By area
Private schools in Durham
Durham County, home to Durham Academy, Duke School, a Jesuit work-study high school, Immaculata, Baptist and non-denominational K-12 schools, two schools for learning differences and many newer Islamic and microschool programs. Our directory has 44 schools here; 36 are on the 2026-27 Direct Payment list.
About this data. School facts come from the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24, plus 2021-22 rows for schools that skipped the latest round). The Direct Payment flag comes from matching names, by county and with code, against the NCSEAA Direct Payment Schools table for 2026-27, downloaded October 30, 2026. Schools found only on the state list show a name and town and nothing else. Neither source reports tuition, so ask the school.
44
Schools listed here36
On the 2026-27 Direct Payment list5,311
Students in the federal survey15
Offer pre-K11
Go through grade 12$7,148
2026-27 Tier 2 award, the band most two-income households fall inBy type
Independent & Non-Religious Schools in Durham
16 schools
Browse →Christian Schools in Durham
14 schools
Browse →Schools Through Grade 12 in Durham
11 schools
Browse →Church-Run Schools in Durham
6 schools
Browse →Montessori Schools in Durham
5 schools
Browse →Islamic, Jewish & Quaker Schools in Durham
3 schools
Browse →Catholic Schools in Durham
2 schools
Browse →Schools for Learning Differences in Durham
2 schools
Browse →Preschools & Early Learning in Durham
1 school
Browse →All 44 schools in Durham
| School | Affiliation | Area | Grades | Direct Payment 2026-27 | Students (federal survey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Qalam Triangle Academy Durham · state list only | Other faith | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Al-Huda Academy Durham · state list only | Other faith | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Amir Institute Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Aya Renaissance School Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Bethesda Christian Academy 1914 S Miami Blvd, Durham 27703 | Christian | Durham | PK-11 | ✓ Listed | 200 |
| Camelot Academy Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Carolina Preparatory Academy Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Cresset Christian Academy 3707 Garrett Rd, Durham 27707 | Christian | Durham | PK-12 | ✓ Listed | 171 |
| Cristo Rey Research Triangle High School 334 Blackwell St Ste 100, Durham 27701 | Catholic | Durham | 9-11 | ✓ Listed | 219 |
| Duke School 3716 Erwin Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | PK-8 | Not listed | 436 |
| Durham Academy 3130 Pickett Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | PK-12 | Not listed | 1,213 |
| Durham Nativity School 1004 N Mangum St, Durham | Independent | Durham | 5-8 | ✓ Listed | 44 |
| Empowered Minds Academy 311 Oakwood Ave, Durham 27701 | Independent | Durham | PK-4 | ✓ Listed | 14 |
| Faith Assembly Christian Academy 3120 Fayetteville St, Durham 27707 | Christian | Durham | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 31 |
| Fellowship Baptist Academy 450 Muldee St, Durham 27703 | Christian | Durham | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 176 |
| Five Oaks Seventh-day Adventist Christian School 4124 Farrington Rd, Durham 27707 | Christian | Durham | K-8 | ✓ Listed | 22 |
| Gift of Knowledge Academy 2722 E Main St, Durham 27703 | Independent | Durham | K-1 | ✓ Listed | 5 |
| Gifted Stars Christian Academy Durham · state list only | Christian | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Gorman Christian Academy & Early Learning Center 3311 E Geer St, Durham 27704 | Christian | Durham | K-8 | ✓ Listed | 105 |
| Heritage Leadership Academy - Durham Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Hill Learning Center 3200 Pickett Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | 2-12 | ✓ Listed | 176 |
| Hope Creek Academy 4723 Erwin Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 69 |
| Immaculata Catholic School 721 Burch Ave, Durham 27701 | Catholic | Durham | PK-8 | ✓ Listed | 466 |
| Insight CoLearning Center 2020 Chapel Hill Road, Ste 33, Durham 27707 | Independent | Durham | 9-12 | ✓ Listed | 24 |
| International Montessori School 3001 Academy Rd Ste 300, Durham 27707 | Independent | Durham | PK-6 | ✓ Listed | 97 |
| Lerner Jewish Community Day School 1935 W Cornwallis Rd, Durham 27705 | Jewish | Durham | PK-5 | ✓ Listed | 38 |
| Liberty Christian School 3864 Guess Rd, Durham 27705 | Christian | Durham | PK-12 | ✓ Listed | 299 |
| Montessori Community School 4512 Pope Rd, Durham 27707 | Independent | Durham | PK-8 | Not listed | 157 |
| Montessori Farm School 2400 Broad St Ste 2, Durham 27704 | Independent | Durham | PK-K | ✓ Listed | 7 |
| Montessori School of Durham 2800 Pickett Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | PK-6 | Not listed | 83 |
| Mount Zion Christian Academy 3519 Fayetteville St, Durham 27707 | Christian | Durham | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 182 |
| My Dynamic Academy 6409 Fayetteville Rd, Durham 27713 | Independent | Durham | PK-10 | Not listed | 42 |
| NC Good Better Best Academy Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Quality Education Institute of Durham 800 Elmira Ave, Durham 27707 | Christian | Durham | PK-4 | ✓ Listed | 22 |
| Regent Prep Academy Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| Southpoint Academy 7415 Fayetteville Rd, Durham 27713 | Christian | Durham | K-5 | ✓ Listed | 53 |
| St. SYA Academy II Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| The Ethos School Durham · state list only | Affiliation not on file | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| The Guardian Christian Academy Rougemont · state list only | Christian | Durham | — | ✓ Listed | — |
| The Studio School of Durham 1201 W Woodcroft Pkwy, Durham 27713 | Independent | Durham | K-4 | Not listed | 15 |
| Triangle Day School 4911 Neal Rd, Durham 27705 | Independent | Durham | K-8 | ✓ Listed | 321 |
| Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill 4011 Pickett Rd, Durham 27705 | Christian | Durham | K-12 | ✓ Listed | 583 |
| Tutorial Christian Schools 3026 Holloway St, Durham 27703 | Christian | Durham | PK-3 | Not listed | 13 |
| Veritas Collaborative School 4024 Stirrup Creek Dr, Durham 27703 | Independent | Durham | 4-12 | Not listed | 28 |
Federal rows are placed here by county. State-list-only schools are placed by town.
| A ✓ on the Direct Payment column tells you | It does not tell you |
|---|---|
| NCSEAA can send Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ money to this school for 2026-27 | That a seat is open or that your child will be admitted |
| The award goes to required tuition and fees, up to your tier amount | That the award will cover the full bill |
| The school accepted NCSEAA's testing and audit rules for scholarship students | Whether the school is accredited, which the state table does not show |
Weighing a school in Durham?
About two minutes of questions. Then a Raleigh Edu Funding advisor phones you with an estimated tier, the programs that match and the deadlines coming up.