Is private school cheaper in San Francisco or Waco?

Waco has lower average private school tuition at $10,100/year vs $34,200/year in San Francisco. That's $24,100/year less, or $313,300 over a K-12 career.

How much can I save on private school by choosing Waco over San Francisco?

Average tuition in Waco is $24,100/year less than San Francisco. Over 13 years (K-12), that's $313,300 per child. Religious schools are the most affordable option in both cities: $16,000/year in San Francisco, $6,900/year in Waco.

How do San Francisco and Waco private school costs compare to the national average?

The national average private school tuition is $12,350/year. San Francisco averages $34,200/year ($21,850 above average). Waco averages $10,100/year ($2,250 below average).

Private School Cost: San Francisco vs Waco

Waco averages $24,100/year less for private school (239% cheaper). Over K-12, that's $313,300 per child.

Bottom Line

Waco is the cheaper city for private school. Average tuition: $10,100/year vs $34,200/year in San Francisco. Religious schools run $6,900/year on the low end.

San Francisco

$34,200

avg tuition/year

$21,850 above national avg

Waco

$10,100

avg tuition/year

$2,250 below national avg

Lower cost

Tuition by School Type & Grade

Category	San Francisco	Waco	Difference
All Schools (Average)	$34,200/yr	$10,100/yr	+$24,100
Religious Schools	$16,000/yr	$6,900/yr	+$9,100
Independent/Prep	$52,000/yr	$21,300/yr	+$30,700
Elementary (K-5)	$28,000/yr	$8,600/yr	+$19,400
Middle School (6-8)	$34,200/yr	$10,100/yr	+$24,100
High School (9-12)	$42,000/yr	$12,100/yr	+$29,900

K-12 Total Cost (13 Years)

San Francisco

$444,600

Waco

$131,300

Choosing Waco saves $313,300 per child over a full K-12 career. Two kids? That's $626,600.

Sample Schools

San Francisco

San Francisco University High School

Independent · 9–12 · $56,830/yr

The Urban School of San Francisco

Independent · 9–12 · $56,200/yr

Katherine Delmar Burke School

Independent · K–8 · $48,900/yr

St. Ignatius College Preparatory

Catholic · 9–12 · $24,600/yr

Waco

Vanguard College Preparatory

Christian · 6–12 · $12,400/yr

Reicher Catholic High School

Catholic · 9–12 · $10,200/yr

Full San Francisco breakdown → Full Waco breakdown →

California private school costs Texas private school costs

Related Comparisons

Los Angeles vs San Francisco → San Francisco vs San Jose → San Francisco vs Houston → San Francisco vs Phoenix →

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.