Preschools in the San Diego Area

• La Jolla, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.27 out of 5  153 reviews

Parent: LJCDS is an amazing school! I highly recommend it for any families who are looking for a wonderful community, nurturing environment for your child, and top notch faculty and staff. My daughter loves her days at school thanks to her caring teachers providing stimulating and creative lessons to help her grow. During COVID, LJCDS handled the pandemic with such care- leading with science- and doing the best they could to provide safe in person learning for all students. I feel grateful to have found a school community rooted in building life long friendships and connections; not only for my children, but also for our whole family.... Read 153 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,147

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.9 out of 5  41 reviews

Junior: The Cambridge School is a great school. There are not many kids, which leads to deep relationships between teachers and students. All of the teachers are amazing and extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields. They want you to do well in their subjects, and are constantly available at lunch and after school, but whats better is they truly care about the type of people their students are becoming, which leads to an incredible community and culture. The school is looking to purchase another property, which is good because as it grows, space for classrooms becomes smaller and smaller.... Read 41 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 386

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.34 out of 5  29 reviews

Parent: We moved here from New York about 4 years ago. My children started in the preschool of SDJA and have been there ever since! Currently, our children are in the lower school and are excelling in all areas. For example, my son and daughter are reading above grade level. The small class sizes and constant attention they receive keeps them engaged and on task. The teachers are constantly creating special experiences for the students, and therefore the lessons never get old. For example, with all the rain that San Diego received my daughter’s teacher created a multi-sensory lesson. The students were asked to create small sailboats from materials found in the classroom. The boats were then tested on the makeshift pond that was formed on the playground from all the rain. The students made predictions and took notice on what worked best and what needed to be changed for future sails!... Read 29 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 494

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Solana Beach, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  86 reviews

Senior: Had a wonderful time here. Teachers were excellent, I could only have passed my classes with them, but they were also incredibly friendly and I truly built incredible connections with them. Staff here are all fantastic, absolutely no complaints there. Sometimes kids are rowdy, or mean, or whatever adjective preppy private school kids could have. But I really believe the staff did the best they could in keeping things orderly and controlling those kids while never overstepping or making students feel ruled. Sports are incredible, school spirit is incredible, extracurricular leaders are very dedicated to working around students and encouraging them, you will never have to choose one or the other. Every extracurricular is fantastic here I felt, and I experienced almost all of them. Truly have no complaints. Amazing school. Would highly recommend.... Read 86 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,019

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  62 reviews

Parent: A friend of ours referred us to this wonderful school as we were struggling with the learn-from-home (aka staring at a screen all day) model given by our public charter school. OVCA has been open since August with no outbreaks (a few cases from parents of students in different grades but no inter-transmission of COVID while in school, as far as I know). My friend had been sending her kids to this school for many years and said it was the best parenting choice she had made, and I can't help but agree with her. My child is happy and thriving in a supportive environment, with appropriate learning goals and surrounded by friends who share the values of kindness, respect, and diligence. It's a sacrifice/priority financially but well worth the value and a bargain compared to the cost of other private schools in the San Diego area. I can't recommend this school highly enough!... Read 62 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 354

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  22 reviews

Parent: Our family discovered Waldorf when our daughter was in High School - but I wish my kids had the opportunity to start when they were little! It’s not just a school for us but a thriving, inclusive community. We've had an outstanding experience with my high school student- who started high school after attending public schools from Kinder. She’s now getting ready for college and has done very well on the SAT and feels prepared. The teachers are truly invested in developing lifelong learners and give every student personal attention. The students themselves are incredibly confident and inquisitive and very accepting of new students. My child has blossomed under the care of Waldorf. She thought she wasn’t a “math student” but is now loving calculus! Can’t say enough good things!... Read 22 reviews

• grade A

• Students 273

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Marcos, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.32 out of 5  69 reviews

Parent: Saint Joseph Academy is such a blessing to our family. We couldn't be happier with the school and feel so proud to be part of this wonderful community. The classical academic program is rigorous and challenging, absolutely top notch. We love that our children are learning Latin and write in cursive. No common core. Traditional, patriotic values are part of the culture here. What a breath of fresh air! What we value most about this school is its commitment to traditional Catholic values and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Every year the faculty and staff take an Oath of Fidelity to the Catholic Church. The teachers truly love the Catholic faith and infuse faith into every subject. They care very deeply about the students' academic, spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. In addition to the faith and academics, there's a lot of extracurricular sports, drama, and other activities. Our children really enjoy going to school every day! It really is the best.... Read 69 reviews

• grade A

• Students 305

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• El Cajon, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  24 reviews

Alum: Went here K-12 and had a great experience! Loved the teachers, peers, and culture. I wish there would have been more options for classes, sports, and clubs, but overall it was a great school.... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,862

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.66 out of 5  35 reviews

Parent: My children have attended Maranatha since Kindergarten. Both are currently in Junior High and each year I grow more thankful for this amazing school! From the teachers and staff who pour the love of Christ into my students, to the high academics and extra curricular activities, the students of MCS are truly blessed. I look forward to the low student to teacher ratios in high school as well as all the Honors classes and AP courses.... Read 35 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,044

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  23 reviews

Parent: a notable school for pursuing art by creating connections worldwide between students and significant artists. This school not only allows the students to freely demonstrate their artistic talents but also emphasizes the importance of balancing education with the arts. The diversity of SDSCPA embraces students' differences with an open environment for all. This school has much diversity and opportunities for the arts, however the resources for students to reach counselors can be improved; counselors can not be found in their office during suitable times for students which isn't essential for the students. Furthermore, the balance between education and the arts is shown to be important yet, the balance between the two is not always shown. Many students have to choose which their attention should focus on which to consequences. To conclude, the School of Creative and Performing Arts is recommended for future artists to pursue their dreams.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A

• Students 241

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  53 reviews

Parent: The Rock Academy is an academically rigorous school with emphasis on character development. The Christian curriculum compliments our family faith. It's small size enhances the learning experience as all the teachers know the students well and are invested in helping them make progress. During the pandemic the Rock Academy was one of a handful of school able to accommodate county guidelines and return to in-person learning for the entire 20-21 school year. We greatly appreciate the support of the teachers and staff!... Read 53 reviews

• grade A

• Students 401

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• grade A

• Students 281

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Rancho Santa Fe, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  9 reviews

Alum: I was a student at Horizon Prep from preschool through high school. I cannot speak more highly of how Horizon Prep prepared me for success in college and beyond. I not only grew academically, but I also grew in character, relationship building and most importantly spiritually because of Horizon Prep. The teachers are the most wonderful part of HP. They care deeply, teach from a Christian worldview and small class sizes allow for ample help in understanding concepts. One thing I am very grateful for is the high school program preparing me to think for myself and the development of my Christian worldview. Because of HP, I was well equipped to be a strong Christian in a large secular college environment. Horizon Prep is such a blessing and I am so thankful for everything I learned during my time as a student there!... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• Students 318

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Vista, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  66 reviews

Senior: I had a great time at TCCS, and will always love the amazing friends I made there. But they HAVE to fix the lack of communication between the athletic office and athletes. I was on the girl's basketball team and most of the time I had no idea when we had practice or the times and would find out the day before if we had a game or not. Absolutely hated it. Besides the fact that there was a bunch of (i think) manipulation behind the scenes with coaches and certain parents picking who was going to be on varsity versus jr. varsity teams when myself and another girl weren't there, it was really a lot of mental frustration, all the time. And since this is such a small school, did they really have to put two freshmen girls into varsity as permanent players when they were the ones most prone to accidents? Not joking actually, they both hurt their legs/feet and had to sit out or take breaks. Sorry to say, but this would definitely not happen at a public school. Overall it's a good school.... Read 66 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 648

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  14 reviews

Niche User: Balboa School provides a very high quality educational experience to its students - both domestic and international. Small class sizes, individual attention, and dedicated and caring teachers and staff make for a great environment for students to achieve great results. Balboa School has helped countless students change their lives through fostering an environment within the school community that promotes academic success, creativity, and prepares students for college and beyond. Additionally, the school provides one of the top sports programs in the area with a nationally recognized boys basketball team with amazing coaching staff, many who come from professional sports backgrounds and have played and coached at the highest levels.... Read 14 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 91

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Oceanside, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  10 reviews

Sophomore: Everyone at Coastal academy including both the staff and the students are very inclusive to new people of all sorts. I specifically like how understanding the teachers are at this academy, they demonstrate flexibility while being able to efficiently teach subjects in graspable ways.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,981

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  38 reviews

Junior: The Learning Choice Academy is a charter school which offers K-12 education. I'm currently a junior in high school, and I've been with the school since the second semester of kindergarten. The small class sizes offer a very tight-knit, personal community of students, and many of my friends have been in my grade since middle or even elementary school, although new students are usually able to integrate quite well. As for the educational prospects, the school offers a reasonably good curriculum for elementary and middle schoolers, but the lack of elective classes and clubs in high school is somewhat of a detriment. Aside from that, however, the Learning Choice Academy is a very solid school.... Read 38 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 239

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Vista, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• grade A minus

• Students 698

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Great school for your kids if you want to focus on both academics and the arts. The teachers all seem friendly and great with the kids. The school is well maintained. They offer a preschool on campus which is a huge bonus.... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 273

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  31 reviews

Alum: This school has made some AMAZING changes in the past year! This is a great place to go to school. The students are more connected than ever, teachers genuinely care about their students, the facilities are great, and student events, festivals, and dances are always super fun. For a small school, they have a large selection of clubs, sports, and classes and have a lot of involvement. It’s a great place to connect with other Christians while also getting a top notch education.... Read 31 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 410

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  32 reviews

Senior: Classical Academy is, in my opinion from being a student, one of the best High Schools (academic wise) in Escondido. All the teachers care deeply about the subject they teach are highly invested in the school spirit as well as contribute to the overall atmosphere of Classical. The one thing about Classical that would make people stray away from attending is the sports department. Because the school is very young, the sports are not as developed compared to those in the area. Although this is something I would personally wish would change about the school, they have done a good job in the past three years for the divisions that some of the sports are in such as Boys and Girls basketball advancing to CIF as well as Swim and Waterpolo for both boys and girls. Baseball and a few others are growing in their coaching and ability. With time, the sports department could also contribute to the greatness of Classical.... Read 32 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,742

• Student-teacher ratio 32:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Works Here: Edison Elementary is a high performing school with a biliteracy pathway, cross-curricular standards-aligned curriculum, offers physical education, and after school programs. They were a 2018 California Distinguished School, a Bronze Healthy School finalist, and a 2019-2020 Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll recipient. Among the schools in the area, Edison easily rises to the top.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 366

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Vista, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: Bella Mente has been an amazing school for our children. Our son was there from the time the school opened until he graduated at 8th grade. He had the best teachers who truly gave his the attention he needed to succeed in the subjects he was behind on. He always felt happy and proud of his accomplishments! Our daughter has been there since Kindergarten and is now in 6th grade. She is doing great and has made wonderful friends. She has struggled in math at times but her teachers were wonderful in working through her struggles. The staff is very kind to all the kids and I have always felt the school is clean and safe. I can’t really imagine my kids not attending Bella Mente. When our son left for high school he was well equipped and ready and is now in 10th grade and has been successful in high school also. I will be so sad when the day comes that my daughter leaves Bella Mente because it has been such a huge part of our lives. We are so thankful to have this school near us.... Read 6 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 465

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  6 reviews

Alum: This school is pretty diverse and impressed me with how much they offer despite their smaller-than-usual size. However, I've noticed that for the middle school division, the 6th graders are offered less resources than the 7th-8th grade students. They seem to be treated more like the elementary division rather than the middle school's. Regardless of this, the teachers here all have unique personalities and it really helped me as a student. It makes the class feel special and know that their education is being given from passionate individuals. I know the school has a master plan for their new building(s) but I really hope they'll get gym clothes as soon as they can. It's pretty hard having to be physical in your school uniform and continue wearing it to the next class. Like every other school, Darnall has it's pros and cons. But truthfully, this school has so much potential, lots of resources/opportunities and much more which allow every student to grow. I enjoyed my time here!... Read 6 reviews

• grade C

• Students 516

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Warner Unified School District, CA•

• PK, K-6

• grade C minus

• Students 118

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1