ChoiceFunded What your state pays

Private schools in Columbia, SC

39 schools within 12 miles. 23 of them are on the state’s ESTF list. ESTF pays $7,634 per student for 2026-27.

Schools near Columbia

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

Ben Lippen School

6 mi
✓ South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Grades PreK-12 1,105 students 13.7 students per teacher Christian (nondenominational)

7401 Monticello Rd, Columbia, SC 29203

Call (803) 807-4106 School facts

On the state’s official list Other private schools

All 39 schools within 12 miles

School Grades Students Per teacher Affiliation Miles
Jubilee Academy Christian Montessori ✓ 1
Center for Learning Inc ✓ PreK-5 72 7.2 Nonsectarian 2
Peace of Mind & Sunnyside Academy ✓ 2
Upward Learning Center ✓ 3
St. Martin de Porres Catholic School ✓ 3
Daniels Christian Schools ✓ K-12 31 10.7 Christian (nondenominational) 3
Columbia Islamic School ✓ 4
Cardinal Newman School ✓ 7-12 562 10.6 Roman Catholic 4
St. Peters Catholic School ✓ PreK-6 94 9.4 Roman Catholic 4
Hammond School ✓ PreK-12 944 9.3 Nonsectarian 5
Education Express ✓ 5
Sandhills School ✓ 1-12 104 4.3 Nonsectarian 6
St. John Newmann Catholic School ✓ PreK-6 255 11.8 Roman Catholic 6
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School ✓ 6
Ben Lippen School ✓ PreK-12 1,105 13.7 Christian (nondenominational) 6
Colonial Christian Academy ✓ 7
Rhema Christian School ✓ 7
Hope Christian Academy ✓ 4-12 13 3.6 Christian (nondenominational) 8
Glenforest School ✓ K-12 68 4.5 Nonsectarian 8
Soaring Eagles Christian Academy ✓ 9
Northeast Enrichment Academy ✓ 9
Edge Christian Academy ✓ PreK-7 28 7 Christian (nondenominational) 10
Northside Christian Academy ✓ PreK-12 705 11.3 Baptist 11
Cutler Jewish Day School PreK-5 45 4.7 Jewish <1
Cutler Jewish Day School PreK-5 47 4.3 Jewish <1
Harmony School PreK-3 10 3.3 Nonsectarian <1
Jubilee Academy PreK-4 16 2.7 Christian (nondenominational) 1
Mission Hope Foundation PreK-10 66 7.3 Islamic 2
Kilbourne Park Baptist Church Weekday Preschool PreK-K 16 12.3 Baptist 2
Shandon United Methodist Preschool & Kindergarten PreK-K 14 4.2 Methodist 3
St. Joseph School PreK-6 213 8.2 Roman Catholic 3
Marnie Leads Academy PreK-K 1 1 Christian (nondenominational) 3
St. Martin de Porres School PreK-6 33 7.5 Roman Catholic 3
Montessori School of Columbia PreK-6 89 6.6 Nonsectarian 4
Asbury Kindergarten & Preschool PreK-K 11 5.5 Methodist 4
Grace Community Academy of Columbia K-12 58 6.7 Christian (nondenominational) 7
Grace Christian School PreK-12 183 10.9 Baptist 8
Lake Murray Montessori School PreK-K 6 2 Nonsectarian 9
The Uhuru Academy Education Solutions K-12 40 8 Nonsectarian 9

What South Carolina pays, and what that leaves you

SC
South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Education savings account
$7,634 per student for 2026-27 Paid quarterly.

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 ESTF 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 Columbia) 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 Columbia?

We count 39 within 12 miles of downtown Columbia. Together they enrolled about 4,829 students in the last federal survey (2023-24). The largest is Ben Lippen School with 1,105 students.

Which Columbia private schools take ESTF?

23 of the 39 schools on this page are on the state’s official ESTF list. They are marked with a green check and listed first. Schools marked here appear as in-person independent schools on the approved-provider workbook published by the South Carolina Department of Education, dated September 3, 2026.

Will ESTF cover the whole tuition bill?

Sometimes, but do not count on it. ESTF pays $7,634 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