Is private school cheaper in Cambridge or Springfield?

Springfield has lower average private school tuition at $7,700/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. That's $24,300/year less, or $315,900 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Springfield is $24,300/year less than Cambridge. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $315,900 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $17,300/year in Cambridge, $5,500/year in Springfield.

How do Cambridge and Springfield 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). Springfield averages $7,700/year ($4,650 below average).

Private School Cost: Cambridge vs Springfield

Springfield averages $24,300/year less for private school (316% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $315,900 per child.

Bottom Line

Springfield is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $7,700/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. Religious schools run $5,500/year on the low end.

Cambridge

$32,000

avg tuition/year

$19,650 above national avg

Springfield

$7,700

avg tuition/year

$4,650 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Cambridge	Springfield	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$32,000/yr	$7,700/yr	+$24,300
Religious Schools	$17,300/yr	$5,500/yr	+$11,800
Independent/Prep	$65,000/yr	$18,000/yr	+$47,000
Elementary (K-5)	$27,200/yr	$6,500/yr	+$20,700
Middle School (6-8)	$32,000/yr	$7,700/yr	+$24,300
High School (9-12)	$38,400/yr	$9,200/yr	+$29,200

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Cambridge

$416,000

Springfield

$100,100

Choosing Springfield saves $315,900 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $631,800.

Sample Schools

Cambridge

Cambridge School of Weston

Independent · 9–12 · $59,400/yr

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Independent · PK–12 · $58,800/yr

Springfield

Greenwood Laboratory School (Springfield MO)

Independent · PK–12 · $8,800-$11,200/yr

St. Agnes Cathedral School

Catholic · K–8 · $7,800-$9,600/yr

Full Cambridge breakdown → Full Springfield 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.