Average Cost of Private School in Hawaii

With less than 200 private schools, Hawaii doesn’t have many options to choose from. Other states like California and Florida have thousands of private schools throughout the state. Even though Hawaii doesn’t have many options, they’re still pretty expensive.

The average cost of a private school in Hawaii is $13,00 per year. The school with the lowest cost is Chaminade University Montessori Lab School at $1,100 a year. The school with the highest tuition is Hawaii Preparatory Academy, at $55,000 a year. These prices are dependent on a variety of factors.

Continue reading for a list of private schools and their prices, as well as why they are priced that way.

Boarding School

A big factor in the yearly price of a private school if it is a boarding school or not. The cost of boarding can make a private school go up by $30,000, depending on the quality. For example, Hawaii Preparatory Academy is $55,000, but without boarding costs, it is only $22,000-$30,000.

Not all boarding schools require the students to live on campus and pay boarding costs, so check with the schools you are looking into and see if their students can live at home. (Source)

There are several different reasons parents may send their children to boarding school. One of them may be that they may not live close to the school, so the only option is to have them in boarding school during the school year and at home for the summer.

This is a great option for parents who are very busy if they can afford it. Living at the school is much more immersive and can create better quality education for the student.

Class Size and Teachers

The size of a classroom makes a huge difference in the quality of schooling and learning. If one teacher has 30 students to take care of, the students will receive less care and attention. If a classroom has only seven students per teacher, like Asia Pacific International School, they will get extra attention in their schooling. Asia Pacific International costs $25,000 a year and has a classroom size of seven students.

The overall school population plays a huge part in the community. Chaminade University Montessori Lab School only serves preschool and kindergarten-aged children, so it has a population of 30 students. This allows for not just students but families as well to be part of a tight-knit and safe community. Seabury Hall has less than 500 students total, allowing for a close community and student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1. (Source)

Test Scores and Quality of Learning

If you are paying this much money to send your child to a private school, you want the teaching and their learning to be top-notch. An indicator of this could be what they are learning or how they score on tests like the ACT and SAT.

The ‘Iolani School cost of tuition without boarding costs is $26,000 and their average SAT score is 1360, with an average ACT score of 31. Both of these scores are above average. If you are sending your child to a private school, you want them to not just be prepared for college, but have the resources and skills to get into their dream college or university.

Test scores don’t always reflect the quality of learning, but good test-taking is a skill that can be learned.

If you are paying for an expensive private school, it should have a variety of subjects. Some schools may be more art and creativity focused, while others feed into students’ interest in STEM topics. Some have the best sports team in the district, while others are excellent at writing.

Every school is different, so when picking a school for your child, make sure to ask administrators what they focus on or how diverse they are in the learning subjects. Pick the right school for your child by matching their interests with the school’s specialty. They will enjoy school so much more when they are learning about what they are personally interested in.

‘Iolani School is ranked the number one STEM high school in Hawaii, as well as number one for private schools and college prep private high schools in Hawaii. if your child is interested in STEM and wants to go forward with it in college, then ‘Iolani is the school for them. (Source)

Location

When choosing a private school, consider where the school is located. Is it on the island you live on? Is it close to the beach or the mountains? Does it have multiple facilities? If it is too far away from your home or on another island, make sure they have boarding school options to make school transportation easier. Hawaii Preparatory Academy has two locations on the big island, with a science facility and several different sports facilities. (Source)

No matter what island you live on, there is a private school nearby. As mentioned previously, Hawaii Preparatory Academy is on the big island. There are several private schools located in Honolulu like Holy Family Catholic Academy, Hongwanji Mission School, and St. Francis School. Seabury Hall is located on Maui and Kauai Christian Academy is on the island of Kauai.

Activities and Opportunites

Private and Boarding Schools should have a variety of immersive activities that students can’t get at just any other school. They should also have opportunities for hands-on experience in a variety of subjects, learn valuable life skills, and come out as better students than before.

By attending these private schools, children will have more opportunities than others when it comes to getting into college, obtaining internships, and so much more. Private schools are an investment for your kids and they should pay off soon after graduation when the time for college comes.

A great example of a school with several activities is Mid-Pacific Institute located in Honolulu and priced at $27,500 a year. They have dance and theater programs, summer programs, and a tennis academy. There is something for every student to enjoy. (Source)

Due to class sizes, location, boarding costs, opportunities, and more, the average cost of a private school in Hawaii is $13,000 a year. Depending on what you are looking for, there is a private school for every student’s needs whether it is a low price or more opportunities.