Private & church schools in Mesa & Apache Junction
Mesa is where the Prenda microschool network started, and the city still has a strong microschool and Montessori scene alongside long-running Christian and Catholic schools. Mesa Public Schools has lost thousands of students in recent years, and private options have grown into that space east toward Apache Junction and Gold Canyon. We list 26 private schools here, and 18 of them are on at least one STO school list.
By type: Independent Schools (16) · Private High Schools (8) · Christian Schools (7) · Montessori Schools (7) · Special-Needs Schools (4) · Catholic Schools (3) · Preschool & Kindergarten Programs (3).
STOs that list schools here
| School Tuition Organization | Phoenix-area schools on its list | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IBE | 16 | Tucson-based multi-school STO; lists more Valley schools than any other |
| APSTO | 13 | Scottsdale-based; K-12 students at qualified private schools of any kind |
| School Choice Arizona | 12 | Chandler-based; mostly low-income corporate scholarships |
| ACSTO | 6 | Christian schools; the largest STO by money raised since 1998 |
| APESF | 5 | Multi-school "best fit" STO operating since 1999 |
| Catholic Education Arizona | 3 | The Diocese of Phoenix STO; applications through FACTS |
Counts schools in our directory that appear on each STO's published school list (Oct 2026). A school on a list can receive scholarships through that STO; an award is never guaranteed.
All 26 schools in Mesa & Apache Junction
| School | Type | Community | Grades | STO lists | Students* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Place 4 Everyone Learning Center 7040 E Sprst Spg Blvd, Mesa 85209 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-6 | None found | 20 |
| Adobe Adventist Christian School 9910 E Adobe Rd, Mesa 85207 | Christian Schools Seventh-Day Adventist | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-8 | None found | 12 |
| Canyon Heights Christian Academy Mesa · from STO lists only | Christian Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | Not reported | 3 ACSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | — |
| Christ the King School 1551 E Dana Ave, Mesa 85204 | Catholic Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-8 | 5 APESF, APSTO, Catholic Education Arizona, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 185 |
| Desert Shadows Montessori 6709 E University Dr., Mesa 85205 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-K | None found | 35 |
| Dobson Montessori School 745 S Ext Rd, Mesa 85210 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-12 | 2 APSTO, IBE | 96 |
| Empower Academy 7641 E Guadalupe Rd Ste B106, Mesa 85212 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | 3-12 | None found | 38 |
| Faith Christian School Mesa · from STO lists only | Christian Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | Not reported | 5 ACSTO, APESF, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | — |
| Goodwin Learning Academy Mesa · from STO lists only | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | Not reported | 1 IBE | — |
| Heartwood Montessori 207 N Mesa Dr., Mesa 85201 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-8 | 2 APSTO, IBE | 85 |
| Hope Academy for Autism Mesa · from STO lists only | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | Not reported | 2 APSTO, IBE | — |
| Ignite Learning Academy 1155 S Power Rd Ste 114 #570, Mesa 85206 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | 2 APSTO, School Choice Arizona | 238 |
| Lehi Montessori 2415 N Ter Cir, Mesa 85203 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-6 | 2 IBE, School Choice Arizona | 53 |
| Lexington Life Academy 1337 S Gilbert Rd Ste 112, Mesa 85204 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | None found | 488 |
| Lumos Arts Academy 2055 S Power Rd, Mesa 85209 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | 2 APSTO, IBE | 156 |
| Mesa Christian Academy 7918 E 1st Ave, Mesa 85208 | Christian Schools Christian (no specific denomination) | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | 4 ACSTO, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 28 |
| Montessori International School 1230 N Gilbert Rd, Mesa 85203 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-K | 4 APESF, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 8 |
| Montessori International School - Brown Road Campus 2401 E Brown Rd, Mesa 85213 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-8 | None found | 44 |
| Noahs Ark Preschool and Kindergarten 2745 N 32nd St., Mesa 85213 | Christian Schools Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-K | 2 ACSTO, School Choice Arizona | 6 |
| Pilgrim Lutheran School 3257 E University Dr., Mesa 85213 | Christian Schools Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-8 | 4 ACSTO, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 46 |
| Queen of Peace Catholic School 141 N Macdonald, Mesa 85201 | Catholic Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-8 | 3 APSTO, Catholic Education Arizona, IBE | 206 |
| Redeemer Christian School 719 N Stapley Dr., Mesa 85203 | Christian Schools Calvinist | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | 5 ACSTO, APESF, APSTO, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 88 |
| Serenity Learning Center 2740 E Southern Ave, Mesa 85204 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-12 | None found | 43 |
| St. Timothy Catholic School 2520 S Alma School Rd, Mesa 85210 | Catholic Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | K-8 | 5 APESF, APSTO, Catholic Education Arizona, IBE, School Choice Arizona | 190 |
| Tempe Montessori School 410 S el Dorado, Mesa 85202 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | PK-5 | 2 IBE, School Choice Arizona | 102 |
| Thriving Minds Academy 850 S Ironwood Dr. #110, Apache Junction 85120 | Independent Schools | Mesa & Apache Junction | Not reported | None found | 1 |
* Enrollment reported to the NCES Private School Survey (2023-24 or 2021-22). "STO lists" counts the School Tuition Organizations whose published school list included the school (Oct 2026). Arizona has no state list of ESA schools; ask each school whether it accepts ESA payments through ClassWallet.
ZIP codes: 85120, 85201, 85202, 85203, 85204, 85205, 85206, 85207, 85208, 85209, 85210, 85212, 85213
Find funding for a school in Mesa & Apache Junction
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