ChoiceCalc

Family & Life Cost Calculators

Private School vs. Public School Calculator

Compare private school and public school costs, including tuition, fees, uniforms, transportation, tutoring, activities, housing tradeoffs, savings opportunity cost, and multi-year planning.

School decisions are not only about tuition. Private school can include fees, uniforms, fundraising, transportation, tutoring, activities, and tuition increases. Public school may still involve aftercare, activities, tutoring, transportation, or the cost of living in a preferred district. This calculator compares both paths using your assumptions.

Educational estimate only. This calculator is not financial, tax, legal, education, real estate, parenting, or professional advice.

Defaults are editable planning assumptions. This calculator compares costs only and does not evaluate school quality, admissions, safety, or outcomes.

Jump to results

Family and timeline

Opportunity cost estimates what private school payments could grow to if saved or invested instead. Investment returns are not guaranteed.

Use 0 if costs start this year.

%
%

Private school costs

Private school costs can include more than tuition. Adjust each field to match the school you are considering.

$
$
%
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

Public school costs

Public school is often much less expensive than private school, but many families still pay for activities, care, supplies, transportation, tutoring, or summer programs.

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

Housing and location tradeoff

Some families compare private tuition with the cost of living in a preferred public school district. Use this only if relevant.

$
$
$
$

Scholarships, aid, and tax assumptions

Tax benefits are user-entered optional offsets only. This calculator does not determine eligibility or tax accuracy.

$
$
$

Cash flow and savings

Savings growth is a simplified planning estimate and does not guarantee investment or account returns.

$
$
%
$

Scenario presets

Use a preset to quickly stress-test the estimate, then adjust any input.

Frequently asked questions

Is private school worth the cost?+

That depends on your household, school options, and priorities. This calculator compares costs only and does not decide whether private school is worth it for every family.

What costs should I include besides tuition?+

Include fees, uniforms, books, supplies, transportation, meals, activities, donations, aftercare, tutoring, summer programs, and any aid or scholarships.

How does public school still cost money?+

Public school may still involve supplies, transportation, meals, activities, aftercare, tutoring, summer programs, donations, or housing costs for a preferred district.

Should I include the cost of moving to a better school district?+

Only include that section if it is relevant to your real comparison. Housing tradeoffs are simplified and may not capture resale value, mortgage costs, or local taxes fully.

What is opportunity cost in this calculator?+

Opportunity cost estimates what private school payments could grow to by the end of the comparison period if saved or invested instead. Returns are not guaranteed.

Does this calculator include scholarships or aid?+

Yes. You can enter scholarship, tuition assistance, employer, family, or tax benefit offsets. The calculator does not determine eligibility.

Does this calculator compare school quality?+

No. It compares costs only. It does not evaluate educational quality, fit, safety, admissions, academic outcomes, or personal family priorities.

Is this financial, tax, legal, or education advice?+

No. This calculator is for educational estimates only and is not financial, tax, legal, education, real estate, parenting, or professional advice.