Duval County's 180 private schools by the numbers: who takes the Florida scholarship

TL;DR: The state lists 180 private schools in the Duval district, and 133 of them take the Florida Private School Scholarship. Participation is far higher at religious schools than at secular ones, and it varies by part of town. The directory cannot tell you tuition, which is the number a family needs most.

How many private schools are registered in Duval County, and how big are they?

The Florida DOE directory lists 180 private schools registered to the Duval district as of October 28, 2026. Their latest surveys report 29,727 students from pre-K through grade 12, and pre-K is the largest single grade with 2,766 children, ahead of kindergarten at 2,290.

Most schools are small. 66 report fewer than 50 students and 14 report none on their latest survey, which usually means a school that is new or between years. The largest are Providence School (1,687), Trinity Christian Academy (1,539), Bolles School (1,537), Bishop Kenny High School (1,404) and University Christian School (904). Pre-K and kindergarten together hold 5,056 children, nearly as many as grades 9 through 12 combined.

88 schools begin at pre-K and 111 run through grade 12, so a family can often stay in one place from age four to graduation.

Which Florida scholarships do Duval private schools take?

133 schools carry the FTC/FES-EO flag, 137 carry the FES-UA flag and 11 carry the PEP flag. The first is the Private School Scholarship, which pays $8,409 for K-3, $7,821 for grades 4-8 and $7,629 for grades 9-12 in Duval this year.

• Both FTC/FES-EO and FES-UA: 131 schools.
• Neither flag: 41 schools, including some preschools and independent schools that have not joined.
• PEP: 11 schools, mostly hybrid and career-focused campuses.

Do religious schools or secular schools in Duval take the scholarship more often?

Religious schools take it much more often: 93 of 106 religious schools carry the flag, against 40 of 74 non-religious ones. Both groups are large, so neither is a niche.

Among the denominations, non-denominational Christian schools are the largest group at 40, followed by Baptist (20) and Catholic (17). All 17 Catholic schools carry the flag.

Where in Duval County are the participating schools?

The Westside has the most registered schools, but the Beaches and Riverside areas have the highest shares that take the award. The table groups schools by the ZIP codes in the state record.

Each part of town has its own page in the school directory, with a table you can filter.

What does the Florida directory tell a Duval family about disabilities, and what does it leave out?

51 schools tell the state which disability categories they serve, led by speech or language impairment (37 schools), autism spectrum disorder (33) and specific learning disability (32). That list is the quickest way to shortlist schools for a child using the Unique Abilities Scholarship, which is worth $10,573 at matrix levels 1-3 in Duval. The diagnosis pages break it down.

The directory does not report tuition, class size, who delivers therapy or whether a school has open seats. 68 schools list at least one accreditation, led by Cognia (28), the Florida Catholic Conference program (15) and the Florida Council of Independent Schools (10), but Florida does not require private schools to be accredited. After the award, only the school can say what remains, which is why the worked examples use invented tuition figures and label them that way.

How should a Duval parent use a directory count when choosing a school?

Use it to build a shortlist, not to pick a winner. A count tells you how many options exist in your part of town and which of them have joined the scholarship, but it cannot say whether a school suits your child. Start with the grade your child will enter, filter to schools that carry the flag you need, and then visit two or three.

Because 66 schools report fewer than 50 students, many Duval campuses are intimate by design, and a small enrollment can mean a single classroom per grade or a mixed-age room. Ask each school how many students sit in your child's classroom, who teaches it and whether the grade will still exist next year. Our directory pages carry the same state facts for every school, so you can compare them side by side before you call.

Frequently asked questions

How many private schools are registered in Duval County, and how big are they?

The Florida DOE directory lists 180 private schools in the Duval district, with about 29,727 students reported on their latest surveys.

Which Florida scholarships do Duval private schools take?

133 take the Private School Scholarship (FTC/FES-EO), 137 take FES-UA and 11 take PEP.

Where in Duval County are the participating schools?

They are spread across every part of the county, with the Westside holding the most registered schools and the Beaches and Riverside areas showing the highest share that take the award.

What does the Florida directory tell a Duval family about disabilities, and what does it leave out?

It shows which disability categories 51 schools report serving, but not tuition, class sizes or open seats, so a family must ask each school.

Related questions

• Which Duval private schools accept the Florida scholarship?
• How much is the Private School Scholarship for a Duval student?
• Which Duval schools serve a diagnosis?
• What does Step Up For Students pay a Duval child?

Sources

• Florida DOE Private School Directory, Duval district, pulled Oct 28, 2026
• Step Up For Students: 2026-27 scholarship amounts by district

See what your family qualifies for →