Is private school cheaper in Honolulu or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $20,200/year in Honolulu. That's $10,700/year less, or $139,100 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $10,700/year less than Honolulu. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $139,100 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $12,900/year in Honolulu, $7,100/year in Surprise.

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

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Honolulu averages $20,200/year ($7,850 above average). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Honolulu vs Surprise

Surprise averages $10,700/year less for private school (113% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $139,100 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $20,200/year in Honolulu. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Honolulu

$20,200

avg tuition/year

$7,850 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Honolulu	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$20,200/yr	$9,500/yr	+$10,700
Religious Schools	$12,900/yr	$7,100/yr	+$5,800
Independent/Prep	$37,600/yr	$18,100/yr	+$19,500
Elementary (K-5)	$17,200/yr	$8,100/yr	+$9,100
Middle School (6-8)	$20,200/yr	$9,500/yr	+$10,700
High School (9-12)	$24,200/yr	$11,400/yr	+$12,800

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Honolulu

$262,600

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $139,100 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $278,200.

Sample Schools

Honolulu

Punahou School

Independent · K–12 · $27,400/yr

Iolani School

Independent (Episcopal) · K–12 · $24,800/yr

Saint Louis School (Honolulu)

Catholic · 9–12 · $13,800/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 Honolulu breakdown → Full Surprise breakdown →

Hawaii 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.