Best �� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations in California (2026)

Best California �� Schools Belonging to Membership Associations (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 2,415 private schools belonging to membership associations in California.

The most popular school membership associations are Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) (29% of schools), National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) (21% of schools) and Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) (16% of schools).

Fusion Academy Pleasanton Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy South Bay Photo - Each Fusion campus has a state-of-the-art music studio with professional-grade tools. Students can explore instruments, vocals, songwriting, DJ performing arts, and more.

Fusion Academy Pasadena Downtown Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Stratford Pleasanton Middle School Photo

Fusion Academy San Diego - Scripps Ranch Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Sacramento Country Day School Photo - With low student-teacher ratios, Sacramento Country Day School offers a highly-personalized educational experience that challenges students to innovate, and explore in a flexible academic program.

Fusion Academy Palo Alto Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Students have different teachers for different subjects, and teachers act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy Los Angeles Photo - Each Fusion campus has a state-of-the-art music studio with professional-grade tools. Students can explore instruments, vocals, songwriting, DJ performing arts, and more.

Merryhill Preschool, Elementary & Middle School Photo

Calvary Christian Academy Photo - CCA is founded on three pillars which are Servant Leadership, Superior Academics, and Simply Jesus.

Fusion Academy San Diego Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom. Students have different teachers for different subjects, and teachers act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy Miracle Mile Photo - Each Fusion campus has a state-of-the-art music studio with professional-grade tools. Students can explore instruments, vocals, songwriting, DJ performing arts, and more.

Fusion Academy Huntington Beach Photo - Each Fusion campus has a state-of-the-art music studio with professional-grade tools. Students can explore instruments, vocals, songwriting, DJ performing arts, and more.

Fusion Academy Cupertino Photo - Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher. Teachers personalize content and act as mentors in the one-to-one setting.

Fusion Academy Solana Beach Photo - Each Fusion campus has a state-of-the-art music studio with professional-grade tools. Students can explore instruments, vocals, songwriting, DJ performing arts, and more.

Top-Ranked California �� Schools by Membership Association (2026)

Membership Association

# Schools

# Students

% Minority

Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) or (School of Tomorrow)

2,848

57%

Accreditation International

123

47%

American Association of Christian Schools (AACS)

2,231

59%

American Montessori Society (AMS)

167

21,420

52%

Association for Experiential Education (AEE)

181

Association Montessori International (AMI)

3,416

60%

Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)

1,925

45%

Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

387

98,245

42%

Association of Christian Teachers and Schools (ACTS)

4,160

39%

Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS)

4,879

35%

Association of Military Colleges and Schools

448

64%

Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

188

80%

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America

4,945

27%

Bilingual School Association

834

43%

California Association for the Gifted

1,788

30%

California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)

200

69,460

38%

California Association of �� Special Education Schools (CAPSES)

1,147

50%

Carden Educational Foundation

450

53%

Christian Schools International (CSI)

8,138

33%

Cognia

9,938

42%

Council of Bilingual Education

1,193

52%

Educational Records Bureau

4,252

42%

European Council for International Schools

4,010

33%

Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA)

3,463

46%

Friends Council on Education (FCE)

498

42%

General Conference of SDA Church

112

31%

General Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist Church (GCSDAC)

6,462

63%

Institute for Independent Education

4,422

57%

International Baccalaureate (IB) World School

8,171

51%

International Boys Schools Coalition

1,072

40%

International Coalition of Girls Schools

980

57%

International Montessori Council (IMC)

772

60%

Islamic School League of America (ISLA)

1,918

67%

Jesuit Schools Network

449

100%

Jesuit Secondary Education Association (JSEA)

6,840

47%

Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)

207

38%

Mercy Secondary Education Association (MSEA)

387

60%

Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools

223

41%

National Association for the Education of Young Children

208

25,157

51%

National Association for the Gifted

1,380

30%

National Association of College Admissions Counselors

6,052

50%

National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES)

9,277

50%

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

271

106,705

40%

National Association of Laboratory Schools

739

64%

National Association of �� Catholic and Independent Schools (NAPCIS)

2,237

27%

National Association of �� Schools

870

National Association of �� Special Education Centers

1,419

55%

National Association of Secondary School Principals

449

23%

National Catholic Education Association

2,377

91%

National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)

506

159,268

60%

National Christian School Association (NCSA)

310

49%

National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools

177

89%

National Coalition of Boys Schools

163

88%

National Coalition of Girls

4,095

47%

National Council for �� School Accreditation

1,892

70%

National Honor Society (NHS)

4,128

45%

National Independent �� Schools Association

14,512

61%

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)

2,210

National Lutheran Schools Accreditation

7,822

41%

National Middle School Association

707

55%

National Society of Hebrew Day Schools (NSHDS)

4,025

20%

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

254

New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)

Not Available (School did not report any membership associatons).

559

40%

Oral Roberts University Educational Fellowship (ORUEF)

144

48%

Orton Gillingham Academy of Practioners and Educators

420

40%

Other associations(s) for exceptional children

4,568

58%

Other Montessori association(s)

10,997

48%

Other religious school association(s)

141

31,275

45%

Other school association(s)

316

64,158

53%

Other special emphasis association(s)

19,469

40%

Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools

1,113

Solomon Schechter Day Schools (SSDS)

1,845

Southern Association of Independent Schools

1,429

39%

Southern Baptist Association of Christian Schools (SBACS)

1,510

41%

State or regional independent school association

17,109

44%

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)

5,872

49%

The French school system abroad (AEFE)

The Jewish Community Day School Association (SSDSA)

493

35%

Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America

2,896

25%

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

707

233,150

47%

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod School Accreditation (WELSSA)

327

23%

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