Tuition & fees, in plain numbers
Most schools make you fill in a form before they will tell you a price. We would rather you knew now, so you can decide whether a tour is worth your Saturday. Every rate and every fee we charge is on this page.
Preschool I · ages 2–3
| Schedule | Morning 9:00–12:00 | Full day 9:00–2:30 | Extended full day 7:30–6:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days / week | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,750 |
| 4 days / week | $1,150 | $1,325 | $1,600 |
| 3 days / week | $1,100 | $1,300 | $1,500 |
Preschool II & Kindergarten
| Schedule | Morning 9:00–12:00 | Full day 8:45–2:30 | Extended full day 7:30–6:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All schedules | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,750 |
Elementary · through 5th grade
| Schedule | Morning 9:00–12:00 | Full day 8:45–2:30 | Extended full day 7:30–6:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All schedules | Not offered | $1,400 | $1,750 |
Monthly amounts. Annual tuition is based on a 180-day school year and may be paid in a single payment for a 5% discount or in ten installments. There is no morning-only place in the elementary program — elementary runs full day or extended full day. Everything else on this page is available at every schedule shown.
Every other fee we charge
Everything the school charges is either in this table or in the Financial Agreement, which we publish rather than showing it to you for the first time at signing.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee — new students | $200 | One time |
| Application processing fee — returning students | $100 | Per child, annually |
| Books, materials & testing — Preschool II | $300 | Once annually |
| Books, materials & testing — kindergarten & elementary | $450 | Once annually |
| Extra morning hour (8:00–9:00 am) | $144 | Per month |
| Extra afternoon hour (2:30–3:30 pm) | $144 | Per month |
| Additional hours, by arrangement | $12 | Per hour, one hour minimum |
| School-holiday daycare | $120 | Per holiday · $200 for siblings |
| Late pick-up | $12 | Per hour, from 15 minutes after your scheduled pick-up |
| Late pick-up after 6:00 pm | $1 | Per minute |
| Late payment | 5% | On payments received after the 2nd of the month |
| Returned check | $30 | Per occurrence |
| Hot lunch | Ask the office | Available at an additional charge |
| Enrichment activities | Ask the office | Ballet, piano, Mandarin, Spanish, ceramics and more |
Enrichment activities — ballet, jazz and modern dance, piano, Mandarin, Spanish, ceramics and soccer — run once weekly at an additional cost, with sign-up forms available in the school office.
What you are actually paying for
It is fair to compare Mills against daycare, because for many families that is the real alternative — and Bay Area daycare is not cheap. The difference is what happens inside the day.
- A school, not childcareA Montessori academic program with trained teachers, running to a 180-day school year.
- The same hours as full-time care7:30 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday — you are not paying a premium and losing coverage.
- It does not end at fiveMost Montessori schools stop at kindergarten. Mills continues through fifth grade, so you are not school-hunting again in three years.
- You can enroll when you need toOpen enrollment year-round, subject to availability — not a single application season with a deposit at stake.
Ready to see it?
Numbers only tell you so much. Come and watch a Montessori morning — children choosing their own work, older ones helping younger ones, and a room that is calm without anyone insisting on it.
What parents ask us about tuition
- Is tuition per month or for the year?The figures above are the monthly amounts. Annual tuition is based on a 180-day school year. You can pay it in ten equal installments, or in full in advance for a discount — 5% if you pay by May 1st, 3% after that.
- What is included, and what costs extra?Tuition covers the academic program for the schedule you choose. Charged separately, and all of it is in the table above: registration ($200 for new students) or the annual application processing fee ($100 per child for returning students), the annual books and materials fee, enrichment activities, hot lunch, any additional hours beyond your chosen schedule, and late-pick-up charges. The full terms are in the Financial Agreement — we publish it rather than waiting for you to sign it.
- Do you offer a sibling discount?Yes — 5% off for a second child. School-holiday daycare also has a sibling rate ($200 rather than $120 each). For three or more children, call the office at 650-616-9000 and we will work it out with you.
- How does this compare with full-time daycare?Many Bay Area families are already paying comparable monthly amounts for daycare that ends at preschool. Mills is a school — a Montessori academic program running to a 180-day school year that continues through fifth grade, with the same 7:30 am to 6:00 pm coverage.
- When is tuition due, and how do we pay?A deposit of one payment (10% of the year) is due at registration, then nine monthly payments from September through May. Payments are due on or before the 25th of the month, and a payment arriving after the 2nd of the following month carries a 5% late fee. All of it is set out in the Financial Agreement, which you can read before you apply.
- Is there financial assistance?Please speak with the school office at 650-616-9000 about your family’s circumstances.
Come see a morning at Mills
Tours run during the school day, year-round, by appointment.