Is private school cheaper in Frederick or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $16,700/year in Frederick. That's $7,200/year less, or $93,600 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $7,200/year less than Frederick. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $93,600 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $11,300/year in Frederick, $7,100/year in Surprise.

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

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Frederick averages $16,700/year ($4,350 above average). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Frederick vs Surprise

Surprise averages $7,200/year less for private school (76% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $93,600 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $16,700/year in Frederick. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Frederick

$16,700

avg tuition/year

$4,350 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Frederick	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$16,700/yr	$9,500/yr	+$7,200
Religious Schools	$11,300/yr	$7,100/yr	+$4,200
Independent/Prep	$35,100/yr	$18,100/yr	+$17,000
Elementary (K-5)	$14,200/yr	$8,100/yr	+$6,100
Middle School (6-8)	$16,700/yr	$9,500/yr	+$7,200
High School (9-12)	$20,000/yr	$11,400/yr	+$8,600

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Frederick

$217,100

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $93,600 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $187,200.

Sample Schools

Frederick

Frederick Classical Charter School (Private Prep)

Independent · K–12 · $11,200/yr

Visitation Academy (Frederick MD)

Catholic · PK–8 · $12,400/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 Frederick breakdown → Full Surprise breakdown →

Maryland 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.