Is private school cheaper in Charleston or Lafayette?

Lafayette has lower average private school tuition at $6,200/year vs $9,400/year in Charleston. That's $3,200/year less, or $41,600 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Lafayette is $3,200/year less than Charleston. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $41,600 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $6,800/year in Charleston, $4,600/year in Lafayette.

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

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Charleston averages $9,400/year ($2,950 below average). Lafayette averages $6,200/year ($6,150 below average).

Private School Cost: Charleston vs Lafayette

Lafayette averages $3,200/year less for private school (52% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $41,600 per child.

Bottom Line

Lafayette is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $6,200/year vs $9,400/year in Charleston. Religious schools run $4,600/year on the low end.

Charleston

$9,400

avg tuition/year

$2,950 below national avg

Lafayette

$6,200

avg tuition/year

$6,150 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Charleston	Lafayette	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$9,400/yr	$6,200/yr	+$3,200
Religious Schools	$6,800/yr	$4,600/yr	+$2,200
Independent/Prep	$19,400/yr	$14,900/yr	+$4,500
Elementary (K-5)	$8,000/yr	$5,300/yr	+$2,700
Middle School (6-8)	$9,400/yr	$6,200/yr	+$3,200
High School (9-12)	$11,300/yr	$7,400/yr	+$3,900

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Charleston

$122,200

Lafayette

$80,600

Choosing Lafayette saves $41,600 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $83,200.

Sample Schools

Charleston

Porter-Gaud School

Independent · PK–12 · $25,800/yr

Bishop England High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $12,800/yr

Lafayette

Teurlings Catholic High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $9,600/yr

Ascension Episcopal School (Lafayette)

Independent (Episcopal) · PK–12 · $14,800/yr

Full Charleston breakdown → Full Lafayette breakdown →

South Carolina private school costs Louisiana 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.