Admissions

Where to begin.

The best way to understand an AMS classroom is to stand inside one. Below is the whole path to a place at AMS, beginning with an inquiry, followed by a call, and invitations to visit, along with tuition, tuition assistance, and the questions families ask most.

Start here

Inquire.

Tell us a little about your child and family. Our admissions team will be in touch within one business day.

When you submit, you'll receive a confirmation email from our admissions team. If you haven't heard from us within one business day, please call (512) 892-0253.

The whole path

My admissions.

Track your admissions process.

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Attendance at prospective-parent events is required to apply.

We make first decisions in February. Apply by January 31 for the first round of enrollment offers. Rolling applications are offered after.

Meet us

Come see a classroom.

Rolling applications welcomed year round. An inquiry begins the process. A follow-up phone call and visit are scheduled shortly after, for formal placement in the waiting pool or program.

Sunset Trail  ·  YCC, Children's House & Elementary (16 months – 12 years)
Great Northern  ·  YCC & Children's House (16 months – 6 years)
Gaines Creek  ·  Adolescent Community (12 – 15 years)
Already applied? Sign in to myAMS →
2026 – 27 waiting pool Live
Rolling applications welcomed year-round
Add your family to the waiting pool

A short inquiry begins the process. Our admissions team will follow up with a call to arrange your visit.

When you submit, you'll receive a confirmation email from our admissions team. If you haven't heard from us within one business day, please call (512) 892-0253.

Tuition & fees

2026 – 27 tuition.

Austin Montessori School offers a range of school day programs designed to suit our families' needs. The full fee schedule, including optional programs, is here.

Program
Starting at
Up to
Youngest Children's Community
16 – 36 months
$17,094
$25,725
Children's House
2½ – 6 years
$16,506
$25,333
Elementary
6 – 12 years
$19,992
$20,297
Adolescent Community
12 – 15 years
$24,573
$27,673

Sibling tuition discounts begin with the third enrolled child (10%) and rise to 50% with the fourth.

Tuition assistance

Need-based assistance is offered each year, awarded on financial need through an independent assessment, with priority to families already enrolled. We are committed to making AMS reachable for a wide range of families.

About tuition assistance →

Transparency matters to us. If you need more detail or have questions, reach out to Kassie Castillo, kassiec@austinmontessori.org.

Admissions events

Come and see for yourself.

These gatherings are how families come to know us, and the families who come to all of them are the ones we come to know best. Choose where you are in the journey to see what fits your family.

Where are you in the journey?

Already worked through the steps above? Pick up where you left off in myAMS →

Good to know

A few common questions.

How does the waiting pool work?

AMS does not keep a numbered waitlist, it keeps a waiting pool. When a place opens in a classroom, children are selected from the pool to balance the community by age. Priority goes to siblings, children of alumni and faculty, and families who have engaged with the admissions process.

How far ahead should we apply?

As early as you can. The process is thorough and involves scheduled visits and events, so it rewards planning ahead.

What age can my child start?

The Youngest Children's Community takes children 16 to 36 months, with most entering between 16 and 18 months and walking steadily. Children typically join the Children's House from around 2½ years, and we talk through exact readiness, including toilet independence, with each family.

Is tuition assistance available?

Yes. Need-based assistance is offered each year, awarded on financial need through an independent assessment. Priority goes to families already enrolled in the school.

Where are your campuses?

Three locations in Austin: Sunset Trail (16 months to 12 years), Great Northern (16 months to 6 years), and Gaines Creek, our Adolescent Community for 12 to 15 years.

What does it cost to apply?

A non-refundable $100 fee accompanies each application, including for siblings of currently enrolled students. Once it is submitted, you will receive a confirmation from the Enrollment Office.

The full Enrollment Policy answers everything else →

Still have questions? Call (512) 892-0253 or email info@austinmontessori.org.

After Austin Montessori School

Where our graduates go.

Parents often ask where our students go after Austin Montessori School. They go on to a wide range of public and private high schools, then to colleges and universities across the country, to the arts, the sciences, the service academies, and to trade and enterprise of their own. Above all, they leave determined to find the best way for them personally to contribute to society. That is the outcome we work for.

Colleges & universities
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • UT Austin, Plan II Honors
  • University of Texas at San Antonio
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • University of Washington
  • University of Colorado Boulder
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • University of North Texas, School of Music
  • Texas A&M University
  • Texas State University
  • Texas Tech University
  • Sul Ross University
  • Rutgers University
  • Austin Community College
Liberal arts colleges
  • Bowdoin
  • Bryn Mawr
  • Carleton
  • Colgate
  • Grinnell
  • Kenyon
  • Pomona
  • Reed
  • Sarah Lawrence
  • Swarthmore
  • Agnes Scott
  • Antioch
  • Drexel
  • Elon
  • Hampshire
  • Hendrix
  • Kalamazoo
  • Randolph-Macon Woman's College
  • Wheaton
Private universities
  • Harvard
  • Yale
  • Princeton
  • Stanford
  • Columbia
  • Cornell
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Georgetown
  • Northwestern
  • Fordham University
  • Southern Methodist University
  • University of Denver
  • New York University
  • NYU, Tisch School of the Arts
  • Notre Dame Law School
  • Baylor
  • Texas Christian University
  • Trinity University
  • St. Edward's
  • Southwestern University
  • Schreiner
Engineering & the service academies
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  • California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
  • U.S. Naval Academy
  • Colorado School of Mines
  • UT Cockrell School of Engineering
  • Capitol College
Art, music & professional
  • Rhode Island School of Design
  • Berklee College of Music
  • Art Center College of Design
  • Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
  • Culinary Institute of America
  • Southwestern Medical School
  • Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, London
Private high schools
  • St. Stephen's Episcopal
  • St. Andrew's Episcopal
  • St. Michael's Catholic Academy
  • St. Francis
  • The Griffin School
  • Headwaters School
  • Huntington-Surrey
  • Austin Waldorf
  • Summit Christian Academy
  • Montessori High School at University Circle, Cleveland
Public high schools
  • LBJ Liberal Arts & Sciences Academy (LASA)
  • McCallum Fine Arts Academy
  • Anderson (IB)
  • Austin High, Global Studies
  • Bowie
  • Crockett
  • Westlake
  • Lake Travis
  • Dripping Springs
  • Garza
  • Compass Montessori, Golden CO

A representative list gathered over the years. Our graduates also go on to trade schools, into the workforce, and to enterprises of their own.

Already in the process?

Sign in to myAMS.

Your application, forms, and where your child is in the process, all in your myAMS account.