Private high schools
Entrance exams at private high schools in San Diego County
18 of the 36 private high schools in San Diego County name an entrance exam, or say they require none, on their own admissions pages. By exam: HSPT 2; ISEE 4; ISEE or SSAT 2; School's own test 4; None posted 5; Other 1. Each school's wording, test dates and source page are below.
Which private high schools in San Diego County require the HSPT?
2 of the 18 private high schools in San Diego County with an entrance-exam entry use the HSPT: Mater Dei Catholic High School and Saint Augustine High School.
Which private high schools in San Diego County take the ISEE or SSAT?
6 of the 18 private high schools in San Diego County with an entrance-exam entry take the ISEE or the SSAT: Cambridge School, Francis W Parker School, San Diego Jewish Academy, Santa Fe Christian School, La Jolla Country Day School, and The Bishop's School.
Which private high schools in San Diego County require no entrance exam?
Every one of the 18 private high schools in San Diego County with an entrance-exam entry names a test. 4 give its own placement test: Cathedral Catholic High School, Christian High School, Maranatha Christian Schools, and Tri City Christian School.
When are the entrance exams and application deadlines at private high schools in San Diego County?
5 of the 18 schools post their test dates, printed beside each school below. 6 have an upcoming application deadline on file; the earliest is Academy Our Lady of Peace on Jan 5, 2027.
Preparing for one of these? Reach has a guide to the HSPT and a guide to the ISEE, each with the test's structure, dates and the schools that use it.
HSPT (2 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mater Dei Catholic High School | Chula Vista | 9–12 | HSPT (9th-grade applicants; offered in January with spring makeups) | — | — | — |
| Saint Augustine High School | San Diego | 9–12 | HSPT | Saturday, January 9, 2027 — "The HSPT at St. Augustine High School is scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2027." No make-up currently scheduled. | — | Admissions page |
ISEE (4 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge School | San Diego | 9–12 | ISEE required for grade 5-9 applicants; younger applicants take a school assessment… | — | — | — |
| Francis W Parker School | San Diego | JK–12 | ISEE | Not listed on page; applicants register directly with ERB | Feb 1, 2027 | Admissions page |
| San Diego Jewish Academy | San Diego | 9–12 | ISEE required for grades 7-11 entry (ERB code 054181) | — | — | — |
| Santa Fe Christian School | Solana Beach | K–12 | ISEE required for 9th-11th grade applicants (test fee $140-$200); no test fee for K-8… | — | — | — |
ISEE or SSAT (2 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Jolla Country Day School | La Jolla | — | ISEE or SSAT | No school-hosted date published; test must be completed by February 1 | — | Admissions page |
| The Bishop's School | La Jolla | 6–12 | ISEE or SSAT | ISEE offered on campus Saturday, Nov. 14 (event code 54EX5587) and Saturday, Jan. 9 (event code Y7CAR3VM) | Feb 1, 2027 | Admissions page |
School's own test (4 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cathedral Catholic High School | San Diego | 9–12 | School's own assessment | Saturday, January 23, 2027 — "Cathedral Catholic presently intends to host the Cathedral Catholic High School placement test on Saturday, January 23, 2027." No… | Jan 9, 2027 | Admissions page |
| Christian High School | El Cajon | 9–12 | Own placement test (about one hour for high school, scheduled after the application file… | — | — | — |
| Maranatha Christian Schools | San Diego | K–12 | Own entrance exam — secondary (6-12) entrance-exam scores factor into acceptance; 2027-28… | — | — | — |
| Tri City Christian School | Vista | Preschool–12 | Own entrance test on campus (reading and math academic assessment; included in the… | — | — | — |
None posted (5 schools)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Our Lady of Peace | San Diego | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Jan 5, 2027 | — |
| Army and Navy Academy | Carlsbad | 7–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | — | — |
| Cristo Rey San Diego High School | San Diego | 9–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | — | — |
| Grauer School | Encinitas | 7–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | Feb 1, 2027 | — |
| High Bluff Academy | San Diego | 7–12 | No entrance exam posted | — | — | — |
Other (1 school)
| School | City | Grades | What the school says | Test dates as posted | Application deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Ridge School | Carlsbad | 6–12 | Required - the 2027-28 apply page asks for recent standardized scores in Math & Language… | — | Feb 1, 2027 | — |
The same schools ranked by college outcomes, with tuition and deadlines, are on the San Diego County private high schools page; tuition for every California private school is ranked on the tuition page.
Each exam entry is read from the school's own admissions page and shown only where the school posts one; the wording in "What the school says" is the school's, lightly shortened, and the source link is that page. Test dates and deadlines are as posted for the season the school's page describes and may change; a deadline already past is omitted. A school with no entry here did not state an exam on the pages we read. The list excludes nonclassroom-based online schools and schools the California Department of Education records with no 12th grade.