Navigating Tuition Costs at Utah Prep and Other Private Schools in Utah

Choosing the right educational path for your child is a significant decision, and understanding the financial implications is a crucial part of that process. This article provides an overview of tuition costs at Utah Prep Academy, as well as a broader look at private school tuition trends in Utah and across the United States.

Utah Prep Academy: Cultivating Future Leaders

Utah Prep Academy aims to empower students with a strong sense of camaraderie, comprehensive learning, essential tools, practical experience, and a deep understanding of both human nature and institutional dynamics. The academy offers a nationally ranked athletic program and top-tier business and leadership development programs, all within a state-of-the-art 55-acre campus.

Utah Prep Academy is now enrolling for the 2025-2026 academic year. Its mission is to cultivate a diverse and inclusive student body by seeking out future global leaders from all nations, backgrounds, and cultures.

Utah Prep Golf Camp

Utah Prep Academy also offers a golf camp. The three-day training camps include:

4 hours of golf per day
10 hours of instruction total
9-hole playing lesson included
Saturday afternoon access to Jellystone Yogi Bear Water Park
Dorm stay and meals included

Check-in is on Friday at 5:00 PM, and parent pick-up is on Sunday at 12:00 PM. The cost is $1,350 per player per session. Enrollment is limited to 20 athletes per session.

High Profile Athletics Program

Utah Prep is also home to five-star plus small forward AJ Dybantsa, the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit in the basketball class of 2025.

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, co-founder Brent Woodson aimed to bring in the country’s best basketball recruit - AJ Dybantsa - with hopes that the move would attract other world-class talents from around the country. The Tribune reported that there were schools that offered the family over $1 million for AJ to play a single year of basketball. But in the end, Utah Prep won out with an offer for an ownership stake in the school and a $600,000 name, image and likeness deal.

According to The Tribune, Woodson hoped to build a school that rivaled the high school recruiting pedigree of IMG Academy.

Tuition at Other Private Schools in Utah

Here's an overview of tuition costs at various private schools in Utah, offering a range of options for different grade levels:

West Valley City: \$3,750 for grades PK-7 (3050 S 3200 W, West Valley City, UT 84119, (801) 895-0778)
Meadow Ridge Academy (West Jordan): \$3,800 for grades 5-8 (West Jordan, UT 84088, (888) 888-8888)
Ogden: \$4,000 for grades 2-6 (1765 W 2100 S, Ogden, UT 84401, (801) 731-3140)
Pleasant Grove: \$4,800 for grades PK-12 (2464 West 450 South, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062, (801) 785-7850)
South Jordan: \$4,850 for grades 7-12 (11175 S Redwood Rd, South Jordan, UT 84095, (801) 484-9911)
Salt Lake City: \$5,000 for grades PK-12 (547 W. 3900 So. Suite E, Salt Lake City, UT 84123, (801) 253-0365)
Salt Lake City: \$5,160 for grades PK-8 (2335 Redondo Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, (801) 486-3197)
Salt Lake City: \$5,200 for grades K-8 (4020 South 900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84124, (801) 613-1722)
Vernal: \$5,500 for grades PK-8 (1921 West 750 South, Vernal, UT 84078, (435) 789-9332)
Draper: \$5,650 for grades 6-8 (11800 South 300 East, Draper, UT 84020, (801) 984-7614)
Saint George: \$5,900 for grades PK-7 (2260 Red Cliffs Drive, Saint George, UT 84790, (435) 628-6115)
Saint George: \$6,000 for grades 6-12 (782 S River Rd. #16, Saint George, UT 84790, (800) 200-6869)
American Fork: \$6,550 for grades PK-12 (75 N. 100 E., American Fork, UT 84003, (385) 230-5524)
American Fork: \$6,600 for grades K-12 (736 N 1100 E, American Fork, UT 84003, (801) 642-0055)
Monticello: \$7,000 for grades PK-12 (301 Long Canyon Point Rd Monticello, Monticello, UT 84535, (435) 459-9796)
Saint George: \$7,000 for grades K-7 (2299 W 2000 N, Saint George, UT 84770, (435) 656-9045)
Riverton: \$7,500 for grades K-8 (11835 S 3600 W, Riverton, UT 84065, (801) 253-6020)
Salt Lake City: \$7,975 for grades K-12 (240 East 5600 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84107, (801) 266-5521)
Sandy: \$8,000 for grades K-12 (830 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84094, (801) 390-3803)
Sandy: \$8,100 for grades NS-8 (1815 East 9800 South, Sandy, UT 84092, (801) 572-3793)
Bountiful: \$8,319 for grades PK-8 (1793 Orchard Dr, Bountiful, UT 84010, (801) 295-5341)
Salt Lake City: \$8,406 for grades K-8 (1955 East Stratford Avenue, Salt Lake City, UT 84106, (801) 487-6283)
Salt Lake City: \$8,598 for grades PK-8 (1441 Tamarack Rd, Salt Lake City, UT 84123, (801) 261-3808)
Salt Lake City: \$8,800 for grades PK-6 (515 E 100 S Suite 200, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, (385) 955-5111)
Tooele: \$8,912 for grades PK-8 (15 S 7th St, Tooele, UT 84074, (435) 882-0081)
Orem: \$8,995 for grades NS-9 (280 S 400 E, Orem, UT 84097, (801) 374-5480)
Layton: \$9,000 for grades PK-12 (2352 E Highway 193, Layton, UT 84040, (801) 771-5433)
Salt Lake City: \$9,000 for grades NS-PK (1303 S 1100 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, (801) 467-6024)
Draper: \$9,000 for grades 6-8 (300 E 11800 S, Draper, UT 84020, (801) 984-7613)
Ogden: \$9,134 for grades PK-8 (2980 Quincy Avenue, Ogden, UT 84403, (801) 393-6051)
Salt Lake City: \$9,268 for grades K-8 (1065 E 700 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84102, (801) 364-5624)

Tuition at St. Joseph Catholic Schools

Grades K-5: \$960 per month (10) / \$9,600 total; Monday-Friday (8:30 AM-2:50 PM)
Grades 6-8: \$1,050 per month (10) / \$10,500 total; Monday-Friday (8:30 AM-2:50 PM)
Grades 9-12: \$1,140 per month (10) / \$11,400 total; Monday-Friday (8:30 AM-3:00 PM)
International Students (All Grades): \$2,360 per month / \$23,600 total

Additional Fees

New US Student Registration Fee: \$100 (non-refundable)
New International Student Registration Fee: \$200 (non-refundable)
Returning Student Registration Fee: \$50 (non-refundable)
After-school (3:00-5:30 PM): \$20/per student/per day
Friday care (8:30 AM-5:30 PM): \$60/per student/per day

Wasatch Academy: A Customized Learning Environment

Wasatch Academy provides students with an educational experience complete with cutting-edge opportunities and a customized learning environment.

Financial Aid and Loans

Financial aid is available. Wasatch Academy uses the Clarity Application to determine a family’s level of financial need based on the information that families share in the application which includes assets, income, expenses, and debts. Financial documents required for submission to Clarity will be handled with the utmost privacy.

Through the generosity of The Clarence Manger and Audrey Cordero Plitt Trust, Plitt loans may be available to families needing additional support to attend Wasatch Academy. These loans allow families to pay for tuition in regular monthly installments at competitive interest rates, over a five-year period after graduating from Wasatch Academy.

Private School Tuition Across the United States

Private schools are often unaffiliated with a centralized agency, making official data collection difficult. However, some general trends can be observed:

The average cost of private school attendance from kindergarten through 4 years of postsecondary study is \$307,262.
Annual tuition at an average private high school is \$17,123.
The average annual tuition at a private university is \$35,248.
Among the nation’s top boarding schools, the cost can reach upwards of \$70,000 per year.
Most private school students attend day schools.
Median tuition for middle school students is \$33,310. For high school students, median tuition is \$38,386.
The most expensive private schools are in New England. Connecticut’s private schools have the highest average tuition.
Alabama’s private schools are much more affordable than those in many other states, with secondary schools charging a little more tuition than elementary schools.
Alaska is the only state where elementary private education is more expensive than secondary schools.
Arizona’s private secondary schools are significantly more expensive than its elementary schools.
Tuition in Arkansas is significantly lower than the national average.
Among private elementary schools, California has some of the most expensive in the country.
Colorado’s elementary schools are comparatively less expensive than their secondary schools.
Connecticut private schools are the most expensive in the nation. Secondary private schools cost more than twice the national average.
Elementary schools in Delaware are more expensive than average, but secondary schools are considerably more affordable.
Secondary schools in Georgia are less expensive than the national average.
Hawaii’s private schools are more expensive than the national average, with private elementary school tuition running significantly higher than average.
Idaho’s private schools cost less than most. The state’s secondary private schools are less expensive on average than private elementary schools nationwide.
Illinois private schools are less expensive overall. The state’s most expensive schools are within the city of Chicago.
Indiana’s private schools are some of the nation’s most affordable, with private secondary schools costing slightly more than half of the national average.
Iowa’s private schools are generally lower than the national average.
Kansas private schools are much more affordable on average than elsewhere in the United States.
Private school tuition in Kentucky is significantly lower than the national average. The state’s private secondary schools are especially affordable.
Louisiana’s private schools run well below the national average in terms of cost.
Maine has some of the most expensive secondary private schools in the nation.
Maryland private schools have slightly higher tuition costs than the national average for both their elementary and secondary schools.
Massachusetts is a much more expensive place to attend private school than elsewhere in the country. Average school tuition and private elementary school are in the top 3 most expensive in the country.
Michigan’s private schools are cheaper than the average, but the state’s private elementary school tuition costs are especially low.
Minnesota’s private secondary schools are slightly lower than the average, while their primary schools are considerably cheaper.
Mississippi’s private schools are cheaper than the national average.
Missouri private school costs are on par with the national average.
Montana’s private secondary schools trend lower than the national average.
The private elementary and secondary schools in Nebraska are both significantly cheaper than the national average.
Nevada’s cost for private elementary schools is near the national average.
New Hampshire is home to some of the country’s most expensive private secondary schools.
New Jersey’s private schools are notably more expensive than the national average.
New Mexico’s private schools are notably more affordable than the national average.
New York’s private elementary and secondary schools are much more expensive than the national average.
North Carolina’s private secondary schools are on par with the national average.
North Dakota’s private schools are some of the most affordable in the country.
Private schools in Ohio are relatively affordable, with secondary schools costing well below the national average tuition.
Oklahoma has the 16th most affordable private schools in the country.
Oregon private schools cost slightly less than the average private schools nationwide.
Pennsylvania’s private elementary schools and secondary schools are slightly more expensive than the national average.
Rhode Island’s private schools are in the top ten most expensive in the nation.
South Carolina’s private schools are less costly overall. The state’s private secondary schools are some of the nation’s most affordable, costing close to the same as the state’s private elementary schools.
South Dakota’s private schools are the most affordable in the country.
Tennessee’s private schools are more affordable overall than the national average. Private elementary schools tend to be more expensive, but secondary schools are significantly less costly.
Private schools in Texas are less expensive overall, with secondary schools being the most affordable. Private elementary school tuition is higher than the national average.
Utah’s private schools are on par with the national average.
Vermont’s private schools are among the nation’s most expensive. Secondary schools are more than twice as costly as the nationwide average.
Virginia's private schools have slightly higher tuition costs than the national average for both their elementary and secondary schools.
Washington’s private elementary and secondary schools are slightly more expensive than the national average.
West Virginia’s private schools are lower than the national average.

Key Considerations When Evaluating Tuition Costs

Grade Level: Tuition often varies by grade level, with high school typically being more expensive than elementary school.
Location: Private school costs differ significantly from state to state and even within different cities in the same state.
Day vs. Boarding Schools: Boarding schools, which provide room and board in addition to classes, generally have higher tuition rates.
Additional Fees: Be sure to factor in additional costs such as registration fees, uniforms, extracurricular activities, and books and supplies.
Financial Aid and Scholarships: Many private schools offer financial aid and scholarship programs to help make tuition more affordable.

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