Is private school cheaper in Richmond or Surprise?

Surprise has lower average private school tuition at $9,500/year vs $14,500/year in Richmond. That's $5,000/year less, or $65,000 over a K-12 career.

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

Average tuition in Surprise is $5,000/year less than Richmond. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $65,000 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $9,200/year in Richmond, $7,100/year in Surprise.

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

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. Richmond averages $14,500/year ($2,150 above average). Surprise averages $9,500/year ($2,850 below average).

Private School Cost: Richmond vs Surprise

Surprise averages $5,000/year less for private school (53% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $65,000 per child.

Bottom Line

Surprise is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $9,500/year vs $14,500/year in Richmond. Religious schools run $7,100/year on the low end.

Richmond

$14,500

avg tuition/year

$2,150 above national avg

Surprise

$9,500

avg tuition/year

$2,850 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	Richmond	Surprise	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$14,500/yr	$9,500/yr	+$5,000
Religious Schools	$9,200/yr	$7,100/yr	+$2,100
Independent/Prep	$27,000/yr	$18,100/yr	+$8,900
Elementary (K-5)	$11,800/yr	$8,100/yr	+$3,700
Middle School (6-8)	$14,500/yr	$9,500/yr	+$5,000
High School (9-12)	$18,000/yr	$11,400/yr	+$6,600

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

Richmond

$188,500

Surprise

$123,500

Choosing Surprise saves $65,000 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $130,000.

Sample Schools

Richmond

St. Catherine's School (Richmond)

Independent · PK–12 · $28,800-$31,400/yr

St. Christopher's School

Independent · K–12 · $29,200-$31,800/yr

Collegiate School (Richmond)

Independent · PK–12 · $30,400-$32,800/yr

Benedictine College Preparatory

Catholic · 9–12 · $16,200/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 Richmond breakdown → Full Surprise breakdown →

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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.