Is private school cheaper in Columbus or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $12,500/year in Columbus. That's $3,000/year less, or $39,000 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $3,000/year less than Columbus. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $39,000 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $8,000/year in Columbus, $7,100/year in Surprise.

How do Columbus and Surprise private school costs compare to the national average?

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Columbus averages $12,500/year ($150 above average). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Columbus vs Surprise

Surprise averages $3,000/year less for private school (32% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $39,000 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $12,500/year in Columbus. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Columbus

$12,500

avg tuition/year

$150 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Columbus	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$12,500/yr	$9,500/yr	+$3,000
Religious Schools	$8,000/yr	$7,100/yr	+$900
Independent/Prep	$23,500/yr	$18,100/yr	+$5,400
Elementary (K-5)	$10,200/yr	$8,100/yr	+$2,100
Middle School (6-8)	$12,500/yr	$9,500/yr	+$3,000
High School (9-12)	$15,500/yr	$11,400/yr	+$4,100

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Columbus

$162,500

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $39,000 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $78,000.

Sample Schools

Columbus

Columbus School for Girls

Independent · PK–12 · $22,400-$24,800/yr

Columbus Academy

Independent · PK–12 · $24,200-$26,800/yr

DeSales High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $12,800/yr

Watterson Catholic High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $13,400/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 Columbus breakdown → Full Surprise breakdown →

Ohio private school costs Arizona private school costs

Related Comparisons

Chicago vs Columbus → Columbus vs Cincinnati → Minneapolis vs Columbus →

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.