St. Norbert Catholic School

Overview

St. Norbert Catholic School is a Catholic K-8 private school in Orange, California, serving grades K-8, founded in 1965, with about 242 students. Tuition for 2026-27 is $8,847 to $9,601, which puts it in the lower range among Orange County private schools at this level. Religion classes are required, so confirm your family is comfortable with that before applying. Average class size is about 25.

Admissions

No standardized entrance exam; admission uses an on-campus assessment or visit day.

The school publishes the following application details. Applications from new families for the 2026-2027 school year are accepted beginning each January. The annual rhythm listed on the school website is: an open house on a Sunday afternoon in late January (11:00-13:00, with campus tours and the chance to meet administrators, teachers, and current students and families), which is also the deadline for priority applications from current families; priority kindergarten assessments for current families in mid-February; and kindergarten assessments for new applicant families in mid-March. The required steps are: submit the application with its fee, complete the student assessment, attend a family interview, receive admission, complete online registration with its fee, and set up a FACTS payment plan. Application materials include the application form, birth certificate, baptismal certificate, a $25 assessment fee (for kindergarten and for new students in grades 1-8), transcripts and test scores for transfer students, and immunization records. A waitlist opens when a grade is full, and transfer students serve an 8- to 10-week probationary period (school website, Admissions Process page).

The main entry points at a K-8 school are kindergarten and grade 6. Younger applicants are usually evaluated through an on-campus visit, while most applicants above grade 5 need an ISEE score. Start in the fall of the year before entry: visit first to confirm the school is a fit, then decide whether to register for testing.

Tuition and fees

Annual tuition for kindergarten through grade 8 in 2026-2027: $8,847 for active parishioners and $9,601 out of parish. The school website defines an active parishioner as a family registered in the St. Norbert parish that attends Sunday Mass regularly, contributes through Sunday offertory envelopes, and takes part in parish service. Full-time K-8 and Children’s Center families who pay the full year’s tuition by July 1 receive $150 off per child (not available to families receiving financial aid, and not available for credit card payments). The Children’s Center is priced separately: for the 2-year-old and 3-year-old classes, five full days $9,269 per year, Monday/Wednesday/Friday full days $6,950, five half days $6,349, and Monday/Wednesday/Friday half days $5,774; for the 4-year-old class, five full days $9,269 and five half days $6,349 (school website, Tuition & Fees page).

The enrollment fee appears two different ways on the same school website page, so families should confirm the figure with the school. The body text says $276 per student, nonrefundable, capped at $650 per family if paid by June 7, while the table above it shows $276 for one child, $530 for two children, and $650 for three or more (for two children, the table says $530 while the body text implies $552, so the school website is inconsistent with itself). After June 7, 2026 the fees rise to $340 for one child, $605 for two, and $750 for three or more. New K-8 applicants also pay a $25 assessment fee along with the enrollment fee. A mandatory classroom fee of $25 per student is charged to the FACTS account in September. Tuition is drafted through FACTS in 12 installments from July through the following June. Full-time K-8 and Children’s Center families who pay in full by July 1 receive $150 off per child (not available to families receiving financial aid or paying by credit card). Family obligations: 11 service hours per semester and 33 hours per year, with unfinished hours billed at $20 per hour each semester; families must also take part in the Color Run fundraiser with a minimum pledge of $425; and grade 8 families must settle all eighth-grade charges by a specified date in May. The grade 6 Outdoor Education program, a three-day, two-night science camp in the San Bernardino Mountains, and the grade 8 East Coast Expedition, seven days on the East Coast, are optional and charged separately. Grade 8 also carries a graduation fee covering cap and gown rental, the retreat, and similar costs, billed in January of the graduation year, and field trip costs vary by grade and itinerary. The school website does not publish international student pricing (school website, Tuition & Fees page)

Financial aid: All financial aid is assessed through FACTS Grant and Aid, and the school website states that every family must apply through this system. Funding comes from donors, with dedicated funds such as the Tuition Assistance Fund. The “SNCS By the Numbers” block on the home page states that more than $100k has been awarded ($100k+ Awarded in Tuition Assistance), but the school website does not publish the share of families receiving aid, the average award, or an application deadline (school website home page, Tuition & Fees page, Tuition Assistance Fund page). Note also that the $150 per child discount for paying in full is not available to families receiving financial aid

Academics and programs

• Subjects common to grades 1 through 8: religion, math, language arts (reading, English, spelling, and writing), social studies, science, art, Christian Family Life Education, physical education, and computer education; junior high adds introductory Spanish (school website, Curriculum page)
• Learning Support Program: aimed at inclusion, adapting instructional strategies for students working at different levels within the same class (school website, Curriculum page)
• Academic Decathlon and interscholastic sports teams (school website, Principal’s Message page, Enrichment & Extracurriculars page)
• Grade 6 Outdoor Education: a three-day, two-night science camp in the San Bernardino Mountains (optional, at family expense) (school website, Tuition & Fees page)
• Grade 8 East Coast Expedition: a seven-day itinerary of historic sites on the East Coast, with most of the cost offset by class fundraising (optional, at family expense) (school website, Tuition & Fees page)
• The Children’s Center enrolls 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds, with full-day and half-day options and both five-day and Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedules (school website, Tuition & Fees page, Admissions Process page)

How this school compares

These are the nearest schools at the same level and a comparable price. Select a name to open that school’s admissions guide:

School	City	Grades	Tuition	Entrance test	Class size	Distance
St. Norbert Catholic School	Orange	K-8	$8,847	On-campus assessment	25	—
St. Paul’s Lutheran School	Orange	K-8	$8,600	—	—	1.1 mi
St. John’s Lutheran School	Orange	K-8	$9,410	On-campus assessment	—	1.9 mi
Covenant Christian School	Orange	K-8	Not published	On-campus assessment	—	0.2 mi
International School of Orange County (iSchoolOC)	Orange	K-8	$18,220	—	—	0.2 mi

Where students go next

The “SNCS By the Numbers” block on the school website home page states “100% of 2026 Graduates Accepted to Catholic High Schools Applied to,” without naming the high schools or giving numbers.

Applying to high school from here usually begins in the spring of grade 7: sit the ISEE or HSPT in the fall of grade 8, then submit materials between November and January. EDUBUS works backward from each target high school’s requirements to plan grades, activities and test preparation across the K-8 years.

Total tuition through graduation

At the 2026-27 rate of $8,847, 9 years covering grades K-8 come to roughly $79,623 in tuition alone. Assuming the 4% annual increase common at private schools, the figure is closer to $94,000. Neither number includes registration fees, deposits, uniforms or activity fees. A California 529 plan can cover up to $10,000 per child per year of K-12 tuition.

Getting there from Irvine

These are straight-line distances from neighborhoods where many Irvine families live. Actual drive times will be longer, and a morning rush-hour trip typically takes 1.5 to 2 times as long as an off-peak one:

Neighborhood	Straight-line distance
Woodbury	10.1 miles
Northwood	7.5 miles
Turtle Rock	12.6 miles
Portola Springs	11.1 miles

The website does not describe bus service; confirm this during your visit.

Questions to ask on a campus visit

• Enrollment — this listing uses the CDE 2025-26 filing figure of 242. The school website About, School History, and Admissions pages do not publish current enrollment; the School History page says only that the sc…
• Chinese language program — the World Language row on the Curriculum page lists only “Introductory Spanish (Junior High only),” and the school website says nothing affirmative or negative about Chinese
• International students — the school website has no information about international students or I-20s
• Transportation — the school website navigation (About, Admissions, Academics, Student Life, Support) has no Transportation or bus page, the Tuition & Fees and Admissions Process pages list no transportation charges, …
• Registration, technology, uniform and activity fees beyond tuition

How EDUBUS helps

Our Irvine-based counselors work in both Chinese and English. We track St. Norbert Catholic School’s admissions calendar, prepare students for the campus visit and interview, and review application materials before they are submitted. Book a school-selection consultation or read the Chinese version of this page.