are kept at a low student-teacher ratio (school website, Middle School page)
• Spanish is offered as a middle school elective, along with music, art, physical education and an Executive Function Skills course (school website, Middle School page)
• A weekly Formation class covers faith, character, organization and study skills, and social-emotional growth (school website, Middle School page)
• Each middle school student has a school iPad with a keyboard case and uses ALEKS, IXL, Google Workspace, iMovie and Canva (school website, Middle School page)
• The campus has an Innovation Center, a STEM Lab, a math lab, a Learning Support Center and outdoor learning areas; the LUPO Resource Department provides learning support (school website, Yesterday, Today & The Future page and Principal & Pastor Letter 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. Francis of Assisi School	Yorba Linda	K-8	$9,345	On-campus assessment	—	—
Hephatha Lutheran School	Anaheim	K-8	$7,988	On-campus assessment	—	3.0 mi
Calvary Chapel Yorba Linda Christian Academy	Yorba Linda	K-8	$10,400	—	12	3.4 mi
Independence Christian School	Anaheim	K-8	$7,200	—	—	4.0 mi
Oakridge Private School	Orange	K-8	$12,300	On-campus assessment	20	5.7 mi

Total tuition through graduation

At the 2026-27 rate of $9,345, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $84,105 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $99,000. 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	12.6 miles
Northwood	11.6 miles
Turtle Rock	17.5 miles
Portola Springs	12.0 miles

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

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Accreditation — the home page, Mission Statement, Principal & Pastor Letter and Yesterday Today & The Future pages were all checked, and the school website does not state WASC/WCEA accreditation status or its term
• Average class size — the Middle School page says only that math classes have a low student-teacher ratio and gives no class size figure
• Financial aid — the entry covers only how to apply; the school website does not publish the number of awards, average award amounts, or the share of families receiving aid
• Application deadlines and open house dates — the Apply Now page lists no specific dates
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track St. Francis of Assisi 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.