About Us

Carlthorp at a Glance

Carlthorp School is an independent coeducational day school serving grades K-6. Founded in 1939, it is the oldest independent elementary school in Santa Monica, California.

List of 9 items.

280

Student Enrollment
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20

Students Per Class
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2

Teachers Per Classroom
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49%

Students of Color
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$41,330

Tuition for 2025-2026
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$400,000+

Financial Aid Annually
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Diversity & Inclusion

Honoring diversity in all its forms is central to our school's mission.
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Parent Volunteerism

Carlthorp features a vibrant community of parents who feel welcome and connected to the school and each other.
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Matriculation

97% of students have historically matriculated into the secondary school of their first choice.
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Matriculation List and Awards

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Matriculation List

Historically, 97% of Carlthorp students have matriculated into the secondary school of their first choice. These most often include the following (in alphabetical order):

Archer School for Girls
Brentwood School
Campbell Hall School
Crossroads School
Geffen Academy at UCLA
Harvard-Westlake School
Lincoln Middle School
Marlborough School
Milken Community School
Mirman School
New Roads School
Oaks Christian School
Paul Revere Middle School
St. Matthew’s Parish School
Viewpoint School
Wildwood School
Windward School
Accreditations and Affiliations
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accreditation (2017-18)
- California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
- Common Sense Media Connected Schools
- Private School Village

Carlthorp School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.