The entrance to the High School at Iman Academy Southwest is photographed on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 in Houston. Iman Academy is one of the Greater Houston area schools with tuition below the Texas school voucher amount for 2026-27.
Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer
More than 50 private schools in the Houston area charge tuition below the average Texas school voucher award, potentially allowing families to attend tuition-free, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.
However, most of the affordable private schools in the region are religious, leaving few inexpensive options for families who do not want their children attending religious schools. Only one secular school appears to be on the list: Chinquapin Prep, a sixth- through twelfth-grade boarding and day school that serves low-income families.
As Texas rolls out its new $1 billion voucher program, the average tuition at more affordable private schools in Houston has increased by about $1,000, reaching $8,500, excluding fees.
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Most families receive $10,500 from the Texas Education Freedom Accounts, or vouchers, and those awards are accepted at dozens of the nearly 400 private schools in Harris County and surrounding areas.
RELATED: See Houston’s most expensive private schools for the 2026-27 school year
Most affordable private schools are religious
Among the least expensive religious schools, over 50 are Christian, and of those, 33 are Catholic. Five of the most affordable private schools are Islamic schools.
This year, the average top tuition rate among the most affordable options — excluding fees — was $8,500. For families who receive voucher funding, that would leave about $2,000 to put towards uniforms or other private school expenses. That average tuition is up about $1,000 from last year, when it was $7,500.
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Many Catholic schools in the region affiliated with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston charge roughly the same tuition. Some cost over $11,000 annually, including some high schools and more established kindergarten through eighth grade programs. However, at least eight of the diocesan schools, part of a program called “C.R.O.S.S Academies,” charge $8,100, the standard rate for this year. That rate increased by around 4%, up from $7,800 last year.
ALSO READ: Hundreds of Houston’s private grade schools are participating in school vouchers. See the full list.
Tuition increasing
It is standard for private schools to increase tuition between 3% and 5% year-over-year, to combat inflation and rising insurance costs. Most of Houston’s affordable schools increased their tuition within that range. Some schools didn’t increase their tuition rates at all. However, of the 46 schools on this list with 2025-26 tuition available online, 30% increased tuition by more than 5%.
Eternity Christian School, located near Houston’s NRG Stadium, increased tuition by about 40% this year, from $6,000 for kindergarten through 10th grade last year, to $8,500 for kindergarten through sixth grade this year, according to the school’s online application packets. The school’s website mentions that it serves grades pre-K through 12th. However, the online application from this year only goes up to sixth grade.
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Iman Academy, an Islamic private school with two campuses in Houston, increased tuition by about 30% from last year. It’s gone from about $7,000 at its highest tuition rate to $9,000, not including fees.
FIND A SCHOOL: Houston School Finder: Search public, charter and private schools
Which schools accept vouchers
While many of the most elite private schools in the Houston area opted not to join the state’s school voucher program, the vast majority of the most affordable options have joined the program.
Only two of the schools on this list are not participating in the program, meaning over 50 of the area’s most affordable private schools are eligible to receive state funding. The first round of voucher awards was disbursed earlier in July.
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All five of the area’s Islamic schools on this list are also approved for vouchers. Many hoped to join the program to help families afford tuition, but they didn’t receive automatic approval. Earlier this year, the Texas Comptroller’s office put a pause on all Islamic schools to review possible affiliations with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which Gov. Greg Abbott designated a terrorist group last year, although the group disputes that label.
A group of Muslim families and school leaders sued the comptroller’s office following the hold, accusing state leaders of religious discrimination for blocking Islamic schools from joining the voucher program. In March, a judge ruled that the agency had to allow Islamic schools to join if they met the accreditation requirements outlined in the program. Now, several Islamic schools across the state are participating, giving them access to the same state funding as other religious and secular schools.
NEWS: Many top-rated Houston private schools aren’t accepting vouchers.
Here are the most affordable private schools in the Greater Houston area.
Methodology
A comprehensive database on private school tuition in Texas does not exist, but the Chronicle compiles and updates a database annually of the Houston-area private schools that charge less than $11,000 every year. The Chronicle also surveyed private schools in Houston as part of its research for its School Finder tool, which also includes top tuition rates, not including fees. The database is fact-checked with each private school’s website and outreach, if necessary.
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The tuition rates listed are for the most expensive grade-level or tuition rate offered at the campus. This analysis does not include fees, which many schools charge and can increase overall costs. Many private schools offer financial aid to qualifying families to lower expenses; awards vary.
If tuition information listed is inaccurate or there is a school that should be on the list and isn’t, contact elizabeth.sander@houstonchronicle.com.