Today we will be discussing the top fifteen private high schools in America. A top private school can provide a solid academic foundation and help with admissions to prestigious universities. It also prepares students for the challenges of the real world.
The ranking was based on the scores of over 8,000 private schools in the US, as well as the four-year matriculation rate and student-teacher ratio. Each school also received points based upon answers from parents and students to surveys. You can find the complete methodological explanation here.
Before we get to the top private high schools in America, let’s talk about the other reasons America is the best.
America has the best education system in the world. The US has the best educational system. However, American children consistently outperform other countries’ students in science and math. A 2018 Business Insider report ranked the US 24th in science and 38th in mathematics.
Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology (TJHSST) is America’s greatest public high school.
Below is the complete list of 15 private high schools in America.
1. Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall ranks first on our list of the best private high schools in America. Choate Rosemary Hall is a private day and boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut. It supports gifted students in grades 9-12 and beyond.
Choate Rosemary Hall’s curriculum emphasizes the importance of being a moral and ethical person, in addition to being an outstanding student.
2. The Hotchkiss School
The Hotchkiss School is rated second among all private high schools in America. The Hotchkiss School, a private coeducational preparatory school for day and boarding students, is located in Lakeville, Connecticut.
Hotchkiss is a premier independent school that offers a real-world education.
The Hotchkiss School is open to all students from ninth through 12th grades.
3. The College Preparatory School
This school is third on our list of top private high schools in America. The College Preparatory School is a private coeducational school that serves students from grades 9-12 in Oakland, California.
Nearly 25% receive financial aid when they prepare for college. Grants average over $30,000.
4. Groton School
Groton School is ranked fourth on our list of the best private high schools. Groton School, a prestigious private day school and boarding school in the US is located in Groton, Massachusetts.
This is one of the few high schools that still accept eighth graders.
Since 2008, Groton School offers tuition, lodging, and board free of charge to students from low-income families.
5. Phillips Academy – Andover
Phillips Academy is ranked fifth among all private high schools in America.
Phillips Academy offers postgraduate education and is also a coeducational secondary school that boarding and day students in grades 9-12.
It offers a liberal arts education that prepares students for the real world.
6. Phillips Exeter Academy
This school is sixth on our list of the best private high schools. Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational residential school for students in grades 9-12. It also offers postgraduate programs.
At the Academy, we use the Harkness method. Harkness is a simple method that involves 12 students and one teacher sitting around an oval table discussing the topic at hand.
Phillips Exeter Academy can be found in Exeter, New Hampshire.
7. St. Mark’s School of Texas
Here is our seventh listing of the best private high schools in America, with the St. Mark’s School of Texas. Dallas, Texas is the home of the private, nonsectarian, boys-only St. Mark’s School of Texas. It serves students in grades 1-12.
This program is designed to help boys prepare for college and adulthood. The academic program teaches students the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college.
8. Trinity School
Our list of the best private high schools in America ranks The Trinity School at #8. Trinity School is an independent college prep school for day students in grades K-12.
It provides high-quality education to its students, including challenging coursework, excellent sports, peer leadership, and international travel.
9. The Nueva School
This is the ninth school on our list of America’s best private high schools. The Nueva School is an independent Pre-K-12 school for gifted students.
California’s Hillsborough and San Mateo are the respective locations of Nueva’s elementary, middle, and high schools.
The Nueva upper school transforms high school by reimagining it as four years of inquiry-based education, teamwork, and self-discovery.
10. The Brearley School
The Brearley School is ranked tenth on our list of the best private high schools. The Brearley School, a nondenominational, independent, college-preparatory day school exclusively for women, is located in New York City.
Its mission is to inspire girls with creative and innovative minds to think critically and create while preparing them to interact with the outside world.
11. Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is ranked eleventh on our list of the best private high schools. Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, California, is an independent coeducational day school that serves grades 7-12.
The curriculum encourages children to learn about themselves, and the world around them and celebrates diversity and independent thought.
12. Stanford Online High School
Stanford Online High School is another top choice for private high schools in America.
Stanford Online High School is a private school in Redwood City, California that only selects students from grades 7-12.
Standard Online High School offers a platform for academically gifted students to explore their passions online with the support of passionate teachers.
There are three options for Stanford Online High School enrollment: part-time, full-time, and single courses.
13. Riverdale Country School
Our thirteenth listing of top private high schools in America includes Riverdale Country School. Riverdale, a pre-K-12th grade independent school in New York City is located.
It is determined to make the world a better place by encouraging lifelong learning and character development.
14. Lawrenceville School
This is the second-to-last school on our list of top private high schools. The Lawrenceville School, a coed preparatory school that boarding and day students can attend, is located in Lawrence Township, Mercer County.
Students at Lawrenceville’s Harkness Learning Center can share their ideas, opinions, and knowledge with other students.
Lawrenceville School students enjoy these academic options, which include advanced research opportunities, experiential learning opportunities, and special project ideas.
15. Castilleja School
Castilleja School is the final school on our list of top private high schools. Castilleja School is an independent school that serves girls in grades 6-12 in Palo Alto, California.
It produces leaders who are self-assured, compassionate, and motivated by the desire to make a positive difference in the world.
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