ChoiceFunded What your state pays

Private schools in Des Moines, IA

30 schools within 12 miles. 26 of them are on the state’s Students First ESA list. Students First ESA pays $8,148 per student for 2026-27.

Schools near Des Moines

Schools on the official Students First ESA list are first, then it goes by distance. No school pays to appear here or to move up.

On the state’s official list Other private schools

All 30 schools within 12 miles

School Grades Students Per teacher Affiliation Miles
Joshua Christian Academy (West) ✓ 1
Holy Family School ✓ 1
J. W. Reed Christian Academy ✓ K-12 74 8.9 Other religious 2
Joshua Christian Academy ✓ K-12 199 8.3 Christian (nondenominational) 2
St. Anthony Elementary School ✓ PreK-8 345 13.9 Roman Catholic 2
Holy Trinity ✓ PreK-8 358 12.6 Roman Catholic 2
Empigo Academy ✓ 3
Bergman Academy ✓ PreK-8 281 10.8 Nonsectarian 3
Mt Olive Lutheran School ✓ PreK-8 191 13.5 Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) 3
Des Moines Adventist School ✓ PreK-8 45 15 Seventh-Day Adventist 4
Airazi Academy ✓ PreK-5 58 7.4 Islamic 4
St. Pius X Catholic School ✓ 4
St. Joseph Elementary School ✓ PreK-8 201 13 Roman Catholic 4
Grand View Christian School ✓ PreK-5 458 19.2 Christian (nondenominational) 5
Grand View Christian Elementary School ✓ 5
Dowling Catholic High School ✓ 9-12 1,354 14.6 Roman Catholic 5
Christ the King School ✓ 5
Gospel Assembly Christian Academy ✓ K-11 13 3.2 Christian (nondenominational) 5
Sacred Heart School ✓ PreK-8 497 15.7 Roman Catholic 5
Joshua Christian Academy (South) ✓ 6
The Conservatory of Worship Arts ✓ 6
Ankeny Christian Academy ✓ PreK-12 510 14.7 Christian (nondenominational) 9
St. Francis of Assisi School ✓ PreK-8 680 15.5 Roman Catholic 9
Main Street School ✓ PreK-12 12 2.9 Nonsectarian 9
Providence Christian School ✓ 9
St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic School ✓ K-8 336 16.9 Roman Catholic 9
St. Theresa Catholic School PreK-8 221 13.3 Roman Catholic 3
One School Global Des Moines Campus 3-12 23 3.3 Nonsectarian 4
Cottontail Creek Montessori School PreK-Transitional K 5 0.7 Nonsectarian 6
Montessori Children's House PreK-2 13 6.5 Nonsectarian 7

What Iowa pays, and what that leaves you

IA
Iowa Students First Education Savings Account Education savings account
$8,148 per student for 2026-27 Paid in two equal installments, fall and spring. Homeschooled students do not qualify.

Figures read from each program’s official pages, 2026-09-20. Sources and how to apply

What would you pay?

We filled in the standard Students First ESA amount. Change it if your award letter says something different. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.

Keep looking

Get one email when applications open

Most programs open once a year, and several ran out of money or seats in 2026. Pick your state (you are looking at Des Moines) and we will email you the day the next window opens, with the official link. That is the only email you get.

One email per application window. No calls, no sharing your details.

Questions parents ask

How many private schools are there near Des Moines?

We count 30 within 12 miles of downtown Des Moines. Together they enrolled about 5,874 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest is Dowling Catholic High School with 1,354 students.

Which Des Moines private schools take Students First ESA?

26 of the 30 schools on this page are on the state’s official Students First ESA list. They are marked with a green check and listed first. In Iowa an ESA can be used only at an accredited nonpublic school. Schools marked here are on the Iowa Department of Education’s accredited nonpublic school directory for 2026-27, which makes them eligible. The state calls this year’s file preliminary until October.

Will Students First ESA cover the whole tuition bill?

Sometimes, but do not count on it. Students First ESA pays $8,148 per student for 2026-27, and schools set their own prices. Ask each school for tuition plus fees, then use the calculator on this page to see what is left for you to pay.

See schools What you pay