Is private school cheaper in Cambridge or Columbia?

Columbia has lower average private school tuition at $8,300/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. That's $23,700/year less, or $308,100 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Columbia is $23,700/year less than Cambridge. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $308,100 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $17,300/year in Cambridge, $5,900/year in Columbia.

How do Cambridge and Columbia 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). Columbia averages $8,300/year ($4,050 below average).

Private School Cost: Cambridge vs Columbia

Columbia averages $23,700/year less for private school (286% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $308,100 per child.

Bottom Line

Columbia is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $8,300/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. Religious schools run $5,900/year on the low end.

Cambridge

$32,000

avg tuition/year

$19,650 above national avg

Columbia

$8,300

avg tuition/year

$4,050 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Cambridge	Columbia	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$32,000/yr	$8,300/yr	+$23,700
Religious Schools	$17,300/yr	$5,900/yr	+$11,400
Independent/Prep	$65,000/yr	$19,500/yr	+$45,500
Elementary (K-5)	$27,200/yr	$7,100/yr	+$20,100
Middle School (6-8)	$32,000/yr	$8,300/yr	+$23,700
High School (9-12)	$38,400/yr	$10,000/yr	+$28,400

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Cambridge

$416,000

Columbia

$107,900

Choosing Columbia saves $308,100 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $616,200.

Sample Schools

Cambridge

Cambridge School of Weston

Independent · 9–12 · $59,400/yr

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Independent · PK–12 · $58,800/yr

Columbia

Columbia Independent School

Independent · PK–8 · $12,800/yr

Calvary Lutheran School (Columbia MO)

Lutheran · PK–8 · $8,400-$10,400/yr

Full Cambridge breakdown → Full Columbia breakdown →

Massachusetts private school costs Missouri 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.