If you want a school inside Georgetown's own ZIP code, your options are Georgetown Visitation (girls, 9-12), Washington International School's primary campus and The Field School (6-12). Widen to 20008 and 20016 and nine of the 13 schools on this page are in reach, with posted 2026-27 tuition from $48,665 to $59,965 in DC. If a single-sex school in Bethesda suits you better, Holton-Arms and Landon are across the line.
You're choosing a house in Northwest DC and want to know which independent schools are nearby, which grades they serve and what they cost.
At a glance
| Schools profiled | 13 with checked addresses |
|---|---|
| Campus in 20007, 20008 or 20016 | 9 of 13 |
| Campus in Georgetown's 20007 | Visitation, WIS primary, Field |
| Posted 2026-27 tuition | $48,665 to $60,535 (Maret, Field, Holton-Arms) |
Where are DC's best-known private schools?
Most of them are within a few ZIP codes of Georgetown. Of the 13 independent schools on this page, 9 have a campus in one of three Northwest DC ZIP codes: 20007, 20008 or 20016. Three of those are in Georgetown's own 20007. So if you're choosing a house in Northwest DC, you're also choosing how far the school run is.
No list can tell you which school is best for your child, and this page doesn't rank them. It sorts them by what you're choosing between: coed or single-sex, the grades you need, and DC or Bethesda. Each profile gives the grades, the campus ZIP code and the tuition, labelled by where the figure came from. Three schools have posted 2026-27 tuition: Maret, Holton-Arms and The Field School. For the rest, the figure is the one in Washingtonian's 2025 guide, which doesn't label a school year, so confirm the current rate with the school.
Which DC private schools run from the early grades through 12th?
These four schools let a child stay at one school from the early grades to graduation, which means one admissions process instead of two or three. The catch is price: a dozen years of K-12 tuition is the largest commitment on this page.
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell covers pre-K through 12th grade on two campuses: the lower school is at 5100 Edgemoor Lane in Bethesda, and the middle and upper schools are at 3825 Wisconsin Avenue NW (20016). Washingtonian's 2025 guide lists tuition from $51,410 for pre-K to grade 2 up to $57,620 for grades 9-12, with 1,142 students. The catch for a DC household is the split: a younger child's campus is across the Maryland line.
Georgetown Day School
Despite the name, GDS isn't in Georgetown. It runs pre-K through 12th at 4200 Davenport Street NW (20016), with 1,075 students in Washingtonian's 2025 guide. Tuition there runs from $46,620 for pre-K and kindergarten to $56,217 for 12th grade.
Maret School
Maret is the only school in this group with its 2026-27 tuition posted: $48,665 for kindergarten to grade 4, $52,715 for grades 5-8 and $55,955 for grades 9-12, including hot lunch, plus athletics fees of $0 to $800. It runs K-12 at 3000 Cathedral Avenue NW (20008), with 650 students per Washingtonian. Its upper-school rate is 4.5% above the figure in Washingtonian's 2025 guide.
Washington International School
WIS runs from preschool through 12th grade on two Northwest campuses: the primary school at 1690 36th Street NW in Georgetown's 20007, and the Tregaron campus for grades 6-12 at 3100 Macomb Street NW (20008). Washingtonian lists 900 students and tuition from $33,480 for preschool to $54,685 for grades 9-12. It's the one K-12 option with a campus inside Georgetown's ZIP code, though only for the younger grades.
Which DC private schools are single-sex?
DC has two girls' schools and two boys' schools on this list, two of them in 20016. Their grade ranges differ more than their tuition does.
St. Albans School (boys)
St. Albans runs grades 4-12 on Mount St. Alban (20016) and is the only school on this page listed with boarding: Washingtonian's 2025 guide lists $58,476 for day students and $82,436 for boarding in grades 9-12, with 592 students.
National Cathedral School (girls)
NCS runs grades 4-12 at 3612 Woodley Road NW (20016), with 586 students. Washingtonian lists tuition of $56,920. Since it starts at grade 4, a younger child needs a different school first.
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School (girls)
Visitation is a high school only, grades 9-12, at 1524 35th Street NW in Georgetown itself (20007). Washingtonian's 2025 guide lists 504 students and tuition of $39,100, the second-lowest high-school figure here after Gonzaga's. It's the only single-sex school with a campus in Georgetown's ZIP code.
Gonzaga College High School (boys)
Gonzaga, founded in 1821, is a boys' high school at 19 I Street NW (20001), the only school on this page outside Northwest DC and Bethesda. Washingtonian lists 960 students and tuition of $33,530, the lowest figure on this page. The catch for a Georgetown household is the distance across town.
Which schools cover only some grades?
A school that starts at grade 6 means a second admissions round. A school that ends at grade 8 means planning the high school move from the start.
The Field School
Field runs grades 6-12 at 2301 Foxhall Road NW, in Georgetown's 20007, with 370 students per Washingtonian. Its posted 2026-27 tuition is $58,265 for grades 6-8 and $59,965 for grades 9-12. That upper-school rate is 6.6% above the figure in Washingtonian's 2025 guide, the steepest rise among the three schools with posted 2026-27 rates.
Edmund Burke School
Burke also runs grades 6-12, at 4101 Connecticut Avenue NW (20008), and is the smallest school here at 305 students. Washingtonian's 2025 guide lists $49,246 for grades 6-8 and $52,234 for grades 9-12.
Lowell School
Lowell runs pre-K through 8th grade at 1640 Kalmia Road NW (20012). Washingtonian lists 320 students and tuition from $44,500 to $54,000. You'll need a high school plan for grade 9.
Which private schools are across the line in Bethesda?
Two single-sex schools and Sidwell's lower school sit in Bethesda, Maryland. For a Georgetown address that means a commute out of the District every school day.
Holton-Arms School (girls)
Holton-Arms runs grades 3-12 at 7303 River Road, Bethesda (20817), with 665 students. Its posted 2026-27 tuition is $60,535, the highest posted figure on this page, but it includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and academic field trips. That's 4.6% above the figure in Washingtonian's 2025 guide.
Landon School (boys)
Landon runs grades 3-12 at 6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda (20817), with 700 students. Washingtonian's 2025 guide lists $50,250 for grades 3-5 and $55,750 for grades 6-12.
This page leaves out other schools, among them The Potomac School, Beauvoir and St. John's College High School, until their grades, campus and tuition are confirmed.
DC private schools compared by grades, ZIP and tuition
Read across for your must-haves. Tuition marked "school" is the posted 2026-27 rate; "W" is the figure in Washingtonian's 2025 guide, which carries no school-year label.
| School | Grades | Type | Campus ZIP | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidwell Friends | Pre-K-12 | Coed | 20016; lower school Bethesda | $51,410-$57,620 | W |
| Georgetown Day | Pre-K-12 | Coed | 20016 | $46,620-$56,217 | W |
| Maret | K-12 | Coed | 20008 | $48,665-$55,955 | School |
| Washington International | Preschool-12 | Coed | 20007 and 20008 | $33,480-$54,685 | W |
| St. Albans | 4-12 | Boys | 20016 | $58,476 day | W |
| National Cathedral | 4-12 | Girls | 20016 | $56,920 | W |
| Georgetown Visitation | 9-12 | Girls | 20007 | $39,100 | W |
| Gonzaga | 9-12 | Boys | 20001 | $33,530 | W |
| The Field School | 6-12 | Coed | 20007 | $58,265-$59,965 | School |
| Edmund Burke | 6-12 | Coed | 20008 | $49,246-$52,234 | W |
| Lowell | Pre-K-8 | Coed | 20012 | $44,500-$54,000 | W |
| Holton-Arms | 3-12 | Girls | 20817 (Bethesda) | $60,535 | School |
| Landon | 3-12 | Boys | 20817 (Bethesda) | $50,250-$55,750 | W |
How do you choose a DC private school and a house together?
Start with three must-haves, then let the ZIP codes narrow the house search.
Three questions that settle the short list
- Coed or single-sex? That decision alone halves the list.
- Which grades do you need now and in five years? A school that ends at grade 8 or starts at grade 9 means a second application.
- DC or Bethesda? Three campuses on this list are in Maryland.
Then read the comparison table for the schools left. If they cluster in 20016 and 20008, look at houses near them; if one is in 20007, Georgetown itself is in play. Our guide to day-to-day life in Georgetown covers getting around without a Metro station, and the guide to DC's luxury neighborhoods shows what houses cost near each cluster.
What a tuition figure includes
Posted figures aren't built the same way. Maret's includes hot lunch, with athletics fees of $0 to $800 on top. Holton-Arms includes breakfast, lunch, snacks and academic field trips. Washingtonian's figures don't say what they include. Before you compare two schools on price, ask each for its full list of fees outside tuition and for its financial aid process, since every figure on this page is a sticker price.
What to ask each school
Write down the same questions for every school so the answers line up: the application deadline and decision date for your child's entry grade, whether the grade you need takes new students every year, whether the school runs buses or carpools from your area, and what the 2026-27 tuition and fees are if the school hasn't posted them. Those answers fill the gaps in the table above.
The public school alternative
If you're weighing DC public schools too, assignment runs on the exact address: every K-12 student has a guaranteed right to the in-boundary school, and boundaries can change. Run the DCPS boundary lookup on each house before you offer, not on the neighborhood name.
Budgeting for tuition
The three schools with posted 2026-27 rates rose 4.5% to 6.6% over the figures in Washingtonian's 2025 guide, so budget about 5% a year. Two children in upper school at Maret, Field or Holton-Arms cost $111,910 to $121,070 a year before aid, more than four times DC's $26,163 property tax on a $3 million house. The full household math is on our DC cost of living guide, and the tax side of a move is on moving to Washington DC. When you've got a short list, I can pull houses for sale near each campus from our Georgetown luxury homes page.
Common questions
What is the most elite private school in DC?
There's no official ranking, and this site doesn't rank schools. The schools differ in measurable ways: grades served (pre-K-12 at Sidwell Friends and Georgetown Day, 9-12 at Visitation and Gonzaga), coed or single-sex, campus location and tuition. Nine of the 13 schools profiled here have a campus in Northwest DC ZIP codes 20007, 20008 or 20016. Choose by those factors and visit each school.
How much is private school tuition in DC?
For 2026-27, Maret posts $48,665 to $55,955, The Field School $58,265 to $59,965 and Holton-Arms in Bethesda $60,535. Washingtonian's 2025 guide, which carries no school-year label, lists most other schools in the $50,000s, from Gonzaga at $33,530 to St. Albans at $58,476 for day students. These are sticker prices before financial aid; confirm the current figure with each school.
Which private schools are near Georgetown?
Three schools have a campus in Georgetown's ZIP code, 20007: Georgetown Visitation (girls, grades 9-12) at 1524 35th Street NW, Washington International School's primary campus at 1690 36th Street NW, and The Field School (grades 6-12) at 2301 Foxhall Road NW. Six more have campuses in nearby 20008 or 20016, including Sidwell Friends, Georgetown Day, St. Albans, National Cathedral, Maret and Burke.
When do DC private school applications open?
Timelines vary by school and change each year, and we haven't confirmed the current dates, so check each school's admissions page. Ask for the application deadline, the date of any entrance testing or visit, the date decisions are released and the deadline to accept. Schools that start at grade 6 or grade 9 have their own entry points, so a second application round may come later.
Is Georgetown Day School in Georgetown?
No. Despite its name, Georgetown Day School is at 4200 Davenport Street NW, in ZIP code 20016, according to Washingtonian's 2025 guide. It runs pre-K through 12th grade. The schools with campuses inside Georgetown's own ZIP code, 20007, are Georgetown Visitation, Washington International School's primary campus and The Field School.
Are DC private schools coed or single-sex?
Both. Of the 13 schools on this page, seven are coed. St. Albans, Gonzaga and Landon are boys' schools; National Cathedral School, Georgetown Visitation and Holton-Arms are girls' schools. Landon and Holton-Arms are in Bethesda, Maryland, and the rest of the single-sex schools are in DC. St. Albans is the only one listed with boarding, for grades 9-12.
How do DC public schools work if you buy a house?
DC public school assignment depends on your exact address. Every student eligible for grades K-12 has a guaranteed right to enroll at the in-boundary school, and each address maps to an elementary, middle and high school. Boundaries can change, so use the DCPS in-boundary lookup at enrolldcps.dc.gov on the specific address before you buy rather than relying on the neighborhood name.
Sources
- Washingtonian (reported): Private School Guide, Coed Schools, Oct 31 2025
- Washingtonian (reported): Private School Guide, All-Boys Schools, Oct 31 2025
- Washingtonian (reported): Private School Guide, All-Girls Schools, Oct 31 2025
- Maret School: Tuition and Financial Aid
- The Field School: Tuition and Financial Aid
- Holton-Arms School: Tuition and Financial Aid
- DCPS: Find your in-boundary school (enrolldcps.dc.gov)
- DC Office of Tax and Revenue: Real Property Tax Rates
Reviewed by Daryl Judy
Daryl reviewed this page for accuracy on October 13, 2026. Figures come from the sources listed above. Our research process.
Daryl Judy is a luxury real estate agent in Georgetown, Washington, DC, and an Associate Broker with Washington Fine Properties: a Realtor since 2006, ranked #2 in the District by sales volume (RealTrends Verified, 2025), with more than $1.2 billion in career sales by his own count.
- $1.2B+Career sales across more than 900 transactions, as reported by Daryl
- #2DC agent by sales volume, RealTrends Verified, 2025
- $1.93MAverage sale price in 2025, RealTrends Verified
- $6.25MHighest DC sale on record, Berkley (Georgetown ZIP 20007), 2026
- RealTrends Verified: #2 in Washington, DC by sales volume, 2025 sales data ($77.19M, 40 sides)
- Washington Fine Properties: 360 sales of $1M or more on record ($670.2M), 40 of them in Georgetown ZIP 20007
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Associate Broker, Washington Fine Properties, 1604 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009. Office (202) 930-6868. District of Columbia license BR 699875. General information, not legal, tax or lending advice.
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