Telluride Mountain School

Lawson Hill, 200 San Miguel River Drive, Telluride, Colorado 81435. Telluride Mountain School is located in the Lawson Hill area of Telluride.

Montessori (Pre-k); Lower School (1-6); Upper School (7-12).

Independent, fully-accredited PreK-12 school.

United States

Application and enrollment fees

- Application fee (first-time applicants): USD 50.
- Enrollment (registration) deposit, non-refundable: USD 500 (Montessori); USD 1,200 (Grades 1–8); USD 2,000 (Grades 9–12). Deposits are required within the school's stated acceptance timeline and must be accompanied by a signed enrollment contract.

Tuition fees — day students (by school level)

- Grades 1–4: USD 22,900 per year.
- Grades 5–8: USD 24,900 per year.
- Grades 9–12: USD 26,500 per year.

Montessori (Preschool and Kindergarten) tuition (program options)

- Three-Day Morning Program (3 days, 8:45 AM–1:30 PM): USD 8,000 per year.
- Three-Day Primary Program (3 days, 8:45 AM–2:45 PM): USD 8,900 per year.
- Four-Day Primary Program (T–F, 8:45–1:30): USD 9,200 per year.
- Four-Day Primary + Nap Program (T–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 11,100 per year.
- Five-Day Primary Program (M–F, 8:45–1:30): USD 9,990 per year.
- Five-Day Primary + Nap Program (M–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 13,700 per year.
- Kindergarten Program (M–F, 8:45–2:45): USD 14,900 per year.

Other program fees and common additional costs

- Classroom supplies: tuition includes durable and consumable classroom supplies; laptop computers are not included in tuition and are the family's responsibility.
- Experiential education / trips: costs for fall multi-day outdoor education trips are included in tuition; spring multi-day experiential trip costs are only partially included (families are responsible for approximately half of spring trip costs); modest fees may be charged for off-campus excursions. Fundraising opportunities are used to help cover experiential trip costs.
- Winter sports / ski program: the optional in-house winter sports program is charged separately from tuition; lift tickets are not included and there may be modest transportation charges. Montessori winter sports (one afternoon per week for six weeks starting in January) is optional and costs USD 300 for Preschool and USD 360 for Kindergarten.
- Modest fees for specific co‑curricular activities, off‑campus excursions, or optional programs may be billed in addition to tuition.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Grades 1–12 billing options:
- Single annual payment due in July.
- Two-installment plan (payments due in July and September).
- Monthly billing option over 10 months (July through April) is available; monthly billing is subject to a processing fee of USD 20 per month. Tuition may be paid by check, automatic withdrawal, or credit card.

- Montessori (preschool and kindergarten) billing options and processing fees (program notices show the following):
- Single annual payment (timing described on school billing materials).
- Two-installment plans noted on school materials (timing varies in published materials).
- Monthly billing over 10 months is available; published materials list either an annual processing fee or a monthly payment plan option fee for Montessori (examples shown in school materials include an annual processing fee and, on separate Montessori materials, a monthly plan option fee of USD 120 per student). Montessori tuition may be paid by check, automatic withdrawal, or credit card; credit card payments are subject to a handling fee on certain billing communications.

Refunds and contract terms

- Application fee (USD 50) is non-refundable. Enrollment deposits are non-refundable (USD 500 for Montessori; USD 1,200 for Grades 1–8; USD 2,000 for Grades 9–12). Enrollment requires a signed contract reserving the student's seat and guaranteeing payment for the entire year's tuition. These contract and deposit conditions are stated as binding in the school's admissions materials.

Accepted payment methods and payment channels

- Accepted payment methods: check, automatic withdrawal (ACH/automatic bank withdrawal), and credit card. Credit card payments may incur a handling or processing fee. The school provides a billing preference form upon enrollment.

Summary of key items parents should expect to budget for

- Annual tuition by grade level (listed above). Application fee and a non-refundable enrollment deposit at acceptance. Optional program costs (winter sports, lift tickets, experiential trip shares, occasional co‑curricular fees). Possible monthly/annual processing or handling fees when using extended billing or credit cards. Laptop computers for students are not included in tuition.

Note on available published schedules: A publicly posted, year‑specific 2026/27 or 2025/26 fee schedule was not located in the school materials accessed; the amounts and terms above are drawn from the school's posted tuition, admissions, and Montessori tuition materials. The most important fee figures and contractual items (application fee, deposit levels, tuition by grade band, billing options and processing fees, optional program charges, and accepted payment methods) are included above.