PrivateSchoolCost

Private School Cost: Augusta vs Wilmington

Augusta averages $100/year less for private school (1% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $1,300 per child.

Bottom Line

Augusta is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,900/year vs $10,000/year in Wilmington. Religious schools run $6,900/year on the low end.

Augusta

GA

$9,900

avg tuition/year

$2,450 below national avg
Lower cost

Wilmington

NC

$10,000

avg tuition/year

$2,350 below national avg

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category Augusta Wilmington Difference
All Schools (Average) $9,900/yr $10,000/yr -$100
Religious Schools $6,900/yr $7,100/yr -$200
Independent/Prep $20,100/yr $21,100/yr -$1,000
Elementary (K-5) $8,400/yr $8,500/yr -$100
Middle School (6-8) $9,900/yr $10,000/yr -$100
High School (9-12) $11,900/yr $12,000/yr -$100

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Augusta

$128,700

Wilmington

$130,000

Choosing Augusta saves $1,300 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $2,600.

Sample Schools

Augusta

Augusta Preparatory Day School

Independent · PK–12 · $17,400/yr

Aquinas High School (Augusta)

Catholic · 9–12 · $9,200/yr

Wilmington

Cape Fear Academy

Independent · PK–12 · $16,400/yr

Wilmington Christian Academy

Christian · K–12 · $9,400-$11,800/yr

About This Comparison

This comparison uses NCES Private School Universe Survey data, adjusted for metro-level cost-of-living differences. "Average tuition" blends religious schools (Catholic, Christian) and independent day/prep schools. Religious schools typically cost 60-70% less than independent schools in the same city.

Grade-level estimates (elementary, middle, high) are derived from the city average using national grade-level multipliers. High school tuition typically runs 15-25% above the city average; elementary runs 10-20% below.