Is private school cheaper in Cambridge or Charleston?

Charleston has lower average private school tuition at $6,400/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. That's $25,600/year less, or $332,800 over a K-12 career.

How much can I save on private school by choosing Charleston over Cambridge?

Average tuition in Charleston is $25,600/year less than Cambridge. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $332,800 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $17,300/year in Cambridge, $4,600/year in Charleston.

How do Cambridge and Charleston private school costs compare to the national average?

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Cambridge averages $32,000/year ($19,650 above average). Charleston averages $6,400/year ($5,950 below average).

Private School Cost: Cambridge vs Charleston

Charleston averages $25,600/year less for private school (400% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $332,800 per child.

Bottom Line

Charleston is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $6,400/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. Religious schools run $4,600/year on the low end.

Cambridge

$32,000

avg tuition/year

$19,650 above national avg

Charleston

$6,400

avg tuition/year

$5,950 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Cambridge	Charleston	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$32,000/yr	$6,400/yr	+$25,600
Religious Schools	$17,300/yr	$4,600/yr	+$12,700
Independent/Prep	$65,000/yr	$12,800/yr	+$52,200
Elementary (K-5)	$27,200/yr	$5,400/yr	+$21,800
Middle School (6-8)	$32,000/yr	$6,400/yr	+$25,600
High School (9-12)	$38,400/yr	$7,700/yr	+$30,700

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Cambridge

$416,000

Charleston

$83,200

Choosing Charleston saves $332,800 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $665,600.

Sample Schools

Cambridge

Cambridge School of Weston

Independent · 9–12 · $59,400/yr

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Independent · PK–12 · $58,800/yr

Charleston

Charleston Catholic High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $9,200/yr

Liberty Christian Academy (Charleston WV)

Christian · K–12 · $7,800-$9,800/yr

Full Cambridge breakdown → Full Charleston breakdown →

Massachusetts private school costs West Virginia private school costs

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.