A Look at San Antonio’s Top Private Schools
From Antonian College Prep to Saint Mary’s Hall, there are numerous top private schools in San Antonio. Often, parents turn to private schools for freedom and flexibility in terms of curriculum. The depth and breadth of the curriculum is important, offering opportunities for foreign languages, advanced placement courses, advanced math and science courses and more. Besides being diverse, the curriculum at most private schools is extremely rigorous. With enrichment programs and high performance standards that are defining qualities among all of the city’s private schools, these campuses stand out within the San Antonio private school arena.
Antonian College Prep
Location: Loop 410/ West Ave.
Nearby Neighborhoods: Castle Hills, Balcones Heights, Mission Trace, Elm Creek, Whispering Oaks, Park Forest, Shavano Park, Hunters Creek, Summerfield, Huntington Place
A highly athletic school, Antonian has 30 athletic teams in which eighty percent of the 736 students play on. Antonian's athletic program is ranked #1 among all 6A private schools in San Antonio and ranks among the top five private schools in the state for most wins and championships. In the classroom, Antonian has been named one of the Top 50 Catholic Schools, sending 98 percent of its graduates to college. Many graduates go on to prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT, Rice and Notre Dame.
The Atonement Academy
Location: Loop 1604/ Red Robin (Between Babcock and Kyle Seale Pkwy.)
Nearby Neighborhoods: Red Robin, Sonoma Ranch, Shavano Park, The Presidio, Steeplebrook, The Dominion, Crownridge, Legend Hills, Grey Forest, Terra Mont
Only two decades ago, The Atonement Academy started with only 66 elementary students. Now educating almost 600 students from pre-k through high school, the school continues to grow and maintains a wait list for those desiring to get in. The school emphasizes Catholic and classical traditions, as well as the arts. All students learn Latin, participate in one of the school’s 10 choirs, and attend Mass daily at Our Lady of Atonement.
Central Catholic
Location: IH-35/ N. St. Mary’s St.
Nearby Neighborhoods: Tobin Hill, Westfort, Dignowity, Midtown, Monte Vista, Alta Vista, Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills
As the oldest all-boys school in the state, Central Catholic has a tradition of excellence, along with a number of distinguished alumni. With a motto of “the leader that builds leaders,” Central Catholic requires all of its 547 students to participate in the Junior ROTC program for their first two years. Central Catholic is one of only two private schools in San Antonio with a Junior ROTC program. Cornerstone Christian Schools Location: Loop 410/ Vance Jackson Nearby Neighborhoods: Castle Hills, Balcones Heights, Mission Trace, Elm Creek, Whispering Oaks, Park Forest, Shavano Park, Hunters Creek, Summerfield, Huntington Place Founded as a “Christ-centered” and “God-honoring” institution, Pastor John Hagee established Cornerstone Christian Schools on 49 acres in 1993. Today, over 1,000 students in grades K-12 learn faith-based principles and the importance of academic work while discovering lifelong spiritual growth.
Keystone School
Location: McCullough Ave./ Craig Pl.
Nearby Neighborhoods: King William, Monte Vista, Alta Vista, Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Castle Hills, Dignowity, Monticello Park, Tobin Hill, Midtown, Westfort
One of the most prestigious schools in San Antonio, Keystone has been called “the best school in the world” by the College Board. Offering nothing but accelerated courses to a small student base of only 437 students, one-fifth of Keystone’s seniors are recognized as National Merit finalists each year. One of San Antonio’s few non-religious private schools, Keystone prides itself on its both ethnically diverse and multi-talented student body.
Saint Mary’s Hall
Location: Loop 410/ Starcrest
Nearby Neighborhoods: Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Marymont, Forest Oaks, MacArthur Terraces, Regency Place, Hills of Park North
A historical educational institution, Saint Mary’s Hall (SMH) has been educating young San Antonians for more than 125 years. The school, both in the past and currently, boasts diversity within the Saint Mary’s Hall community and the education focused on knowledge, self-confidence and respect for others. The school’s over 1,000 students from pre-K through grade 12 are strongly encouraged to participate in community outreach programs such. In addition to philanthropic encouragement, SMH’s college prep offers 25 Advanced Placement courses that provide university-level instruction and credit.
San Antonio Christian Schools
Location: Hwy 281/ Redland Road
Nearby Neighborhoods: Redland Ranch, Stone Oak, Summerglenn, Fossil Springs, Fossil Creek, Cavalo Creek, Encino Park, Hollywood Park, Hill Country Village, Bulverde Creek, Roseheart
With more than 1,000 students from pre-K through 12th grade, San Antonio Christian Schools’ curriculum carries a strong focus on the value of service, providing students with the opportunity for both local and international mission outreach programs. But it’s not just about philanthropy. With calculus and high-level math, a national-award-winning journalism program and a high achieving art program, the standards within all programs are high at San Antonio Christian.
TMI- The Episcopal School of Texas
Location: IH-10/ Camp Bullis
Nearby Neighborhoods: The Dominion, Crownridge, Shavano Park, Anaqua Springs, Steeplebrook, Forest Crest, The Presidio
The only other school in San Antonio with a junior Junior ROTC program, TMI serves as a co-ed college prep day and boarding school for nearly 500 students. Unlike Central Catholic, TMI’s Junior ROTC program participation is voluntary. However, as a key point of excellence for the school, one third to one half of the student body choose participate in it. In the last seven years, out of ninety graduating cadets, twenty-seven were selected for admission to highly competitive military service academies. Twenty others were offered ROTC scholarships, and all went on to colleges such as, West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Yale, US Merchant Marine Academy, Notre Dame, Rice, Vanderbilt, Tufts, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Tulane, Clemson, Citadel and Baylor. High academic achievement for those not in ROTC is expected as well, earning an impressive 100 percent rate of the graduates going on to attend college. Of these graduates, many are offered scholarships. In 2014 alone, TMI graduates were offered over $9 million in college scholarships.
