Is private school cheaper in Cambridge or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. That's $22,500/year less, or $292,500 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $22,500/year less than Cambridge. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $292,500 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $17,300/year in Cambridge, $7,100/year in Surprise.

How do Cambridge and Surprise 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). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Cambridge vs Surprise

Surprise averages $22,500/year less for private school (237% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $292,500 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $32,000/year in Cambridge. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Cambridge

$32,000

avg tuition/year

$19,650 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Cambridge	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$32,000/yr	$9,500/yr	+$22,500
Religious Schools	$17,300/yr	$7,100/yr	+$10,200
Independent/Prep	$65,000/yr	$18,100/yr	+$46,900
Elementary (K-5)	$27,200/yr	$8,100/yr	+$19,100
Middle School (6-8)	$32,000/yr	$9,500/yr	+$22,500
High School (9-12)	$38,400/yr	$11,400/yr	+$27,000

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Cambridge

$416,000

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $292,500 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $585,000.

Sample Schools

Cambridge

Cambridge School of Weston

Independent · 9–12 · $59,400/yr

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Independent · PK–12 · $58,800/yr

Surprise

Surprise Christian Academy

Christian · K–12 · $8,600-$10,800/yr

Holy Cross School (Surprise AZ)

Catholic · K–8 · $7,800-$9,600/yr

Full Cambridge breakdown → Full Surprise breakdown →

Massachusetts private school costs Arizona 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.