When it comes to your kids’ education, the choices can seem endless. Finally decided on private school over public? Your journey’s just getting started. How much does annual tuition run? What’s the school’s religious affiliation, if any? How does the admissions process work? Will your child receive one-on-one attention and instruction? And this: is it all worth it in the end? The money, the stress, the waking-up-early-to-drive-the-kids-to-school-on-the-other-side-of-town-and-doing-it-all-over-again-that-afternoon?

Education is serious business, and we’re aiming to provide serious answers to these questions and more with this year’s feature on the city’s top private schools. Within these pages, you’ll find stories from parents who’ve been through it all, guidance from real-life headmasters who’ve seen it all, and tips from experts who may or may not know it all.

We’ve also compiled a handy chart packed with information on Houstonia’s most prominent private schools, to help arm you with the knowledge—the education, if you will—to make the right choice for you and your family.