University Christian High School
under 1 mi ✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades 9-12 151 students 10.5 students per teacher Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
Private schools in Hickory, NC
17 schools within 12 miles. 15 of them are on the state’s Opportunity Scholarship list. Opportunity Scholarship pays $3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income.
Schools near Hickory
Schools on the official Opportunity Scholarship list are first, then it goes by distance. No school pays to appear here or to move up.
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades 3-11 29 students 4.4 students per teacher Baptist Special education
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades PreK-12 389 students 13.2 students per teacher Baptist
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades PreK-12 529 students 7.6 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational)
Hickory Day School
3 mi ✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades K-9 12 students 6 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational)
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades PreK-8 50 students 5.6 students per teacher Nonsectarian Montessori
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades PreK-8 203 students 14.2 students per teacher Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades K-8 222 students 10.4 students per teacher Baptist
Christ Classical Academy
11 mi ✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades PreK-12 244 students 8.9 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational)
✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Grades K-12 140 students 9.6 students per teacher Baptist
Earthsong Explorers
12 mi ✓ North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship
Grades PreK-8 183 students 14 students per teacher Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod)
Grades K-8 22 students 11 students per teacher Seventh-Day Adventist
On the state’s official list Other private schools
What North Carolina pays, and what that leaves you
North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship Scholarship
$3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income Four income tiers. A family of four earning up to $61,050 gets the top amount. Students with disabilities can also use ESA+.
Figures read from each program’s official pages, 2026-09-20. Sources and how to apply
What would you pay?
Tuition and fees Opportunity Scholarship pays You pay per year Spread over 10 months
Opportunity Scholarship pays between $3,574 and $7,942 depending on your household. We start with the lower figure. Change it if you know yours. An award can never be more than the school actually charges. This is arithmetic, not a quote.
Keep looking
- Christian schools in Hickory (11)
- All schools in Catawba County
- All schools in Burke County
- All schools in Alexander County
- All schools in Caldwell County
- Private schools in Lincolnton (21 mi)
- Private schools in Morganton (24 mi)
- Private schools in Statesville (25 mi)
- Private schools in Denver (26 mi)
- Private schools in Mooresville (32 mi)
- Private schools in Davidson (33 mi)
- Private schools in Huntersville (35 mi)
- Private schools in Kings Mountain (36 mi)
- Private schools in Gastonia (37 mi)
- Private schools in Spruce Pine (42 mi)
- How Opportunity Scholarship works
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 Hickory) 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 Hickory?
We count 17 within 12 miles of downtown Hickory. Together they enrolled about 2,174 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest is Hickory Christian Academy with 529 students.
Which Hickory private schools take Opportunity Scholarship?
15 of the 17 schools on this page are on the state’s official Opportunity Scholarship list. They are marked with a green check and listed first. Schools marked here appear on the direct-payment school list the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority posts for 2026-27. That list gives a name, city and county, so we match on name and city.
Will Opportunity Scholarship cover the whole tuition bill?
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Opportunity Scholarship pays $3,574 to $7,942 per student, by household income, 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.