The Best Private Schools in Santa Margarita, California
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Santa Margarita. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
St. John's Episcopal School
Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
St. John's Episcopal School provides exceptional private education for students from preschool through eighth grade. The school features a robust STEAM curriculum, dedicated science lab, and comprehensive arts program. Their 14-acre campus includes modern classrooms, playgrounds, and athletic facilities. The school emphasizes character development and community service while maintaining small class sizes. Students consistently achieve above national averages on standardized testing and transition successfully to top high schools in Orange County.
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Serra Catholic School
Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
Serra Catholic School offers a comprehensive educational program from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. The school features innovative technology integration with 1:1 iPad program, dedicated STEM lab, and Spanish language instruction. The campus includes modern classrooms, science lab, library, and outdoor learning spaces. Serra emphasizes academic excellence within a faith-based community, with students consistently performing well above grade level. The school offers extensive extracurricular activities including robotics, athletics, and performing arts.
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Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
Santa Margarita Catholic High School is a premier college-preparatory institution serving the Santa Margarita area with a comprehensive academic program. The school features state-of-the-art facilities including science labs, performing arts center, and athletic complexes. Students benefit from a 14:1 student-teacher ratio and extensive AP course offerings. The campus spans 45 acres with modern classrooms, competition pools, and multiple athletic fields. The school emphasizes faith-based education while preparing students for top universities nationwide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Santa Margarita, California
What are the primary private school options available in Santa Margarita, California, and how do they differ in educational approach?
Santa Margarita offers a few key private institutions, each with a distinct mission. Santa Margarita Catholic High School is a prominent, co-educational diocesan college-preparatory school for grades 9-12, known for its strong athletics and arts programs. St. John's Episcopal School provides a PK-8 education with an emphasis on character development within an Episcopal tradition. Serra Catholic School serves students in Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade with a faith-based, academically rigorous curriculum. Unlike larger metropolitan areas, Santa Margarita's private school landscape is defined by these faith-based communities, offering structured environments but with a limited number of non-religious independent school options locally.
How does tuition for private schools in Santa Margarita, CA, compare to state averages, and what financial aid options are typically available?
Tuition in Santa Margarita is generally at or above the California private school average, reflecting the area's cost of living and the resources of the schools. For the 2024-25 academic year, high school tuition at Santa Margarita Catholic High is approximately $19,000, while elementary/middle schools like St. John's and Serra Catholic range from $10,000 to $15,000. All three schools offer need-based financial aid, and Santa Margarita Catholic High also provides merit-based scholarships. Importantly, California does not have a statewide voucher program, but families can utilize the state's 529 plan funds for K-12 private tuition (up to $10,000 per year per beneficiary) for qualified expenses.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs are offered by private schools in Santa Margarita that leverage the local Southern California environment?
Santa Margarita private schools integrate the regional advantages into their programs. Santa Margarita Catholic High School features a renowned Engineering and Design Institute (EDI) and robust marine science studies, benefiting from proximity to the Pacific Ocean for field work. Its athletic programs compete in the elite Trinity League, a hallmark of Southern California prep sports. St. John's Episcopal and Serra Catholic emphasize outdoor and environmental education, using local parks and preserves for hands-on science. Furthermore, all schools incorporate California history and ecology deeply into their social studies and science curricula, and many offer Spanish language programs starting in elementary grades, reflecting the state's demographic.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for private schools in Santa Margarita, and are there waitlists?
The enrollment process in Santa Margarita is highly structured and begins early. For schools like St. John's and Serra Catholic (PK-8), applications for the following fall typically open in September, with deadlines in January or February for the main round of admissions. Santa Margarita Catholic High School holds its entrance exam (the HSPT) in January for 8th-grade applicants. Due to the limited number of seats and high demand from both Santa Margarita and surrounding South Orange County communities, waitlists are common, especially for popular entry grades like Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th. Sibling and parish member (for Catholic schools) priority is a significant local factor that families should inquire about early.
For families considering the choice, how do the private schools in Santa Margarita compare academically and in campus resources to the highly-rated public schools in the Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD)?
This is a key local consideration. CUSD public schools, like Tesoro High School, are consistently high-performing. The primary differentiators for Santa Margarita's private schools are smaller class sizes (often 15-20 students vs. 30+ in public), a mandatory faith-based values curriculum, and a unified college-prep culture from elementary through high school. Private schools here often have more flexibility in curriculum but may have fewer elective offerings than large comprehensive public high schools. In terms of facilities, Santa Margarita Catholic High's campus is expansive with state-of-the-art athletic complexes, which rivals public schools, while the elementary campuses are more intimate. The choice often hinges on a family's desire for a specific moral/religious framework and personalized attention versus the no-tuition cost and diverse program breadth of the public system.
Private Education Insights
Discover the Best Small Private Schools in Santa Margarita for Your Child
For parents in Santa Margarita, the search for the right educational environment often leads to a meaningful question: what are the benefits of choosing a small private school near me? In our community, nestled against the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, the concept of "small" often translates to a profound sense of place, personalized attention, and a tight-knit community ethos that many families deeply value. While we have larger, well-known institutions, the intimate learning environments offered by several local schools provide a distinctive alternative for shaping a child’s formative years.
When considering small private schools near you in Santa Margarita, it’s helpful to look beyond just student population numbers. It’s about the culture that a smaller setting fosters. Schools like St. John’s Episcopal School and Serra Catholic School exemplify this, creating environments where teachers know every student’s name, strengths, and areas for growth. This allows for a curriculum that can be more adaptive and responsive. In a smaller classroom, your child isn’t just one of many; they are a known and integral part of a learning community. This is particularly appealing for parents who want their children to be seen and heard, to develop confidence in expressing their ideas, and to receive guidance tailored to their individual learning journey.
The local context of Santa Margarita also plays a role. Our area offers a blend of suburban comfort and natural beauty, and smaller schools often mirror this by emphasizing outdoor learning, community service within Rancho Santa Margarita and the surrounding Coto de Caza and Ladera Ranch areas, and a strong connection between families. You’ll often find that parents at these schools form active networks, supporting each other and the school through events and volunteerism. This creates a seamless bridge between home and school life, which can be incredibly reassuring. The focus on character development and core values, whether faith-based like at Serra Catholic or rooted in a broader Episcopal tradition at St. John’s, is often more deeply woven into the daily fabric of a small school.
Ultimately, your search for small private schools near you is about finding the right fit for your child’s personality and your family’s values. We encourage you to visit. Schedule a tour, observe the interactions in the hallways and classrooms, and ask questions about how the school nurtures each student. Notice the ease with which students engage with their teachers and peers. In Santa Margarita, you have the opportunity to choose an education where your child can thrive in a supportive, close-knit environment that feels like an extension of your family. This personalized path can build an unparalleled foundation for future success, whether that leads to a larger high school like Santa Margarita Catholic High School or another destination, carrying with them the confidence and close mentorship fostered in their early years.
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