Is private school cheaper in Lowell or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $23,600/year in Lowell. That's $14,100/year less, or $183,300 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $14,100/year less than Lowell. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $183,300 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $12,800/year in Lowell, $7,100/year in Surprise.

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

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Lowell averages $23,600/year ($11,250 above average). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Lowell vs Surprise

Surprise averages $14,100/year less for private school (148% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $183,300 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $23,600/year in Lowell. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Lowell

$23,600

avg tuition/year

$11,250 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Lowell	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$23,600/yr	$9,500/yr	+$14,100
Religious Schools	$12,800/yr	$7,100/yr	+$5,700
Independent/Prep	$48,100/yr	$18,100/yr	+$30,000
Elementary (K-5)	$20,100/yr	$8,100/yr	+$12,000
Middle School (6-8)	$23,600/yr	$9,500/yr	+$14,100
High School (9-12)	$28,300/yr	$11,400/yr	+$16,900

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Lowell

$306,800

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $183,300 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $366,600.

Sample Schools

Lowell

Lowell Catholic High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $12,400/yr

St. Michael Academy (Lowell)

Catholic · K–8 · $10,800-$12,800/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 Lowell 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.