How much is Cate School tuition?

For 2026-27, tuition at Cate School is $70,990 (day) or $87,340 (boarding) for all grades, per the school's website.

Does Cate School require the ISEE or SSAT?

Cate School requires the ISEE or SSAT for applicants.

When is the Cate School application deadline?

The main application deadline is January 15, 2027, and decisions are released March 10, 2027. Families apply through Gateway to Prep Schools or SAO (Standard Application Online).

Does Cate School offer financial aid?

Yes. Cate School reported $5,046,266 in financial aid to 76 students on its 2024 IRS Form 990.

How many students attend Cate School?

Cate School enrolls 329 students in grades Pre-K–12, with about 6 students per teacher (NCES Private School Survey, 2023-24).

All private schools

Cate School tuition & admissions

Carpinteria, CAGrades Pre-K–12Boarding, coedcate.org

Tuition 2026-27

$70,990

Boarding $87,340

Application deadline

January 15

2027

Students

329

6 students per teacher

Admission test

ISEE or SSAT

Tuition 2026-27

Grades	Day	Boarding
All grades	$70,990	$87,340

Financial aid: $5,046,266 to 76 students (about $66,398 each) in 2024, per the school's IRS Form 990.

How to apply

Entry grades	9, 10, 11
Admission test	ISEE or SSAT
Interview	Required
Apply through	Gateway to Prep Schools or SAO (Standard Application Online)
Application fee	—
Deadline	January 15, 2027
Decisions released	March 10, 2027

College results, class of 2027

Seniors	80
Go to a 4-year college	100%
SAT (middle 50%)	—
ACT (middle 50%)	34–35
AP courses	—
AP exams scored 3+	—
National Merit semifinalists	—

School facts

Students	329
Teachers (full-time equivalent)	50
Students per teacher	6.1
School days per year	212
Endowment	$136,576,587 (FY2025)
Annual revenue	$41,315,363 (2024)
Head of school pay	$343,150

Where graduates went to college (2022-2026)

University of California: Berkeley13
University of Chicago13
New York University10
University of Southern California10
Barnard College9
Bates College9
Northeastern University9
Tulane University of Louisiana9
Brown University8
Emory University7
Stanford University7
University of Pennsylvania7
Wellesley College7
Yale University7
Amherst College6
Case Western Reserve University6
Claremont McKenna College6
Colorado College6
Dartmouth College6
Northwestern University6
Scripps College6
Southern Methodist University6
Colby College5
Columbia University5
Georgetown University5
University of St Andrews5
University of Virginia5
American University4
Boston University4
Bowdoin College4
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo4
Carnegie Mellon University4
Harvard University4
Middlebury College4
Santa Barbara City College4
Tufts University4
University of Colorado, Boulder4
University of Michigan4
University of Wisconsin4
Washington University in St Louis4
Babson College3
Davidson College3
George Washington University3
Loyola Marymount University3
Pitzer College3
Princeton University3
Syracuse University3
University of California: Los Angeles3
University of Miami3
Wesleyan University3
Boston College2
Duke University2
Hamilton College2
Massachusetts Inst of Technology2
Occidental College2
Pomona College2
Queen’s University2
Rice University2
The American University of Paris2
Union College2
University of California: Santa Barbara2
University of California: Santa Cruz2
University of Notre Dame2
University of Texas, Austin2
Vanderbilt University2
Bard College1
Beloit College1
Binghamton University1
Bucknell University1
California Institute of Technology1
Carleton College1
Catholic University of America1
Chapman University1
Connecticut College1
Cornell University1
De Anza College1
Eugene Lang College1
Gettysburg College1
Glendale Community College1
Harvey Mudd College1
Howard University1
Indiana University1
Kenyon College1
NYU Shanghai1
Parsons School of Design1
Reed College1
Rhode Island School of Design1
Skidmore College1
Smith College1
Stony Brook University1
Suffolk University1
Temple University1
Texas A&M University1
Texas Christian University1
Trinity College1
United States Naval Academy1
Univ of North Carolina, Chapel Hill1
Universidad de Navarra1
University of California: Irvine1
University of Florida1
University of Georgia1
University of Iowa1
University of Oregon1
University of Puget Sound1
University of Richmond1
University of the Pacific1
University of Toronto1
University of Vermont1
University of Washington1
Wake Forest University1
Williams College1

From the school's college counseling profile.

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Cate School FAQ

How much is Cate School tuition?: For 2026-27, tuition at Cate School is $70,990 (day) or $87,340 (boarding) for all grades, per the school's website.
Does Cate School require the ISEE or SSAT?: Cate School requires the ISEE or SSAT for applicants.
When is the Cate School application deadline?: The main application deadline is January 15, 2027, and decisions are released March 10, 2027. Families apply through Gateway to Prep Schools or SAO (Standard Application Online).
Does Cate School offer financial aid?: Yes. Cate School reported $5,046,266 in financial aid to 76 students on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
How many students attend Cate School?: Cate School enrolls 329 students in grades Pre-K–12, with about 6 students per teacher (NCES Private School Survey, 2023-24).

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Sources: tuition and admissions from cate.org (checked Oct 2026); enrollment from the NCES Private School Survey 2023-24; finances from the 2024 IRS Form 990. “—” means we couldn't find it.