St. Junipero Serra Catholic School

Overview

St. Junipero Serra Catholic School is a Catholic K-8 private school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1995, with about 1,033 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $15,757 to $16,388, which puts it in the upper 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 school website’s Admissions page does not publish application opening or closing dates. The process: (1) apply online, uploading a birth certificate, current immunization records, transcripts, standardized test scores if available and a photo of the applicant; (2) the admissions office confirms receipt within 1-2 business days and completes its review over the following 1-2 weeks; (3) admitted families receive a formal acceptance letter by email with enrollment instructions, and enrollment takes about 15 minutes, includes a financial commitment and must be completed in person by the legal guardian. Priority goes to active parishioners of four parishes, Holy Trinity, San Francisco Solano, Santiago de Compostela and St. Kilian, and siblings of current students also receive priority. Requirements by level: TK applicants may be asked to complete a developmental assessment (the school website does not publish an age cutoff); kindergarten applicants must turn 5 by September 1 and must schedule a readiness screening administered by Chancy & Bruce Educational Resources; applicants for grades 1-4 submit the most recent grading period’s report card and recent test scores, which the principal reviews for fit; and applicants for grades 5-8 submit report cards and test scores and also sit for a student interview before an admission decision. Tours can be booked through Calendly on the school website, and shadow days are available, with availability confirmed by the admissions office. Director of Admissions Sarah Trost, (949) 888-1990 ext. 8748 (school website, Admissions Information page and Upper School 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

TK-5 $15,757 per year and grades 6-8 $16,388 per year; preschool $5,079-$10,090 per year (2026-27, school website, Tuition page; tuition already includes registration, technology, supplies, class fees and day field trips)

The school website’s Tuition page states that tuition already covers the registration fee, faculty, technology, the library, STEAM, art and music specialist classes, school supplies, class fees, day field trips, campus security and routine maintenance. New students, in both TK-8 and preschool, pay a one-time New Student Fee of $150 at enrollment. Billed separately: grade 8 graduation activities, the yearbook, athletics, extended care and overnight field trips; there is also a grade-by-grade list of personal supplies families provide themselves. Payment: after a nonrefundable deposit, families may pay in full in July, in two installments in July and December, or in 9, 10 or 11 monthly installments, with monthly plans always starting in July. Multi-child discounts: 5% off for three children, 10% for four, 15% for five and 25% for six or more. Volunteer hours (2026-27 Parent-Student Handbook, section 1803) are set by the grade of the oldest child: 40 hours per family per school year for TK-8, 20 hours for five-day preschool programs, 10 hours for three-day programs and 5 hours for two-day programs; hours are logged through the Serra Cause Connect platform, unmet hours are billed at $25 an hour, and there are additional penalties for signing up and not showing up

Financial aid: Need-based tuition assistance must be reapplied for each year through FACTS, with tax returns and W-2s or proof of income; FACTS and the school conduct the financial analysis together and awards are made as funds allow. Preschool students are not eligible, and applicants must already be enrolled for that school year. The 2026-27 timeline: applications open January 5 and close March 6, 2026 (the school website says “no exceptions”) and FACTS emails decisions during the week of May 4. The school also offers Emergency Tuition Assistance: enrolled families facing a sudden financial crisis can apply for short-term temporary help through an expedited review, with documentation of the emergency required, and the process begins by notifying the school. Questions go to tuitionassistance@serraschool.org (school website, Tuition Assistance Program page)

Academics and programs

• A parish school of the Diocese of Orange, operated as a joint ministry of four parishes, Holy Trinity, San Francisco Solano, Santiago de Compostela and St. Kilian, with admission priority for active parishioners of those four parishes and for siblings of current students (school website, Admissions page and About Us page)
• English and math are leveled in grades 3-8, into Small Group, Leveled, Advanced and Advanced Plus, with placement based on grades, benchmark testing and Renaissance STAR scores; new students start in Leveled classes (school website, Academic Placement PDF, revised May 2026; 2026-27 handbook, section 507)
• The grade 8 program includes Algebra 1, Spanish, art, music and a Creativity Lab, with 1:1 devices; extracurriculars include Academic Decathlon, CJSF, the SerraVision campus broadcast and a spring musical (school website, 8th Grade Curriculum Brochure)
• Athletics and clubs: Parochial Athletic League flag football, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, track and field, soccer, girls beach volleyball and roller hockey, plus choir, handbells, band, scouting and student council (school website, 8th Grade Curriculum Brochure and 2024-25 Annual Report)
• Learning support: Individualized Learning Plans for students with documented learning differences, with two learning support directors and a counselor on staff (school website, Learning Support & Resources page)
• Extended care: before- and after-school care for both preschool and TK-8, including homework time and a snack; there is also a Homework Club (school website, Extended Care page and Homework Club 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. Junipero Serra Catholic School	Rancho Santa Margarita	K-8	$15,757	On-campus assessment	—	—
RSM Christian School	Rancho Santa Margarita	K-8	$9,500	On-campus assessment	—	1.1 mi
St. John’s Episcopal School	Rancho Santa Margarita	K-8	$23,675	On-campus assessment	—	1.8 mi
Heritage Christian School (Elementary Campus)	Mission Viejo	K-6	$11,515	On-campus assessment	20	2.9 mi
Stratford School – Mission Viejo	Mission Viejo	K-8	$21,080	On-campus assessment	—	3.7 mi

Where students go next

The School Profile section of the 2024-25 Annual Report on the school website reports a “99% Local Catholic High School Acceptance Rate” and lists the high schools graduates go on to: Santa Margarita Catholic High School, JSerra Catholic High School, Mater Dei High School, Rosary Catholic High School and Servite High School (school website, Support Us > Annual Report > 2024-25 Annual Report)

Schools in our guide library that appear on this list: Mater Dei High School, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, JSerra Catholic High School, Servite High School, Rosary Academy.

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 $15,757, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $141,813 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $167,000. 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	9.4 miles
Northwood	12.4 miles
Turtle Rock	11.7 miles
Portola Springs	8.2 miles

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

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Chinese program — every page under Academics, the grade 8 curriculum brochure and the full 2026-27 handbook mention only Spanish, with no statement either way about Chinese
• International students and ESL — neither the school website nor the handbook says anything about international students, I-20s or ESL
• Transportation — none of the seven navigation sections on the school website has a Transportation page, and the only transport-related material in the handbook covers insurance and safety rules for parent volunteer d…
• Average class size — the school website does not publish an average class size; the Annual Report gives only division and total enrollment
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track St. Junipero Serra 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.