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Inside America's best high school — a boarding school that costs $53,900 a year and feeds students into the Ivy League

Phillips Academy , a boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts, is the best high school in America .

Its founding dates to the American Revolution, and its roster of early supporters reads like a who's who of American exceptionalism. George Washington, Paul Revere, and John Hancock have ties to Andover, which the school is called for short.

That history, and the fact that the school originally educated students as a feeder school into Yale, likely contribute to the stereotype that Andover is a school for effete academics and wealthy families set on receiving a country-club-style education, complete with uniforms, sports coats, and ties.

And yet for all its stereotypes of elitism, the Andover of today — formerly all male and all white — would be unrecognizable to the forefathers of America. More girls than boys that attend the school, 48% of the class are students of color, and the school's mission is driven by a charge to recruit students who can't pay their full way.

Business Insider toured the school's idyllic New England campus to see what makes Phillips Academy the best school in the nation.

We arrived at Andover on a sunny morning in October and were struck by how much the high school resembles a college.

The 500-acre campus was perfectly manicured, and students hustled across the school's quad to get to their morning classes.

Within 10 minutes of arriving on campus, a security guard came over and inquired about who we were and what we were doing, because she had gotten a few calls about our presence. But she was friendly and welcoming, and let us go on our way once she confirmed we had the proper accesses.

We started walking toward our first-period class, and learned a bit more about the makeup of the student body.

There are 1,154 students who attend Andover in grades nine through 12. Of those, 851 are boarders and 303 are day students.

Students of color make up 48% of the class, 45 countries around the world are represented, and 11.5% of students are internationally born.

Annual tuition to attend the school rivals the cost at elite private colleges, with boarding tuition running families $53,900 a year and day tuition running $41,900.

But not everyone pays the full amount, a benefit of Andover's more than $1 billion endowment and need-blind admissions policy. More on that later.

Our class was in Samuel Phillips Hall, the building students told us is the most iconic feature on campus. Graduation services happen on the grass in front of the hall.

We sat in on a US history class for 11th and 12th graders.

The class was intimate. There were 14 students seated in a circular arrangement and two teachers in the class, making a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1.

That seems incredibly low for a high school. In fact, it's a little higher than the 5-to-1 student-teacher ratio for the entire school. The average class size is 13 students.

For comparison, the average class size at American public secondary schools is 26.8 students, according to the US Department of Education.

This is one of the first things that seems to set Andover apart and why graduates go on to lead successful college careers. The small, seminar-style classes mimic the learning environment at many colleges.

At Harvard, the student teacher ratio is 7-to-1 and at Yale it is 6-to-1.

The class is taught by head of school John Palfrey and dean of students Jenny Elliott.

It didn't feel like a typical high-school class. Rather than a lecture, the class felt like a rolling conversation between students and teachers. Palfrey would ask a question and students would answer as he probed deeper for answers.

It was a unique experience, with Palfrey and Elliott working off of each other. After Palfrey discussed some of sources for facts students might use in an essay about Jacksonian democracy, Elliott brought the conversation around to self-awareness about how they process information.

"Some of us are super-logical thinkers, so as we respond it just comes out in an organized fashion," Elliott said. "Others of us have a [bunch of different ideas] and we need to impose some structure on ourselves in order to establish coherence. It's important for you to know yourselves."

Most high schools pride themselves on the number of Advanced Placement courses they offer. At Andover, it's the opposite. They offer none, and think it makes students stronger.

"We were one of the founding AP schools in the 1950s," Palfrey said during class. "We have decided over the time that teaching to the AP is not the best way of teaching."

Still, many Andover students still choose to take AP exams, meaning they must take additional reading and studying on to their already packed schedules.

After taking their US history class, we went to Palfrey's office to talk more in depth about Andover.

Elliott is an Andover alum and Palfrey attended rival Phillips Exeter Academy. Both said that the students, faculty, and administrators are what make it a special place.

As for why it is the best school in America, Palfrey thinks it has to do with the diversity they are able to attract, thanks to an admissions policy that doesn't take into consideration a family's wealth.

"I do think that the most distinctive thing about Andover's program is the need-blind admissions policy, now in our 11th year," Palfrey said. "How you have a morally responsible high school with a billion-dollar endowment is when you actually admit kids solely on the basis of their admissions criteria," not wealth, he said.

"Need-blind" is typically a phrase used in college admissions and at schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, which have multibillion-dollar endowments.

But even with generous financial aid for families with demonstrated need, some students at Andover still feel the stigma of being a financial-aid student.

A former Andover student submitted an essay to The New York Times that discussed feeling like an outsider compared to the wealthy students whose families paid full price.

"I don’t think that stigma will ever go away in our lifetimes," he said. "I think the stigma of wealth and inequality is a hugely important American story. That's not going to go away because we're at Andover or because we give someone a laptop, or a class ring, or a prom dress, or a winter coat. But that is something we are super conscious of and that we try and do the best that we can."

Elliott told us that the same thing that made Andover great when she attended is true today.

"If you have something you want to pursue and a passion, that is something you will be able to do and find," at Andover, she said.

"I think we attract kids who are really excited about striving for excellence ... and that doesn't feel scary — it actually feels invigorating."

Senior David Tsai has attended Andover for four years and is a second-generation Andover student who has his sights set on attending Yale for college.

Tsai confirmed that there is ample opportunity for students to follow their passion.

He told us the course offerings are vast. Students can take classes like existentialism, anthropology, architecture, religion, and philosophy.

But he also shared that the school environment, with so many driven students and rigorous classes, can lead to stress.

"When you’re put into a school like this, where the competitive environment brings the best out of you, at the same time, you need to ask yourself every day, 'What am I doing to make sure that I am OK intrinsically?" he said.

"Mental health here is one of the most important things on campus, because the only way for you to show your affection for someone, to love someone else, to build connections and build bonds, is to firstly love yourself."

He took us to Paresky Commons where everyone gets their meals. We learned that the stir-fry is the best item in the dining hall.

As he showed us around we noticed that the Andover students style of dress was noticeably laid back. We were expecting to see a bunch of sports coats and dresses, but most students were in jeans, sweatshirts, sweat pants, sports hoodies, or flannel shirts.

There's no dress code at Andover. That sets them apart from other boarding schools that —like rival Exeter — require boys to wear ties. Andover also doesn't have Saturday classes, another difference from Exeter.

Speaking of Exeter, the rivalry runs deep. Most people told us it was similar to the rivalry between Harvard and Yale.

On Exeter Geek Day, Andover students dress up in red (Exeter's school color) and dress like "nerds."

Students told us that Andover is typically seen as the more "laid back" of the two schools.

Famous alums from Andover include former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Famous alums from Exeter include Mark Zuckerberg and Gore Vidal.

When we met with the dean of admissions and financial aid, Jim Ventre, he told us that the admissions committee looks for certain qualities in applicants.

Andover seeks students with the characteristics of optimism, social agility, perseverance, and resilience.

It interviews all of the students who apply to get a good sense of their stories and relies on recommendation letters from parents and teachers to confirm that students can meet academic expectations.

It also reviews standardized-test scores from the Secondary School Admission Test and the Independent School Entrance Exam, though Ventre said there is no exact cut-off for test scores. Every applicant is their own case.

"Not everyone has the same preparation, has the same opportunities, but in the context of where they are from and the opportunities that are available to them, we are looking for kids who make the most of those opportunities," Ventre said.

The culture at Andover is what's alluring to students, according to Ventre. The way that Andover supports its students is distinct, he said.

Despite their highly structured days, and the academic workload, students said Andover felt like home.

But it's not just the culture. Studying at Andover clearly pays off when it comes time to apply to colleges.

There's a reason the Harvard Crimson called Andover a Harvard feeder school .

For the past three years more than 20 Andover students have gotten into each of the following top schools: Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard University, MIT, Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University.

When we stopped by Chase House, a girls' dormitory, students were celebrating the birthday of one of the girls in the dorm.

Students from all over the world live in Chase. We talked to students from Australia, Bahrain, Connecticut, and New York City.

The girls were chatting, some were playing a piano in the room and singing along to songs.

They looked ready to relax after a busy day of school.

On student explained to us why she chose Andover: "For me, I think it was really about finding like-minded people and really being able to challenge myself."

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2024 Guide to Boarding School Tours, Open Houses and Admissions

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Boarding School Visits 101

Many parents feel that they know a boarding school because they have spent time on its web site. They 'liked' the school's Facebook page and are following it on Twitter. They also have watched all the YouTube videos the school has posted on its YouTube channel. They and their child are convinced that the school is a good fit for them and their requirements. So why bother actually hopping on a plane, renting a car, booking accommodation and taking all that time to go and visit the school? It goes without saying that you need to visit any school to which you are thinking of sending your child. The school will insist on it because they want to meet you in person whenever possible.

Your educational consultant may have given the schools glowing reports. Your great uncle has always spoken about his years at one of the schools on your shortlist with great fondness. In fact, he has given generously to his alma mater. One of your colleagues in the Boston office has a daughter at another school on your shortlist. She apparently loves her school's equestrian program. But that's their opinion. You and your child need to set foot on each campus on your shortlist, scope each one out and use your own judgment about whether your child will be happy there for three or four years. Here is a list of things to look for and questions to ask.

Things To Look For and Check Out

The dorm rooms

Given that your child will spend several hours a day studying in her dorm room, be sure to review what can and cannot be brought into the room. The school will have lists, of course, of things they will not allow - hot plates, microwaves, mini-fridges, etc. - but ask.

Here is a brief overview of Madeira School .

The meal arrangements

Allergies? Gluten-free? Lactose intolerant? Vegan? Other dietary restrictions/requirements? All need to be discussed and clearly understood. The school nurse and dietitian need to be involved if your doctor requires your child to follow a specific diet for medical reasons.

The quality of supervision

As I have pointed out many times in other articles about boarding schools, these residential schools take their role as your surrogate very seriously. The code of conduct and 24/7 supervision, however, may strike your child as excessive. Have that discussion with her. Make sure she understands the rules and boundaries. If she breaks those rules, depending on the seriousness of the infraction, she risks being asked to withdraw from school. This short video showcases some new classrooms at Detroit Country Day School .

If the school is located in an urban area, understand what the rules and regulations are regarding visits to the local shops and restaurants. Perhaps the location in a town may be a deal-breaker when you actually visit and decide that you would rather have her isolated out in the countryside somewhere.

What about day students? Are they permitted to drive to school? Will your child be invited to drive home for a meal at a day student's home? Who is responsible for the supervision then? Better to worry about details like this before you sign the contract.

Questions To Ask

Do they have the specific academic courses you want?

Hopefully, the schools which you are visiting earned a place on your shortlist because they have most of the things you wanted. But when you visit, ask about the courses you really want your child to take. Sometimes courses will not be taught depending on staffing and scheduling issues. This question is particularly relevant if your child already demonstrates above-average interest and competence in a specific subject. She will not be happy if she is held back.

Ideally, your child will be able to explore several subjects in depth. That will help her begin to refine her career objectives. No, it is not too early to be thinking about careers. The old approach was to just let her get into college where she could find herself. That approach is not strategic enough in today's job market. Encourage her to set some goals and shoot for them. In eight or nine years she will be glad she did.

Do they have the specific athletic programs you want?

Use the same sort of line of questioning when it comes to the schools' sports programs as you used for academics. Confirm that the sports which she really enjoys and wants to play are offered at the appropriate level for her needs. If she needs advanced coaching, confirm that she will be able to have that and that she will be able to fit it into her schedule.

Most boarding schools have their sports very well-organized. Moreover, sports are an integral part of the program, meaning that everybody engages in an athletic activity at the same time. Usually, that's Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. But some schools offer more variety and multiple skill levels. Make sure the programs fit with your objectives and plan.

Do they have the specific extracurricular activities you want?

Extracurricular activities are not frills or even extras. They are activities that emphasize teamwork, character development, and socialization in so many special ways. All contribute to your child's development. But make sure that the activities which she knows and loves are indeed a part of a school's program.

The following brief video shows the Marching Band of Jesuit High, New Orleans performing at Disney World.

What about religious observances?

If your family is not particularly observant and you are considering a school that has chapel regularly, make sure you are comfortable with that. Many boarding schools are non-denominational. Others belong to a particular faith.

What about medical emergencies?

Are there trained/qualified staff on duty 24/7? How close is the nearest hospital? I am not trying to scare you. Just making sure that you know how emergencies will be handled when you are two or three hours away by plane.

If anything else comes to mind, ask about it. Most boarding schools are only too willing to answer your questions in order to proceed to the next stage of the admissions process which is the application. The visit will cement your final decision into place.

By now I hope you have a very clear understanding of the importance of physically visiting schools on your shortlist wherever and whenever possible. Don't leave this important step out.

Questions? Contact us on Facebook. @boardingschoolreview

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At Home in the Pacific Northwest

Every year, our boarding program welcomes up to 60 high school students from around the world. We are the only independent day and boarding school in Seattle, and we offer both seven and five-day boarding options. 

Our close-knit community is a great place for you to live, learn and grow. We all work together to create a safe and supportive environment, guided by students’ rights, responsibilities, and expectations as well as our program values, including:

• Cross cultural exchange
• Relationship with others
• Involvement and engagement

Feeling Safe, Healthy, and Supported

The safety and well-being of our boarding students is our number one priority. Our residential life faculty are fully trained in CPR and first aid and provide both supervision and support.

• Two faculty members are in the dorm around the clock.
• Curfews, a buddy system and requiring an off-campus pass allow us to balance safety and responsibility.

We care deeply about our boarding students’ overall well-being, including their academic performance, physical health and social-emotional well-being. We’ll support you and your peers by:

• Providing a facilitated two-hour study hall five days a week.
• Checking in regularly on your academic progress during the school year.
• Helping you make appointments and rest up when you're sick.
• Lending an ear when you’re in need of social-emotional support.
• Working closely with school counselors to support your well-being.

Exploring Beyond the Building

As a boarding student, you’ll be living in the heart of the city, just steps away from a vibrant urban community and within walking distance to parks, art galleries, bookstores and shops. Cultural institutions—including the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle Central Library and Pacific Science Center—are just a walk or bus ride away.

Every weekend, dorm faculty organize events that you and your peers can choose to participate in and invite friends to come along. These events will introduce you to local and United States culture, customs and traditions; here are some examples:

• Seattle Seahawks football game
• Cider squeeze on Bainbridge Island
• Karaoke night with friends
• Tour of Pike Place Market
• Ice skating at Seattle Center
• Lunar New Year dinner and celebration

Five-Day Boarding

In addition to seven-day boarding, we also offer five-day boarding for students who live too far away to commute daily. Five-day boarders go home Friday after school or Saturday morning and return on Sunday. During the week, they take part as full community members.

Dorm Faculty

Our dorm is overseen by a diverse group of college-educated residential advisors (RAs), headed by our Director of Residential Life. This group of caring individuals is dedicated to:

• Creating a safe and supportive community
• Encouraging independence and responsibility
• Serving as role models and providing mentorship

Spring Preview on May 22!

Join our Admissions team for a tour of Northwest followed by a presentation on our programs and Q&A with administrators!  Please register for this event.

• 8:30-9:30 a.m. Tour of Northwest (meet at main entrance - 1415 Summit Ave)
• 9:30-10 a.m. Presentation in Lower Dining Hall

Garrett Educational Consulting

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• Nov 16, 2023

Tour to Triumph: Making the Most of Your Boarding School Tours and Interviews

Boarding schools offer a unique educational experience characterized by rigorous academics, a vibrant campus community, and an opportunity to foster independence. If you're considering boarding school for your middle or high school student, touring the schools and participating in interviews are crucial steps in the admissions process. These experiences give you and your child a firsthand look at the campus, its facilities, and the educational environment. To help you make the most of your visits and interviews, we've compiled a list of valuable tips and insights.

The Significance of Boarding School Visits

Boarding school visits serve as a two-way street. They allow you to explore campuses, assess the environment, and connect with potential future educators and peers. At the same time, schools are keen to evaluate your fit for their community. Here's why boarding school visits are vital:

Understanding the Campus Culture : Every boarding school has a distinct culture. A visit helps you understand what makes each school unique and whether it aligns with your values and aspirations.

Face-to-Face Connection : It's your chance to engage with teachers, students, and admissions staff, allowing them to get to know you beyond your application materials.

Interview Preparation : Many boarding school interviews take place during visits. This face-to-face interaction helps both you and the school assess the mutual fit.

Preparing for the Tour

Research the School: Familiarize yourself with the school's mission, values, and curriculum. This background knowledge will help you ask informed questions during the tour.

Plan Your Visit: Schedule your tour in advance and make sure to allocate enough time to explore the campus and meet with faculty or staff members.

Ask About the Tour Format: Inquire about the format of the tour. Is it led by a student guide or a staff member? Are there specific areas of the campus that will be highlighted?

What to Look for During the Tour

Academic Facilities: Pay attention to the classrooms, libraries, science labs, and other academic spaces. Are they well-equipped and conducive to learning?

Residential Areas: Examine the dormitories or residential facilities. Assess the living conditions and the level of comfort provided for the students.

Extracurricular Opportunities: Inquire about the school's extracurricular activities, sports programs, clubs, and community service opportunities. These experiences can greatly enrich a student's educational journey.

"The facilities are always going to be impressive when you visit boarding school campuses, but it is the people that make a school unique. I always tell my clients to pay attention to how students and teachers are engaging in the classroom and how they are connecting with each other on the sidewalks in between classes or on the sports field to get a feel for the community." Katie Garrett, Garrett Educational Consulting

Preparing for the Interview

Review Common Interview Questions: Have your child familiarize themself with

typical boarding school interview questions. Practice answering them to build confidence and help your student articulate their thoughts effectively. Commonly asked questions include:

Why boarding school, in general?

Why are you interested in attending our school, specifically?

How do you envision contributing to our school community?

What are your academic strengths and weaknesses?

Describe a challenging situation you faced and how you overcame it.

Highlight Your Child's Achievements: Prepare a list of your child's accomplishments, interests, and goals with them. Help them be ready to discuss how the school can support and nurture their passions.

Interview Day

Be Yourself : Authenticity is key. Speak genuinely about your interests, passions, and goals.

Dress Appropriately : Opt for neat, professional attire that aligns with the school's dress code.

Punctuality : Arrive on time for your interview to demonstrate responsibility. If your travel plans change and/or you are running behind, be sure to call the school and let them know.

Engage Actively : Listen attentively and respond thoughtfully to interview questions. Showcase your genuine interest and enthusiasm for the school.

Ask Questions : Don't be afraid to inquire about the school's culture, academic programs, or community life. This demonstrates your curiosity and engagement.

"The more time you spend talking about the topics you are comfortable with, the less time the interviewer has to ask you questions that you are not prepared to answer." Katie Garrett, Garrett Educational Consulting

Additional Considerations

Financial Aid Opportunities: If you require financial assistance, make sure to research the school's financial aid options and deadlines before your interview.

Academic Support Services: If your child has unique learning needs, ask about the school's academic support services and accommodations available.

Parental Involvement: Ask about parental involvement opportunities at the school, such as parent-teacher associations and volunteer opportunities.

Transition Support: Ask about the support provided to students during their transition to boarding school, such as orientation programs and counseling services.

Technology Integration: Ask about the use of technology in the classroom and how it

Post-Interview Etiquette

Send a Thank-You Note: Within 24 hours of the interview, send a handwritten or email thank-you note expressing your appreciation for the opportunity to visit and interview.

Review Your Experience : Reflect on your visit and the impressions you gathered to help inform your application decisions.

Follow Up on Additional Questions: If you have any lingering questions or require clarification, don't hesitate to reach out to the admissions office.

"Say something specific in your thank you note. Mention how you loved seeing the students together in the dining hall for meals or enjoyed seeing the music facilities." Katie Garrett, Garrett Educational Consulting

Remember, the goal of touring and interviewing is to find the best fit for your child's educational journey. Take note of your impressions, compare schools, and weigh the pros and cons before making your final decision. Ultimately, trust your instincts and choose the school that aligns with your child's needs, values, and aspirations.

Please note that the tips provided are general guidelines. Each boarding school has its unique qualities, so be sure to adapt these suggestions to the specific schools you are considering.

We wish you and your child all the best in this exciting chapter of their educational journey! Happy touring and interviewing!

Garrett Educational Consulting provides comprehensive counseling for college and boarding school admissions as well as academic advisement. Click HERE to learn about our services.

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The World’s 9 Most Beautiful Boarding Schools

By Katherine McLaughlin

At some point, who hasn’t daydreamed about attending one of the world’s many beautiful boarding schools in some faraway, majestic land? Thanks to films like Dead Poet’s Society, the Harry Potter series, or even the recently released The Holdovers, there’s certain allure around sleepaway prep schools: You’ll live with your best friends, discover secrets in storied halls, and spend free time immersed in beautiful nature. Of course, films make the classes, which often take place in state-of-the-art facilities, appear as mesmerizing as they are rigorous. But what about the nonfictional boarding schools? While we can’t say just how much art imitates life in the films, these real-life beautiful boarding schools make us believe that the set designers got it right. Below, AD visits nine striking boarding schools around the world.

TASIS (Montagnola, Switzerland)

The American School in Switzerland, or TASIS, is a a coed boarding and day school founded in 1956. Located on Collina d’Oro (the Hill of Gold), the prep school overlooks Lake Lugano.

Institut auf dem Rosenberg (St. Gallen, Switzerland)

Old and new blend at Switzerland’s Institut auf dem Rosenberg, where one can find Art Nouveau villas, the Rosenberg Space Habitat (a 3D-printed structure designed to house two people in space), and even a learning pavilion with a Vitra furniture concept . “At Rosenberg, we honor our architectural heritage by combining it with modern design, crafting a distinctive educational setting that stimulates the creativity and imagination of young individuals,” Bernhard Gademann, president of the board, tells AD . “This fusion creates a unique learning and living experience that fosters a sense of history and appreciation for human innovation, showcasing cutting-edge technology.”

Eton College (Eton, Berkshire)

Founded in 1440 by Henry VI, Eton College is known for its alumni, known as Old Etonians , which includes 19 prime ministers, actors, and even Prince William and Harry. The school has over 500 buildings spread over less than a square mile, which span architecture styles including neoclassical and Tudor.

Subiaco Academy (Subiaco, Arkansas)

Another boys boarding school, Subiaco Academy was founded in 1928 and teaches grades 7–12. The school is part of Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, featuring striking cloisters.

By Katie Schultz

By Lindsey Mather

By Kathryn O'Shea-Evans

Emma Willard School (Troy, New York)

Located in Troy, New York, the Emma Willard School is a private day and boarding school for girls in grades 9–12 founded by Emma Willard, a female education activist. Three of the buildings on campus are designed in the collegiate Gothic style, which circle a balmy central quad.

Schule Schloss Salem International College (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)

Schule Schloss Salem is spread across three campuses, but its most notable facilities are those in Salem, Germany. Housed inside a former Cistercian monastery known as Salem Abbey, the lower and middle schoolers take classes inside what is now Salem Castle.

St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Delaware)

There are only three coed schools in the United States where all students board, and perhaps the most recognizable is St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. The idyllic campus—which spans 2,200 acres—stood in for the fictional Welton Academy in Dead Poet’s Society.

St. Stephen’s School Rome (Rome, Italy)

Within walking distance to the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and the Roman Forum, St. Stephen’s School is located in the heart of Rome. An American school, the founders’ chose to start the school in Eternal City because it is “the symbol and repository of the enduring ethical, cultural, and religious values of the West” and “one of the most cosmopolitan international crossroads of the modern world.” The school is perched on Aventine Hill, one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built.

Woodstock School (Mussoorie, India)

Perched along the foothills of the Himalayas sits Asia’s oldest international boarding school, Woodstock School. Once visited by Pearl Buck, a Nobel- and Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, she wrote a foreword in the school’s 1963 yearbook , “It may be a good thing to live on the top of mountains and on the edge of precipices—you learn early not to fear the heights and depths.”

By Blake Bakkila

By Erika Owen

The 50 Best Boarding Schools in the U.S.

Genevieve Carlton

Contributing Writer

Learn about our editorial process .

Updated September 14, 2023

TheBestSchools.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Are you ready to discover your college program?

Boarding schools immerse students in a challenging academic environment. The top boarding schools also boost the odds of admission for college-bound graduates.

The best boarding schools stand out for their academic excellence, focus on student learning, and dedication to community service. Many top-ranked boarding schools feature a strong track record of college admissions at selective schools. Boarding schools also offer financial aid packages to help families cover the costs.

This page ranks the top boarding schools in the U.S. Families considering these schools can use this information to find the right fit for their unique needs.

Top Boarding Schools in the U.S.

1. phillips exeter academy.

More commonly known as Exeter, this New Hampshire school has been the unofficial feeder for Harvard for decades, serving boys and girls in grades 9-12 (post-graduate year available).

Students choose from more than 450 courses in 19 subject areas in true Exeter style: The Harkness method, the plan that calls for dialogue-based learning. The one-of-a-kind math curriculum focuses on problem sets and seminar-based learning, tossing traditional textbooks aside in favor of student-owned learning processes. More than 80% of the faculty are advanced degree-holders.

Since 2007, Exeter has implemented a financial aid initiative that provides a free education to any student whose family income is $75,000 or less, making a truly wealthy, world-class education available to anybody who qualifies for the rigorous course of study.

• Percentage of students who board: 80%
• Tuition, room, and board: $46,905
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 46%
• Notable alumni: Mark Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook), Dan Brown (author), Christopher Kimball ( Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen )

2. Phillips Academy (Andover)

Located in Andover, Massachusetts, Phillips Academy was founded in 1778,and is the oldest incorporated boarding school in the United States. Andover (as it is universally known) has the historic significance of being an original feeder school for Yale. It was also the first private secondary school to establish and implement a need-blind admission policy. Andover is able to meet 100% of a family's demonstrated financial need by way of grants.

Like its arch-rival Exeter, Andover's faculty is composed of 80% advanced degree-holders. The school, which also uses the Harkness method and is equally rich in tradition, offers a wide array of music classes–many students take private lessons through the prep school at nearby New England Conservatory. Beyond academics, all Andover students participate in a work-duty program and are assigned to different jobs throughout the year.

• Percentage of students who board: 75%
• Tuition, room, and board: $48,850
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 47%
• Notable alumni: George W. Bush, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon, Julia Alvarez

3. The Putney School

Founded in 1935, the Putney School in Vermont offers a rigorous yet progressive, hands-on education to students in grades 9-12. Students here are encouraged to pursue their personal academic interests, as well as to “present their thinking in coherent and compelling ways.”

This approach is certainly working. Graduates gain entrance to the very best schools in the country; they attend Ivies like Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, and Cornell, as well as schools like Oberlin, Sarah Lawrence, and Boston College.

In addition to academics, students participate in an arts-based program two nights a week and must satisfy six jobs during their stay–lunch, dinner, barn crew, dish crew, substitute, and land-use activities–which helps instill in them a different kind of work ethic not generally found in the classroom.

• Percentage of students who board: 79%
• Tuition, room, and board: $50,800
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 43%
• Notable alumni: Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn), Nell Newman (founder of Newman's Own), Felicity Huffman (actress)

4. Church Farm School

The Church Farm School, located in Exton, Pennsylvania, was founded in 1918, as a college preparatory, independent, boarding school for boys in grades 7-12. Loyal to its name and its Episcopal heritage, the school requires attendance at weekly chapel services and meetings.

Students at CFS are required to take part in the co-curricular C.O.R.E. (Challenge Of Required Experience) program, which provides opportunities for community service, outdoor experiences, leadership training, and exposure to cultural arts. Graduates often attend schools such as Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Emory, MIT, Princeton, Rice, Notre Dame, and Penn.

• Percentage of students who board: 90%
• Tuition, room, and board: $34,300
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 90%
• Notable alumni: Talmadge O'Neill (Silicon Valley entrepreneur), Chris Raab (actor), Michael Eric (NBA)
• Church Farm is also featured amongst " The 30 Best Christian Boarding Schools ."

5. Episcopal High School

Located just seven miles from the White House in Alexandria, Virginia, Episcopal High School is a private, coeducational school that boards 100% of its students, which contributes to a thriving campus community. As its name suggests, the school has a religious affiliation and all students are required to attend chapel three times a week.

Proximity to the nation's capital has resulted in the development of the school's signature Washington Program, which offers four concentrations: Public Policy, Sustainability, Cultural Awareness, and Entrepreneurship. Sophomores dabble in each concentration, select one the following year, and engage in a year-long project and externship during their final year.

More than 85% of faculty hold advanced degrees and teach over 140 courses. In recent years, Episcopal students matriculate in high numbers at William and Mary, Duke, Wake Forest, Washington & Lee, UVA, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Sewanee.

• Percentage of students who board: 100%
• Tuition, room, and board: $49,700
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 32%
• Notable alumni: Senator John McCain, Bryson Spinner (NFL)

6. St. Paul's School

Founded in 1856 in Concord, New Hampshire, St. Paul's School is an all-boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The school offers a post-graduate year. Not only do all of the students live on campus, but all of the faculty do, too, which works to promote a close, spirited campus community. The community also begins four days of the week with chapel services. In order to ease the transition to campus life, each new student is assigned a "big brother" or "big sister."

Classes are rigorous and implement the Harkness method; colleges with the highest matriculation of St. Paul's alumni include Georgetown, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Harvard. Rather than having physical education classes, St. Paul's requires all its students to play sports.

In order to make a St. Paul's education more affordable, students from household incomes of $80,000 or less are considered full financial need.

• Tuition, room, and board: $52,200
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 33% (need-based grants)
• Notable alumni: Secretary of State John Kerry, John Jacob Astor IV, Judd Nelson (actor)

7. Asheville School

In the mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina, lies the Asheville School, a private coeducational boarding school founded in 1900 for students in grades 9-12. Students here learn to challenge themselves academically and personally. The natural setting of the area invites mountaineering: all first-year student go on a three-day wilderness camping trip complete with a high-ropes course. They also take a series of seminars designed to orient them to Asheville School.

Academics mirror the rigor of the outdoor adventure through the four-year sequence of the Integrated Humanities program. Seniors must also complete a Senior Demonstration that requires them to write a series of papers on a chosen topic and defend the topic to a faculty panel. Seniors also give “Chapel Talks” in which they make oral presentations on personal and significant ideas or experiences in front of the entire campus community.

The community service requirement–one that is common among boarding schools–differs at Asheville in that students complete 40 hours of service for one organization and submit an essay about that experience to the headmaster.

In addition to Ivies, students attend Bates, Boston College, Davidson, Furman, University of Richmond, and West Point.

• Tuition, room, and board: $47,375
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 30%
• Notable alumni: Dr. D. Ralph Millard (plastic surgery pioneer), Edward Gaylord (media mogul), Pete Dye, Jr. (world-renowned golf course designer), Jennifer Phar-Davis (fastest hiker through the Appalachian Trail)

8. Shattuck-St. Mary's School

Founded in 1858, Shattuck-St. Mary's is an independent coeducational boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota, and serves students in grades 6-12. The school also offers a post-graduate year. SSM provides a unique blend of tradition and innovation to their students.

The school maintains its traditional Episcopalian identity and offers weekly chapel services, classes in religion, and the saying of grace before lunch. Students must also fulfill a community service requirement for graduation.

On the academic front, Shattuck-St. Mary's offers signature multi-year, experiential programs through their Centers of Excellence in bioscience, engineering, numerous sports (notably ice hockey), or a self-designed major. SSM also has a unique pre-conservatory program for students interested in attending the nation's top music schools. Students gain entrance into top-tier colleges and universities with the highest enrollments at Penn State, Boston University, University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Tuition, room, and board: $45, 425
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 100%
• Notable alumni: Townes Van Zandt (poet, musician), Brent Musburger (sportscaster), Jimmy Chin (National Geographic photographer and mountain climber), and numerous NHL players and Olympians in ice hockey

9. St. Andrew's School

If you've ever seen Dead Poets Society , you've seen the campus of St. Andrew's in Middletown, Delaware–the movie was filmed almost entirely on school grounds. Committed to its Episcopalian identity, St. Andrew's is an all-boarding, coed private school for students in grades 9-12. Along with the all-boarding requirement, family-style meals during the week (where students take turns waiting tables) help ensure a close-knit community on campus. St. Andrew's requires chores of students (which are usually in the student's dorm and rotate regularly).

Academics are rigorous and graduates attend Ivy League schools and other top-tiers like NYU and Vanderbilt. Seniors take spring tutorials which are reading and writing intensive, in which three students meet in a course specifically designed by faculty members across a range of disciplines in the spirit of the Oxford tutorial method, and then defend an original thesis to the English Department.

True to its heritage, St. Andrew's offers a Pipes & Drums ensemble that gives students the opportunity to learn and perform the bagpipes or learn field drumming, and requires attendance at chapels and Sunday service. Lastly, the school can meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for students.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,500
• Notable alumni: Erin Burnett (CNN journalist), Loudon Wainright, Jr. ( Life magazine columnist), Eric Boateng (basketball player)
• St. Andrew is also featured amongst " The 30 Best Christian Boarding Schools ."

10. The Thacher School

Founded in 1889, the Thacher School in Ojai, California, is the oldest coed boarding school in the state. Nearly 90% of students live on campus, which naturally contributes to a strong campus community along with Formal Dinners four nights a week and seven-day-long camping trips each semester.

Freshmen not only have a single room during their first year at Thacher, they also learn to appreciate the value of good old-fashioned hard work through the mandatory Horse Program, where they learn all the basics of horsemanship (both caretaking and riding). Through this program, students develop a higher sense of self-esteem, along with problem-solving skills and responsibility. Students also take at least one overnight horse-packing trip during the year.

Life within the classroom walls encourages the same development of responsibility and critical thinking, with seniors developing, researching, and presenting their senior thesis in Senior Exhibitions. College acceptances and matriculations for Thacher students are highest at Stanford, NYU, Dartmouth, George Washington, MIT, Colorado College, Tufts, Harvard, Duke, Wesleyan, Bowdoin, Middlebury, USC, Berkeley, and many more.

• Percentage of students who board: 93%
• Boarding tuition: $58,920
• Day tuition: $40,970
• Acceptance Rate: 11%
• Average class size: 11
• Student:Teacher Ratio: 6:1
• Total Students: 246
• Percent international: 12%
• Notable alumni: Howard Hughes (aviator, filmmaker, and industrialist), Thornton Wilder (writer), Noah Wyle (actor)
• Average SAT Score: 1920 - 2150
• Critical Thinking: 640 - 740 Math: 620 - 740 Writing: 650 - 720
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Endowment size: $137.3 million
• Percent Faculty with Advanced Degrees: 83%
• Percent on Financial Aid: 29%
• Average Financial Aid Grant: $44,620 (from $41,400)

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11. Deerfield Academy

Founded in 1797, Deerfield Academy is an independent, coed boarding school in Western Massachusetts for students in grades 9-12. Deerfield also offers a post-graduate year.

An impressive 89% of the faculty hold advanced degrees in their subject areas. Deerfield prepares its students well academically, as evidenced by the fact that the most graduates have attended Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and UVA over the past four years. Of particular note is the approach of cultivating personal interests and a sense of community.

The inscription on the Deerfield Academy seal reads: "Be Worthy of Your Heritage." At Deerfield, it is understood that "heritage" means more than just the legacy of those who came before. It is an all-encompassing identity and set of core values that the community lives by. Respecting and valuing this heritage is the reason for traditions like sit-down meals and the singing of the Evensong, but it is also the reason the Academy reestablished coeducation in 1989 and continues to develop a curriculum and campus to meet the educational demands of the 21st century.

Deerfield also boasts a thriving alumni network of 12,000-plus. Students are required to participate in a co-curricular each term. Financial aid is distributed by way of grants for those who demonstrate financial need; full-need grants cover up to 98% of costs.

• Percentage of students who board: 88%
• Tuition, room, and board: $52,615
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 35%
• Notable alumni: Nelson Doubleday, Jr. (publisher), King Abdullah-II al Hussein of Jordan, Michael Glazer (television producer), and Henry W. Kendall (Nobel prize-winning physicist)

12. Choate Rosemary Hall

Founded in 1890, Choate Rosemary Hall is a private coed boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut, that enrolls students in grades 9-12. Choate also offers a post-graduate year.

What really sets Choate apart is its extensive menu of course offerings–students can choose from more than 300 classes. Within that framework, students can also focus on programs unique to Choate, like the interdisciplinary Environmental Immersion program, the Modern Standard Arabic program, or the arts program. Students work with their advisors on a capstone project within a concentration–a rated course of study culminating in the final term of the senior year.

Choate is fortunate to be able to cover 100% of costs for students with demonstrated financial need.

• Percentage of students who board: 77%
• Tuition, room, and board: $53,100
• Notable alumni: novelist John Dos Passos, publisher James Laughlin, President John F. Kennedy, Illinois Governor and two-time Democratic presidential candidate Adlai E. Stevenson, II, musicologist Alan Lomax, lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner, playwright Edward Albee, actors Buck Henry, Ali MacGraw, Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Jamie Lee Curtis

13. Woodberry Forest

Located in Madison County, Virginia, Woodberry Forest is an all-boys, all-boarding school founded in 1889.

A distinct graduation requirement of Woodberry Forest is that every student needs not only to perform 60 hours of community service before graduation, but also to spend at least half of these hours as "contact hours," which means hours “spent in direct contact with those benefitting from their service,” according to the school website. Additionally, all students enroll in a leadership development program.

Woodberry Forest boys attend the Ivies, as well as Washington & Lee, UNC-Chapel hill, UVA, and the University of Richmond.

• Tuition, room, and board: $50,200
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 40%
• Notable alumni: Johnny Mercer (musician, songwriter), Bosley Crowther (film critic for the New York Times ), Paul C.P. McIlhenny (CEO and producer of McIlhenny Co., the Tabasco sauce company), Halsey Minor (founder of CNET networks)

14. Western Reserve Academy

Founded in 1828 as the “Yale of the West,” Western Reserve Academy is a private, coeducational boarding school in Hudson, Ohio, serving students in grades 9-12. A post-graduate year is available.

WRA prides itself on long-standing traditions and is one of the only boarding schools that still requires students to adhere to a strict, formal dress code. Other traditions include Friday study breaks that celebrate the coming of the weekend and Wednesday sit-down, family-style lunches with the entire faculty.

In place of Saturday classes, WRA extends learning to the Saturday Academy, a time allotted for in-depth subject study or class meetings. Grads attend Ivies as well as University of Chicago, Northwestern, Duke, Georgetown, NYU, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

• Percentage of students who board: 70%
• Tuition, room, and board: $51,750
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 39% (grants)
• Notable alumni: Ian Frazier (author, essayist), Lee Morin (NASA astronaut)

15. Verde Valley School

Founded in Sedona, Arizona, in 1948, the Verde Valley School is an independent, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9-12. Verde Valley students complete daily morning dorm chores, a weekly work job program, and several community work days throughout the year.

As an International Baccalaureate World School, Verde Valley focuses its course content on IB courses. Current students attend Cornell, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Vassar, Stanford, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna, among others.

• Percentage of students who board: 84%
• Tuition, room, and board: $43,000
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 54%
• Notable alumni: Phil Noyes (documentary filmmaker and PBS producer), Chris Lemmon (actor), Carol Tantau (leader in domestic violence prevention)

16. The Taft School

Founded in 1890, the Taft School is a coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9-12 located n Watertown, Connecticut. A post-graduate year is available.

Taft students select from more than 200 academic courses or take their own course in the Independent Studies Program, which exists to foster further independence and creativity in learning. Students enjoy access to a thriving alumni network of almost 9,000 active alums of record.

The most recent Taft classes saw large numbers of students enrolls at Yale, Penn, Trinity, Georgetown, Middlebury, and George Washington University.

• Tuition, room, and board: $52,300
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 36%
• Notable alumni: Trey Anastasio (Phish), Henry Beard (co-founder of National Lampoon ), Mary Chapin Carpenter (Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter)

17. The Orme School

Just an hour out of Phoenix in Mayer, Arizona lies The Orme School. Founded in 1929, The Orme School is a unique, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for grades 8 through 12. A unique feature of this particular campus is that it is also home to a fully-operating cattle ranch, which serves as a lab for learning in the school's Farm-to-Table program.

In addition to rigorous academics, students are required to participate in the Fine Arts Festival each year as well as attend two “Caravan Trips,” in which faculty members lead classes camping in National Parks or nearby wilderness areas. Students matriculate at Ivies and at Mount Holyoke, Virginia Tech, RPI, NYU, and Seattle Pacific, among others.

• Percentage of students who board: 96%
• Tuition, room, and board: $44,900

18. Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School

Located in northeast Georgia and founded in 1903, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is an independent, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 5-12. The school became famous in the late 1960s for the Foxfire magazine project, an experiential education initiative that involved students in interviewing local people and then writing, publishing, and preserving their oral histories.

Rabun Gap affords students unique opportunities unavailable at any other school. For example, the Tallulah Falls Railroad Museum is not only located on campus, but is also owned and operated by the school. Students also have access to a circus skills program–one of the few of its kind in the entire country.  

In addition to challenging academics and one-of-a-kind co-curriculars, all students engage in a campus-wide work program in which they help contribute to the maintenance and improvement of campus buildings, grounds, and programs.

Students gain entrance in to Harvard, Princeton, Duke, Brown, and Emory.

• Percentage of students who board: 50%
• Tuition, room, and board: $46,610
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 70% (need and merit-based)
• Notable alumni: John P. Dillard, Sr. (president and CEO of Dillard House, Inc.)
• Rabun Gap is also featured amongst " The 30 Best Christian Boarding Schools ."

19. Miss Porter's School

Founded in 1843 in Farmington, Connecticut, Miss Porter's School is a private boarding school for girls, and was named the top girls' boarding school by U.S. News & World Report . In addition to challenging coursework, students must play in three interscholastic team sport offerings before the start of their senior year. They also receive formal leadership training via themed seminars each year; topics include decision-making, personal awareness, teamwork, problem-solving, and strategic planning.

Students select from over 115 classes, one of which must be an online core class. Girls must complete 30 hours of community service as a graduation requirement. There are nearly 6,000 alumnae worldwide, making an attractive and huge network available to students.

• Percentage of students who board: 65%
• Tuition, room, and board: $52,475
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 42% (need and merit-based scholarships)
• Notable alumnae: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, Lillian McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (founder of Lilly Pulitzer, Inc.), Suzannah Grant Henrickson (director and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter), Sarah Blake ( New York Times best-selling author)

20. Foxcroft

Founded in 1914, Foxcroft School is a private boarding school for girls in grades 9-12 located in Middleburg, Virginia. Foxcroft tends to its campus life and nurtures its community. Each dorm is overseen by a full-time housemother whose sole responsibility is ensuring a positive residence life experience for students.

Foxcroft girls have access to a world-renowned equestrian program, as well as vast opportunities in STEM, with a third of graduates choosing STEM majors in college. Students gain entrance into the country's best colleges, including (but not limited to) Barnard, Georgetown, Middlebury, Pratt, Syracuse, Tulane, UCLA, UVA, Virginia Tech, Washington & Lee, Wellesley, and Wesleyan.

• Percentage of students who board: 72%
• Tuition, room, and board: $50,900
• Notable alumnae: Keshia Knight Pulliam (actress), Frances Fitzgerald (Pulitzer prize-winner), Christine Todd Whitman (former governor of New Jersey)

21. Trinity-Pawling

Founded in 1907, Trinity-Pawling School is an all-boys boarding school in Duchess County, New York, for grades 7-12. The school retains a strong Episcopalian identity and thus provides a religious chapel service three times a week, in addition to other non-mandatory religious services.

Students receive academic letter grades as well as marks for effort. The Effort Program rates student performance for ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders both in and out of the classroom–for residential life, athletics, clubs, and work–and students are rewarded with different privileges.

Accompanying the traditional college preparatory curriculum is a program in Mandarin Chinese language and culture studies, relevant for any student interested in pursuing business as a college major. Most students matriculate at Trinity College, Syracuse, and St. Lawrence University, as well as the Ivies.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,000
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 40% (need-based financial grants)
• Notable alumni: Kevin McClatchy (senator, CEO, and current president of the Screen Actors Guild)

22. Blair Academy

Located in northwestern New Jersey, Blair Academy was founded in 1848.

Unique to Blair is the public speaking program, which has a focused approach on teaching effective public speaking across the curriculum. The weekly Society of Skeptics series has been in continuous existence since 1977 and is considered the premiere high school lecture series in the U.S.

In addition to the Ivies, Blair sends students to Boston College, Davidson, Lehigh, Stanford, and the University of Miami.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,600
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 40% (need-based)
• Notable alumni: Tucker Max ( New York Times best-selling author), John C. “Jack” Bogle (founder of the Vanguard Group)

23. The Hill School

Located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, the Hill School is a private coeducational boarding high school serving students in grades 9-12. The school also offers a post-graduate year.

Students attend a non-denominational chapel service twice a week and enjoy family-style meals with faculty members. Additionally, students must be enrolled in an afternoon program. According to the school's website, “active participation is required in interscholastic sports at some point during all students' time at The Hill School, and is encouraged at all times.”

Of special note is the writing center, which not only provides writing instruction, but also runs the Writers at Work series of professional writers' visits to campus each year. Hill students matriculate at Boston University, Cornell, George Washington University, Penn State, and the Naval Academy, and enjoy an extensive alumni network with more than 9,500 active and registered alumni across all 50 states.

• Notable alumni: Lamar Hunt (businessman, Kansas City Chiefs owner), Tobias Wolff (Stanford professor, author)

24. Peddie School

Founded in 1864, Peddie School is located in Hightstown, New Jersey, eight miles from Princeton and 50 miles from Manhattan and Philadelphia. Peddie enrolls students in grades 9-12, as well as postgraduate students.

The school offers signature experiential programs in the arts, creative writing, Asian studies, and research science. To promote well-roundedness, students attend chapel twice a week and document at least 20 hours of community service.

Peddie grads attend Ivy League schools and top-tier places like Johns Hopkins, NYU, George Washington, Bucknell, and the Naval Academy.

• Percentage of students who board: 62%
• Tuition, room, and board:$52,600
• Notable alumni: Phil Evans (journalist, editor of the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Times ), Colin Ferrell (NFL), Chris Tomson (musician)

25. Miss Hall's School

Located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Miss Hall's School is an all-girls college preparatory boarding school founded in 1898. The school serve students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

Students can choose from among 87 courses and must complete off-campus internships through the school's signature Horizons program. Hall's girls also enjoy access to a thriving alumnae network with more than 3,600 alumnae in 49 states and 60 countries.

Graduates attend the Ivies and other high-caliber colleges such as Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Michigan, among others.

• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 50%
• Notable alumnae: Jean Erdman (dancer with Martha Graham dance company)

26. Berkshire School

Located in Sheffield, Massachusetts, the Berkshire School is a private, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9-12. The school provides a challenging college preparatory curriculum, while maintaining a unique approach to education. Students receive marks for effort, as well as achievement, in order to provide the most accurate reflection of a student's academic performance–according to the school's website, “outstanding effort is recognized as a worthy achievement at Berkshire.”

Berkshire students experience a different kind of academia during the week prior to spring break: the Pro Vita week. Applying the school's motto ( pro vita non pro schola discimus, or "we teach for life, not for school"), students choose min-courses, attend presentation by renowned speakers, and experience applied learning. Other programs of distinction include a course in aviation science that prepares students for the FAA Ground School Certification Exam and a special program in advanced humanities research.

The most recent graduating class currently attends Ivies and top-tier schools like Hobart and William Smith, Wesleyan, Bucknell, and West Point.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,975
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 29%
• Notable alumni: Lincoln Kirstein (co-founder of the New York City Ballet), Peter Kellogg (billionaire and former CEO of Wall Street specialist firm Spear, Leeds, & Kellogg)

27. The Holderness School

Founded in 1879, Holderness is a private, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9-12 located in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The school states simply that it's a school for “smart kids who loves the outdoors,” as it celebrates and incorporates its location in the heart of ski country into its programming.

In addition to outdoor education and a traditional curriculum, Holderness students have enjoyed the Artward Bound program, a nationally recognized visual and performing arts program, for over 20 years. They must also create and present a senior thesis.

Students matriculate at Ivies and at Bowdoin, the University of Richmond, Quinnipiac, and Stanford.

• Percentage of students who board: 86%
• Tuition, room, and board: $54,100
• Notable alumni: William Drea Adama (chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities), Tyler Palmer (Olympic skier)

28. Portsmouth Abbey

Founded in 1926 by Benedictine monks, Portsmouth Abbey is an independent Catholic coeducational boarding school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, just seven miles from Newport. In fact, the campus is still home to an actual working monastery, whose presence exerts a positive influence on the school community. The Abbey also serves as a “prep year” for students entering the U.S. Military and Naval Academies.

Students may choose from 84 courses and must complete a community service requirement for graduation, in addition to coursework in theology and Latin.

Students are accepted at schools across the U.S. and most frequently matriculate at Holy Cross, Boston College, and Boston University.

• Tuition, room, and board: $52,730
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 36% (need- and merit-based)
• Notable alumni: John Gregory Dunne (writer), Charlie Day ( It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia )
• Portsmouth Abbey is also featured amongst " The 30 Best Christian Boarding Schools ."

29. Milton Academy

Just eight miles south of Boston, Milton Academy is an independent college preparatory school founded in 1798. Milton serves students grades K-12. The school values progressive thinking, actively seeks a diverse student population, and encourages students to discover their true academic selves through a variety of programs and coursework.

Students may choose from more than 180 courses in nine departments. The school is home to Ayer Observatory, which is open for use by astronomy students and for public tours on Friday nights.

Most recently, high numbers of Milton students have matriculated at Yale, Stanford, Princeton, Northwestern, Harvard, Columbia, and Boston University.

• Tuition, room, and board: $51,330
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 30% (need-based grants)
• Notable alumni: T.S. Eliot, Robert and Ted Kennedy, James Taylor

30. Suffield Academy

Founded in 1833, Suffield is a private, coed boarding school serving students in grades 9-12 (and a post-graduate year) in Suffield, Connecticut. Taking to heart that they are training the future leaders of America, Suffield requires leadership training and development from every student, which takes place in the classroom as well as through outdoor education.

Students most recently attended schools such as Trinity, Bentley, NYU, University of Vermont, and Santa Clara University.

• Percentage of students who board: 66%
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 34%
• Notable alumni: Roger Faxon (Chairman of EMI Music Publishing), Archer Mayor (writer)

31. The Hotchkiss School

The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school educates students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

Students can choose from more than 240 courses, including programs based in the new global initiatives and focus on environmental sustainability. Students are given the chance to tailor their academic programs.

Over the past five years, students matriculate most frequently at Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Princeton, Yale, and Penn.

The school is noted for its extensive alumni network and sheer amount of graduates who have gone on to become representatives, senators, and other influential government officials.

• Percentage of students who board: 87%
• Tuition, room, and board: $55,700
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 38%
• Notable alumni: Peter Matthiessen (author, founder of The Paris Review ), Archibald MacLeish (poet, writer, editor of Fortune magazine), Timothy P. Sullivan (CEO of ancestry.com), Thomas Hoving (director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

32. The Webb Schools

Founded in 1922 in Claremont, California, the Webb School for Boys and Vivian Webb School for Girls comprise the Webb Schools. The Webb schools educate boys and girl separately until the junior year when classes become coed; this is set up in order to “celebrate the formative differences between boys and girls.”

A whopping 90% of the faculty hold advanced degrees; together, they offer 81 courses.

Webb students matriculate at the Ivies, as well as the University of Southern California, NYU, Wellesley, Georgetown, Northwestern, and UCLA.

The campus is also home to the Alf Museum of Paleontology, where students are fully involved in the scientific process. Freshmen study paleontology in science classes, and all students go into the field for a hands-on fossil expedition.

• Percentage of students who board: 61%
• Tuition, room, and board: $53,575
• Notable alumni: Art Clokey (animator for Gumby ), Otis Chandler (founder of goodreads.com), John Scalzi (award-winning science fiction writer), Dr. Steven Nissen (leading advocate for awareness of health risks associated with popular drugs)

33. The Salisbury School

Salisbury, Connecticut, is home to the Salisbury School, a private boarding school for boys. The school keeps its century-old traditions alive while creating a careful curriculum that prepares students for the outer world. Almost the entire student body boards, and the community gathers for campus-wide events daily, which promotes community.

In addition to its standard and rigorous college preparatory courses, Salisbury offers programs in robotics, entrepreneurial studies, and Mandarin Chinese.

Students matriculate at some of the nation's top schools, including NYU, Sewanee, Trinity College, and the Naval Academy, in addition to the Ivy League institutions.

• Percentage of students who board: 94%
• Tuition, room, and board: $53,700
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: TBA (need-based, merit, and specialized scholarships for physically challenged students and students from families/victims of 9/11 attacks)
• Notable alumni: Lucas Watson (vice president at Google for Global Brand Solutions and Innovations), Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, Richard D. Field (co-founder of Lending Tree)

34. The Governor's Academy

Founded in 1763, the Governor's Academy in Byfield, Massachusetts, is the oldest continuously operating boarding school in the United States. The coeducational school serves students in grades 9-12.

The school recently won first place in the Green Cup Challenge. To instill the values of lifelong citizenship and civics, students must complete 100 hours of community service.

All coursework focuses on the school's seven essential skills. Clearly, the academic program at Governor's Academy is strong, as evidenced by recent matriculations at the Ivies and Boston University, Tufts, Furman, and the University of Southern California, among others.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,400
• Notable alumni: Samuel Phillips (founder of Phillips Andover Academy), Booker T. Washington, Jr.

35. Groton School

Founded in 1884 just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Groton is a private, coeducational boarding school that serves students in grades 8-12. Groton offers a classical college preparatory curriculum and requires students to take two years of Latin or Greek.

Keeping in line with traditions, the Groton School day commences with chapel services and concludes with "check-in," which is when dorm residents shake hands with the teacher on duty. Students matriculate at all the Ivies, highest enrollments at Harvard, Georgetown, Trinity, Bowdoin, and Yale in the past five years.

Students are not required to perform community service and count hours; instead, community service is an expectation of all students. All students are required to attend weekend religious services, but are free to choose the service that best fits their own tradition.

Groton School has over 4,200 active alumni, with more than with more than 50 percent alumni participation each and every year.

• Notable alumni: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Sam Waterston (actor), Fred Gwynne (actor), Christopher Isham (Washington D.C. Bureau Chief, ABC News), Candace Nelson (founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes)

36. The Storm King School

The Storm King School, a private boarding school located in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, was founded in 1867. The school serves students grades 8-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

Students benefit from the school's proximity to Manhattan, as well as the pastoral setting of the campus, which offers outdoor education and an optional mountaineering program.

Storm King provides a strong college preparatory curriculum; students most frequently matriculate at Rutgers, Boston University, NYU, Syracuse, Cornell, and Parsons School of Design.

• Percentage of students who board: 70% (representing 26 nations)
• Strong arts and sciences programs
• Tuition, room, and board: $53,945
• Notable alumni: Peter Boyce (pioneer in publication and linking of electronic science journals), Cara Castronuova (boxer), Steven Zirnkilton (voice-over actor)

37. Loomis Chaffee

Loomis Chaffee, located in Windsor, Connecticut, was founded in 1874 by five siblings whose children all died tragically and who therefore became determined to found a school as a gift to the children of others. Today, the school serves students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

In addition to more than 180 courses, students can select a Global Studies certification through special study in international relations, foreign language, and study abroad.

Loomis Chaffee grads go to every Ivy and frequently matriculate at George Washington, the University of Connecticut, Skidmore, NYU, Bates, and Tufts.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,750
• Notable alumni: Jason Wu (fashion designer), John D. Rockefeller III, Drew Zingg (lead guitarist of Steely Dan), Terry Walters (author)

38. Middlesex School

Founded in 1901 and located 20 miles west of Boston in Concord, Massachusetts, Middlesex School is a private, coeducational boarding school that serves students in grades 9-12. The school encourages the development of each individual student's personal academic interests and says “after all, the world needs both physicists and Disney Imagineers.”

As part of the Independent Study Program, seniors create customized courses and learn from faculty experts in that designated field of interest.

Freshmen are required to take a course in mindfulness during the first nine weeks, and sophomores take a weekly seminar in expository writing across the curriculum. In addition to participating in various traditions, the entire campus community joins in an all-school read each year.

Middlesex students most frequently attend Ivy League schools, as well as Amherst, Boston College, Bucknell, Colby, George Washington University, Middlebury College, NYU, Trinity, University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt.

• Tuition, room, and board: $54,160
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 28% (no income cutoff for eligibility)
• Notable alumni: Bill Richardson (former governor of New Mexico and presidential candidate), Steve Carrell (actor), Elizabeth Mayhew ( The Washington Post, The Today Show )

39. Tabor Academy

Located on the water in Marion, Massachusetts, Tabor Academy is an independent coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9-12.

Among its 138 course offerings are six specific classes in nautical studies. Tabor, known as “the school by the sea,” takes full advantage of its location and has turned it into an educational resource. The successful completion of these courses (some of which can be completed in the Caribbean Studies program), according to the school website, “entitles a Tabor graduate to a Naval Honor Certificate, recognized by the United States Armed Forces as part of the candidate's permanent record and qualifying him/her for the school's nomination to a Federal Service Academy.”

Tabor graduates most frequently enroll in schools like Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, George Washington University, and Bowdoin.

• Tuition, room, and board: $55,510
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 34% (need-based)
• Notable alumni: Paul Fireman (founder of Reebok)

40. Northfield Mt. Hermon School

Located in western Massachusetts, Northfield Mount Hermon School (NMH) dates back to 1879. An independent, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 9–12, the school also offers a postgraduate year.

NMH prepares students for college life, from using a College-Model Academic Program to providing extensive college-planning support. Students, faculty, and dorm advisors comprise a “partnership of 12”: a dorm-centered advising system that helps students navigate their personal and academic paths toward success at NMH.

While living on campus, all students are part of a work program in which they spend four hours a week working an on-campus job; jobs change each term.

Students are frequently accepted into schools like NYU, Northwestern, Vassar, Emory, Bates, and Boston University, as well as the Ivies.

• Percentage of students who board: 83%
• Tuition, room, and board: $63,500
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 31%
• Notable alumni: Natalie Cole (singer), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Beat poet), Uma Thurman (actress), James McLamore (founder of Burger King)

41. Kent School

Founded in 1906, the Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, is located 90 miles east of Manhattan. Because the founder desired to teach students from all walks of life, Kent was the first secondary school in the U.S. to offer sliding-scale tuition.

In addition to a menu of 160 courses, Kent offers a unique pre-engineering program, especially designed for students interested in pursuing an engineering major on the college level.

Students get into the Ivies, certainly, but apply to a broad range of schools that fit their unique personalities and interests. Kent students enroll in large numbers at George Washington, Syracuse, and the University of Vermont.

• Percentage of students who board: 92%
• Tuition, room, and board: $54,300
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 44% (need and merit-based aid)
• Notable alumni: Seth McFarlane ( Family Guy creator), Ted Danson (actor), Lana Del Ray (singer-songwriter), Draper Kauffman (father of Navy Frogmen and grandfather of Navy SEALS)

42. The Emma Willard School

Founded in 1814, Emma Willard is an all-girls boarding school in Troy, New York, serving students in grades 9-12. The school offers a post-graduate year. As the first Fair Trade-certified high school in the U.S., Emma places a special emphasis on social justice and community.

Students can choose from more than 132 courses, and according to the school's college profile, “the faculty intentionally limits the number of AP courses offered in order to provide students with an array of equally rigorous non-AP electives at the upper level.” Emma girls are frequently accepted to the Ivies and schools like American University, UVA, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Grinnell, Hamilton, Boston College, and NYU.

• Tuition, room, and board: $56,390
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 51% (need-based aid)
• Notable alumnae: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sara Lee Schupf (founder of Sara Lee brand), New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

43. Lawrenceville School

Located just five miles away from Princeton University, the Lawrenceville School has historically been the feeder for the New Jersey Ivy. The private, coeducational boarding school serves students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

Lawrenceville's faculty is largely composed of advanced degree holders–a stunning 94%. These highly educated teachers employ the Harkness teaching method in their classrooms. The school requires 40 hours of community service for graduation in addition to seminars in personal development.

Over the past five years, Lawrenceville students have matriculated in droves at Princeton, Georgetown, NYU, Brown, and Cornell.

• Tuition, room, and board: $55,350
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 29% (all need-based)
• Notable alumni: Dierks Bentley (country music singer), Huey Lewis (rock and roll singer, actor), Malcolm Forbes ( Forbes magazine)

44. Pomfret School

Founded in 1894, Pomfret School is an independent coeducational college preparatory boarding school in northeastern Connecticut for students in grades 9-12 and postgraduates.

To provide a stable foundation for the remainder of their studies, all first-years are required to attend a year-long, weekly seminar in personal and academic success. Sophomores must take a course in social issues, and all students have the chance for independent academic study.

All students at Pomfret participate in the TELL program, a series of 14 workshops held throughout the school year that focus on health and wellness, diversity and multiculturalism, and leadership and ethics.

Pomfret grads have most recently matriculated at Connecticut College, Northeastern, Trinity, Hobart and William Smith, Bates, Penn, and SMU.

• Tuition, room, and board: $55,620
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: TBA (grants, loans, need-based)
• Notable alumni: James Rothman (Nobel Prize-winner), Douglas Tompkins (founder of the North Face company), Jon Stone (founding producer of Sesame Street )

45. Westminster School

Founded in 1888 and offering a solid, traditional college prep course of study, Westminster Academy in Simsbury, Connecticut, serves students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

One of the core elements of life at Westminster are the family-style dinners where students are assigned to a table for two-week rotations with faculty families. Unique to this school is the Visiting Poets program, during which nationally lauded poets take up temporary residence on the campus, address the student body, and visit classes.

Westminster grads most frequently attend schools like Boston College, Trinity, University of Richmond, and Connecticut College, along with the Ivy League schools.

• Percentage of students who board: 69%
• Tuition, room, and board: $54,000
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: 32% (need-based, does not include scholarships)
• Notable alumni: Peter Fonda (actor), Wellesley Wild ( Family Guy writer and executive producer)

46. South Kent School

Founded in 1923, Connecticut's South Kent School serves boys in grades 9-12, as well as those interested in a post-graduate year. Boys are called to adventure, service, and the arts at South Kent, and academic requirements reflect the three calls.

In addition to traditional curriculum, the school focuses on experiential, project-based programs. The Advanced Media Group affords students the chance to learn digital entrepreneurship and web-casting and serves as the model for similar programs in other schools.

Graduates attend the Ivies, MIT, Trinity, Penn State, Colgate, Wesleyan, and Colby College.

• Tuition, room, and board: $46,500
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: TBA
• Notable alumni: Jim Bellows (editor, major figure in New Journalism), John Berryman (Pulitzer Prize-winning poet), Isaiah Thomas (NBA Phoenix Suns)

47. The Williston Northampton School

A private coeducational boarding school, the Williston Northampton School was founded in 1841 and is located in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The school serves students in grades 9-12 and offers a post-graduate year.

Wiliston Northampton provides a traditional college preparatory curriculum. Students may participate in a Writer's Workshop and attend the Photographer's Lecture Series. All students are part of the Curricular Technology Initiative.

The most recent graduates of Williston Northampton attend NYU, Trinity, Hobart and William Smith, Connecticut College, Union College, Colby, Bentley, and Ithaca College.

• Tuition, room, and board: $55,300 (legacy program available)
• Percentage of students who receive some form of financial aid: NA
• Notable alumni: P.D. Eastman (children's author), Brad Hall ( Saturday Night Live ), Ashley Gearing (country singer)

48. The Cate School

Located outside of Santa Barbara, California, the Cate School was established in 1910. As a private coeducational boarding school, Cate serves students in grades 9-12.

The campus's proximity to the Pacific Ocean invites unique experiential education. In addition, students may choose from more than 155 courses.

Cate students frequently matriculate at the USC, Stanford, NYU, Colorado College, and the University of Chicago, in addition to Ivies.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,150
• Notable alumni: Conrad Hall (cinematographer), David Crosby (musician), George Ledyard Stebbins (botanist, evolutionary biologist)

49. The Ethel Walker School

Since 1911, the Ethel Walker School has served girls in grades 6-12 as a private boarding school for girls in Simsbury, Connecticut. The school also offers a post-graduate year.

Girls complete a community service project each year and will either be a “Sun” or a “Dial” as part of a friendly campus rivalry during their time on campus

While Walker's girls receive a solid background in traditional college prep courses, they also have the option to take unique skills-based classes in advanced math, equine studies, creative writing–even Arctic studies.

Students matriculate at every Ivy as well as every top school for engineering in the U.S.

• Tuition, room, and board: $53,550
• Notable alumnae: Sigourney Weaver (actress), Frances Beinecke (president of the National Resources Defense Council)

50. Wayland Academy

Founded in 1855, Wayland Academy is a private, coeducational boarding school in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, serving students in grades 9-12.

The school offers a strong, traditional college prep curriculum, and has recently embarked on an engineering and robotics initiative.

Students gain entrance to the Ivies and also enroll at Drexel, St. Olaf, Franklin & Marshall, Grinnell, Smith, and West Point.

• Tuition, room, and board: $43,067
• Notable alumni: George Edwin Taylor (early African-American politician), Ric Flair (professional wrestler), Zona Gale (author)

Ranking Guidelines

To identify the best boarding schools, we assessed schools where at least half of all students lived on campus, regardless of school size. We then weighed each school according to three criteria:

• Availability of specialized programs
• Dedication to an innovative curriculum
• Emphasis on student-involved community service

The tuition price comes from the most current figure posted on each school's website. Most of the numbers listed do not include the cost of textbooks, lunches, and other fees.

Our Methodology

Here at TheBestSchools.org, we take the trust and welfare of our readers very seriously. When making our school and program rankings, our top priority is ensuring that our readers get accurate, unbiased information that can help them make informed decisions about online education. That's why we've developed a rigorous ranking methodology that keeps the needs of our readers front and center.

Our proprietary, multi-criteria ranking algorithm analyzes key data indicators — as collected by the federal government — for each school or program. What data we use depends on the focus of each specific ranking, but in all cases, our ranking methodology is impartial: Schools  cannot buy better rankings  at TBS.

While specific criteria under consideration can vary by ranking, there are a few data points that we value most highly. They are affordability, academic quality, and online enrollment. Below, we break down our algorithm to help you understand what you're getting when you use one of our rankings.

• Affordability
• Online Enrollment

Data Sources

The data used in TBS rankings comes primarily from the federal government, and much of it is provided by the schools themselves. We aggregate and analyze this data to build our rankings.

The  Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System  (IPEDS) is our primary source. Its data comes from annual surveys conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's  National Center for Education Statistics  (NCES). Every college, university, or technical school with access to federal financial aid must participate in these surveys, which include questions about enrollment, graduation rates, finances, and faculty qualifications. This is publicly available data, which you can access yourself through the  College Navigator .

Additionally, because we value a personal touch and the professional experience of our staff and Academic Advisory Board, we vet all results and adjust rankings as necessary based on our collected knowledge of schools and degree programs. Depending on the ranking, we may obtain additional input from  AcademicInfluence.com , subject matter experts, prior TBS ranking lists, or other sources we deem relevant to a particular ranking.

Breakdown of Our Rankings Methodology

About our ranking factors.

Here at TBS, we value what you value: quality education, affordability, and the accessibility of online education. These factors guide all of our program rankings.

Each of these factors are further broken down into weighted subfactors. For example, retention rates are weighted more heavily than availability of program options because they are a better indicator of student success.

We chose the following factors for our rankings because of their influence on learning experiences and graduate outcomes. However, students should always balance our rankings against their personal priorities. For instance, a learner who needs a fully online program may prioritize online flexibility more than our rankings do. Our rankings are designed to help you make a decision — not to make a decision for you.

• Collapse All

Academics - 75%

Affordability - 15%, online enrollment - 10%.

In all our school rankings and recommendations, we work for objectivity and balance. We carefully research and compile each ranking list, and as stated in our advertising disclosure, we do NOT permit financial incentives to influence rankings. Our articles never promote or disregard a school for financial gain.

If you have questions about our ranking methodology, please feel free to connect with our staff through  contact page .

We thank you for your readership and trust.

Paying for Boarding School

Nearly half of families receive financial aid to pay for boarding school. Financial assistance — like need-based grants and merit-based scholarships — helps students afford their attendance. For example, many boarding schools offer scholarships to students who show academic promise. They may also award grants based on financial need.

In addition to these forms of financial aid, which families do not need to repay, families can also research loans or financing programs to cover costs. Many schools also often offer tuition payment programs to break up tuition costs into smaller payments.

Genevieve Carlton holds a Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University. After earning her doctorate in early modern European history, Carlton worked as an assistant professor of history at the University of Louisville, where she developed new courses on the history of science, Renaissance Italy, and the witch trials. Carlton has published five peer-reviewed articles in top presses and a monograph with the University of Chicago Press. She also earned tenure with a unanimous vote before relocating to Seattle. Learn more about Carlton's work at genevievecarlton.com .

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House of the Giant and Ames Room

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Health Resort Shato Spas

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