Private Schools on the Monterey Peninsula: Complete Guide
Private schools on the Monterey Peninsula: the complete guide
Moving to Carmel, Pebble Beach, or Monterey with kids? Here are the Peninsula’s private and independent schools, the grades each one serves, where they are, and which ones board. Every detail comes from the schools’ own sites or the Diocese of Monterey.
The short version: The Peninsula’s main private schools are Stevenson (Pre-K–12, Carmel and Pebble Beach, boarding in grades 9–12), York School (grades 8–12, Monterey), Santa Catalina (co-ed Pre-K–8 and an all-girls 9–12 day and boarding Upper School, Monterey), All Saints’ Day School (preschool–8, Carmel Valley Road), San Carlos School (Catholic TK–8, Monterey), Trinity Christian School (grades 5–12, Monterey), and Chartwell School (for students with dyslexia and related learning differences, Seaside). Junipero Serra School in Carmel has closed.
Schools with boarding
Stevenson (grades 9–12) and Santa Catalina’s all-girls Upper School.
All-girls high school
Santa Catalina Upper School, grades 9–12.
Catholic K–8 options
San Carlos School (TK–8) and Santa Catalina Lower and Middle School (Pre-K–8).
Open private schools
On or next to the Peninsula, plus closures to know about.
Schools that run from preschool to graduation
Two Peninsula schools take a child from the early years through high school, each on two campuses or two divisions.
Stevenson School
Stevenson is an independent, coeducational Pre-K–12 boarding and day school founded in 1952. The Carmel Campus at 24800 Dolores Street serves day students in Pre-K through grade 8. The Pebble Beach Campus at 3152 Forest Lake Road is the Upper Division, grades 9–12, with boarding and day students.
The upper campus sits inside the Pebble Beach gates, and the school asks visitors who need gate access to contact it before they come.
Santa Catalina School
Santa Catalina runs a co-ed Lower and Middle School for boys and girls in Pre-K through grade 8, and an all-girls Upper School for grades 9–12 with day and boarding students. The campus is at 1500 Mark Thomas Drive, Monterey.
The Diocese of Monterey lists Santa Catalina as an independent Catholic school.
Private high schools on the Peninsula
Beyond Stevenson and Santa Catalina’s Upper School, two more schools serve high school students.
York School
York describes itself as a private, co-ed college-prep school for grades 8–12. It’s at 9501 York Road, Monterey.
York opened in 1959 in Pacific Grove with 12 boys in the 7th grade, according to the school’s history page.
Trinity Christian School
Founded in 2001 as Trinity Christian High School, the school added grades 7 and 8 in 2017, grade 6 in 2022, and grade 5 in 2023, when it took the name Trinity Christian School. The campus is at 680 Belden Street, above Cannery Row.
The school says it is accredited by WASC and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
Preschool through grade 8
Families with younger children have two more choices, in addition to Stevenson’s Carmel Campus and Santa Catalina’s Lower and Middle School.
All Saints’ Day School
A private, co-ed school for preschool through grade 8, with an Episcopal identity. All Saints says it has served students since 1961. It’s at 8060 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel.
San Carlos School
A Catholic school for grades TK–8, run as a ministry of San Carlos Cathedral, with a tradition the school dates to 1898. It’s at 450 Church Street, Monterey.
A school built around learning differences
One Peninsula school is designed for a specific group of students.
Chartwell School
Chartwell’s mission is to help students with dyslexia and associated learning differences reach their potential. It has lower, middle, and high school programs on a 60-acre campus at 2511 Numa Watson Road, Seaside, which the school describes as Platinum LEED certified.
Schools that have closed
Older relocation guides still list these, so it’s worth knowing.
Junipero Serra School, Carmel
The Catholic Pre-K–8 school at the Carmel Mission is listed by the Diocese of Monterey as closed in May 2020.
Notre Dame High School, Salinas
Not on the Peninsula, but a school some Peninsula families looked at. The Diocese lists it as closed in June 2026.
Palma School, Salinas
Still open: the Diocese lists Palma as a co-ed school for grades 6–12, sponsored by the Christian Brothers. It’s a drive from the Peninsula.
Confirm the rest
Schools change grades, names, and programs. Trinity, for example, has added grades four times since 2017. Check each school’s site for this year’s details.
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How private schools fit into a home search
Private schools don’t have attendance boundaries, so the address question becomes a commute question.
Map the drive
Stevenson’s two campuses are in Carmel and inside the Pebble Beach gates. York, Santa Catalina, San Carlos, and Trinity are in Monterey. All Saints is on Carmel Valley Road, and Chartwell is in Seaside.
Keep the public option in view
Plenty of families mix public and private over the years. The public district depends on the address. See the Carmel schools guide for how to confirm a home is in Carmel Unified.
Ask about admissions timing
Several schools hold fall open houses and admission events for the next school year. Start early if you are moving for a fall start.
Pebble Beach logistics
If your child will attend Stevenson’s upper campus, living in Pebble Beach means no gate stop for the school run. Parents from outside need gate access arrangements through the school.
Schools first, then the house
For relocating families, the school plan usually narrows the map before price does. If your kids will be at Stevenson in Pebble Beach, at York or Santa Catalina in Monterey, or at All Saints on Carmel Valley Road, the commute shapes which neighborhoods make sense.
Tell me the schools you are considering and I’ll focus the search on homes that fit the daily drive.
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Moving here with kids?
Share the grades and the schools on your list, and I’ll show you where on the Peninsula fits.
Before you rely on this
- Grades, addresses, and programs come from each school’s own site and the Diocese of Monterey as of Oct 26, 2026. Confirm with the school before you apply.
- No tuition, rankings, or test scores are quoted. Ask each school directly.
- This page lists private schools. For public schools and district boundaries, see the Carmel schools guide.
Private schools on the Monterey Peninsula: quick questions
What private schools are on the Monterey Peninsula?
Stevenson School (Carmel and Pebble Beach), York School, Santa Catalina School, San Carlos School and Trinity Christian School (all in Monterey), All Saints’ Day School (Carmel Valley Road), and Chartwell School (Seaside).
Which Monterey Peninsula private schools offer boarding?
Stevenson School boards students in grades 9–12 at its Pebble Beach campus. Santa Catalina’s all-girls Upper School (grades 9–12) also has day and boarding students.
Is there an all-girls school on the Monterey Peninsula?
Yes. Santa Catalina’s Upper School in Monterey is all girls, grades 9–12. Its Lower and Middle School (Pre-K–8) is co-ed.
What private high schools are near Carmel?
Stevenson’s Upper Division in Pebble Beach (grades 9–12), York School (grades 8–12), Santa Catalina Upper School (girls, 9–12), and Trinity Christian School (grades 5–12). York, Santa Catalina, and Trinity are in Monterey.
Are there Catholic schools on the Monterey Peninsula?
Yes. San Carlos School in Monterey is a Catholic TK–8 school run by San Carlos Cathedral. Santa Catalina School is listed by the Diocese of Monterey as an independent Catholic school.
Is Junipero Serra School in Carmel still open?
No. The Diocese of Monterey lists Junipero Serra School in Carmel as closed in May 2020.
Is there a private school for children with dyslexia on the Monterey Peninsula?
Yes. Chartwell School in Seaside is built for students with dyslexia and associated learning differences, with lower, middle, and high school programs.
What grades does York School serve?
Grades 8–12. York is a private, co-ed college-prep school in Monterey.
Does my address affect private school admission?
Private schools don’t use attendance boundaries the way public districts do, but the commute matters. Public school assignment does depend on the address.
Is Stevenson School in Pebble Beach or Carmel?
Both. The Carmel Campus (Pre-K–8) is at 24800 Dolores Street, Carmel. The Pebble Beach Campus (grades 9–12) is at 3152 Forest Lake Road, Pebble Beach.
Updated October 2026 · Facts checked Oct 26, 2026 against each school’s website, the Diocese of Monterey, and the California Department of Education
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