2024 Best Boarding High Schools in America

• Exeter, NH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.35 out of 5  324 reviews

Parent: Boarding School is such a unique experience, and I truly believe no school can quite encompass that authentic "boarding school" experience like Exeter. From A tier academics, to amazing sports, Exeter has it all. Topping it off, most of the faculty here hold a PHD or some sort of master's degree in their field, which leads to meaningful and impactful classroom conversations everyday. I came to Phillips Exeter as a Sophomore and my only regret is that I only got to spend three years here!... Read 324 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,074

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Princeton, NJ•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.94 out of 5  17 reviews

Freshman: Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science offers an educational experience like no other! For any student interested in STEAM-related subjects, PRISMS is a dream come true. The faculty are passionate and helpful, and the scientific equipment is college-level! While sports are not prioritized, Varsity volleyball, soccer, and basketball are offered. PRISMS is a great community, filled with incredible educators, a STEAM-centered curriculum, and top-notch scientific equipment.... Read 17 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 120

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Wallingford, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.57 out of 5  178 reviews

Alum: I was able to achieve so much as a high school student through the support of genuine, kind friends, encouraging teachers, and an incredibly welcoming community. The opportunity to involve yourself in so many different areas of study, as well as attempt new things without the fear of feeling unqualified was such a freeing experience, and one that many ever get to experience. Without a doubt, rigor and high achievement stress is always present, and several other factors play into creating an environment of pressure. However, Choate is a place that cares and works to improve.... Read 178 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 861

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Andover, MA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  174 reviews

Sophomore: I am extremely grateful to PA. Coming from a lower income background, Andover has opened doors and introduced me to countless opportunities. I’ve been able to gain new passions, such as running and activism, and practice my old ones under incredible instruction and with access to fantastic resources. My only issue with the school is that it’s an incredibly stressful environment for 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 year old students - meaning students are handling both normal teenage stress (pertaining to popularity or pop culture), along with the stress of elite college admissions. There’s not much done by the administration to combat this, meaning students have to tackle it themselves, resulting in people getting overwhelmed, and sometimes leaving the school. However, most of us stick it out, but at what cost? All in all, I would recommend Andover if you’re someone who feels as if your current environment is too restricting and you want to broaden your horizons and meet new people.... Read 174 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,187

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Groton, MA•

• Private School•

• 8-12

• •
  Rating 4.47 out of 5  66 reviews

Alum: At Groton, I feel that I have been able to become a more independent and conscientious person during my time at this school. The best thing about this school is the resources that it provides the students. Here, I feel that I can be whoever I like because the teachers, dorm parents, coaches, and community is supportive of everyone's quirks, interests, and dreams. The teachers are approachable and dedicated, and work hard to provide students with a positive experience and I have made some of the truest and most diverse background friends. However, while at my time here, I have noticed that there is a toxically competitive culture here. Moreover, sometimes it is hard to get leadership positions in clubs because one has to be "connected" or popular, and the unsafe hook-up culture NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! Overall, a great school, and despite the school's imperfections, I would not trade my experience at Groton for anything else in the world.... Read 66 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 380

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Lakeville, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.52 out of 5  90 reviews

Parent: Hotchkiss was an incredible experience for both of our children. The academics were certainly challenging, but the support of teachers and advisors made it all manageable. Both kids are now in college and found the transition to be minimal. Sports were important to both of our kids. For one, the sports media program was an incredible experience and for the other varsity sports were an incredible experience. Away from sports, the residential life program was amazing and both kids made friends for life. As a family, we often heard that Hotchkiss could be a pressure kicker, and while it is demanding, it is also a school that cares about its students and strives to have a thoughtful balance between hard work and fun. Hotchkiss was life changing for both of our kids and our family would strongly recommend the school.... Read 90 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 599

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Windsor, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.27 out of 5  146 reviews

Freshman: I like the welcoming environment and sense of belonging from going to this school. Loomis’s emphasis on the Best Self and Common Good is present throughout the school‘s culture and social life, and hence the school is very open and accepting. The diversity at the school made me feel welcome and accepted, and Loomis’s programs to raise awareness for groups like the LGBTQ+ community were reaffirming and a nice action for National Coming Out Day. The school’s academic programs are beneficially challenging as well, with flexibility in advancing in courses such that students are able to take sufficiently challenging courses. The music, arts and after school activities all have an abundance of applicable resources. The Loomis Chaffee School is a great place for students who are willing to take initiative and seek resources to advance their learning and skills.... Read 146 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 736

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Lawrenceville, NJ•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.32 out of 5  176 reviews

Sophomore: The Lawrenceville School is renowned for its exceptional academic standards. The school's rigorous curriculum is designed to challenge and inspire students, fostering a love for learning and intellectual growth. With a dedicated faculty of highly qualified teachers, Lawrenceville provides a supportive and stimulating environment for students to excel academically. The school offers a wide range of courses, from advanced placement classes to specialized electives, ensuring that students have the opportunity to explore their interests and develop a well-rounded education. Additionally, Lawrenceville's commitment to small class sizes allows for personalized attention and meaningful interactions between students and teachers, further enhancing the academic experience.... Read 176 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 822

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Concord, NH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  95 reviews

Parent: If you want a well-rounded high school experience, St. Paul's is the place to go. It is clear that the school genuinely cares about its students, faculty, and staff. They've done a lot of research on diversity programs and, consequently, have done a great job of building a friendly and inclusive environment. Teachers are also very receptive and genuinely concerned about their student's well-being and success. SPS has had the most impact on our son's life. He adores his school classmates, deans, and advisers. As parents, we couldn't ask for a better school for our son! We are so relieved we decided to go with St. Paul's!... Read 95 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 530

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Dedham, MA•

• Private School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.58 out of 5  60 reviews

Senior: It is hard to put into words the incredibly positive impact that this school has had on my life. Coming in as an awkward freshman, I was greeted by a welcoming community of intelligent, funny, and hard-working students and teachers that have supported me since day one. Through the most amazing sports teams, clubs, organizations, and even just academic classes, I have made memories and formed relationships (with students and teachers alike) that will last me a lifetime. Now as a senior in my fourth year at the school, I feel confident in myself as a learner, friend, teammate, leader, and person, and so much of this is thanks to Nobles. Starting with assembly in the morning, and ending with "Dogs on three, one, two, three, DOGS!" at the end of practice in the afternoon, the constant infectious energy makes it a joy for me to go to school each day. I will miss this place dearly and plan to stay connected long after I graduate.... Read 60 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 614

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Plantation, FL•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  748 reviews

Alum: American heritage is an amazing private school with so many opportunities. The different pre-professional tracks, including pre-law, pre-med, engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, and business are taught by professionals in the real field. The academic workload is intense at times but the teachers are (for the most part) great! The clubs outside of school are also great as well. There’s many competitive clubs like debate, robotics, model UN, math, olympiads, science research, and so much more. I had a very positive experience at American heritage overall and I highly recommend this high school for any student.... Read 748 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,794

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Deerfield, MA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.48 out of 5  75 reviews

Sophomore: I am currently a sophomore at DA. I have been here for about a month and a half now, and I absolutely love it! What sets DA apart from other boarding schools is its wonderful community, and almost everyone here is very friendly and welcoming. I am an international student from India, and yet I found it very easy to settle in here and make friends. The facilities here are amazing and all the teachers are very warm and supportive. Classes are extremely fun and interesting, and although challenging, the workload is not very high. There is a good balance between academics, cocurriculars, and social life, and there are many opportunities for clubs and other activities. The financial aid is very good, and most school trips/outings are free. The school also provides financial aid for music lessons, study abroad trips, etc. I genuinely don't have many bad things to say about the school. If community interactions and making connections are valuable to you I would highly encourage you to apply!... Read 75 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 658

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Lake Forest, IL•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  85 reviews

Parent: Our son completed his freshman year and is now a sophomore. LFA is a nice balance of day students and boarders with a strong array of academics, sports, arts and music, clubs and activities. As a freshman, our son went on a service trip to Guatemala. He is looking forward to another service trip this upcoming year. One of the things which distinguishes the school is that the faculty and school are an integral part of the community; different then the "town and gown" challenges that other schools confront. We are pleased with the support, the opportunities and the education, he is receiving.... Read 85 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 445

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Southborough, MA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.3 out of 5  53 reviews

Junior: My St. Mark's experience so far has been great. The smaller sized classes allow for more individual attention and better communication between the students and teachers. There are also many opportunities available to students from community service to leadership positions. As a boarder, the dorm atmosphere is great and I've met many of my friends there!... Read 53 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 385

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Concord, MA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.49 out of 5  77 reviews

Parent: My son recently graduated from MX and his experience was a game changer for him. It is academically intense but non competitive, with students studying together and helping each other succeed. It is one of the kindest places that fosters friendliness and acceptance. His friends are smart, caring, multi faceted and diverse in every sense. The teachers take the time to build relationships and get to know the kids, meeting weekly as advisors to learn about and support their students as they navigate academics, sports, friends and teen challenges. MX is a gem that you seek out for a different and special ISL experience. An incredible place filled with amazing people!... Read 77 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 418

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Middletown, DE•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  97 reviews

Parent: My older daughter is in eleventh grade at St. Andrew's and we are now applying for our younger daughter. When we first looked at St. Andrew's, I spoke with a mother of three former students (including one who started somewhere else, realized she made a mistake and transferred to St. Andrew's). One of the things this mother told me was that St. Andrew's gave her daughters four more years of childhood, which was impossible at home. Another parent commented that St. Andrew's isn't a "sharp elbow" school, but rather a school were the students are smart and hard-working AND highly supportive of each other. There are plenty of schools with excellent facilities, quality academics, and wonderful extracurricular activities, but we were struck by the very intentional culture of authenticity, presence, connection and kindness at St. Andrew's. The cell phone policy is an absolute gift to the students - shrinking the impact of cell phones makes space for real relationships to flourish.... Read 97 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 320

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Mclean, VA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  114 reviews

Sophomore: I have had a very positive experience at Madeira. The teachers and staff are friendly and talented, and the campus is beautiful. The food is pretty good (especially taco days!) The mod schedule eliminates the week many students dread: finals week. It does mean that every week 5, the end of a mod, is particularly stressful. I think the schedule is worth it overall though because it means I can dive deeper into a concept, such as a time period in history in my Global Studies class. My favorite part of Madeira will always be the spirit of the community, across all the events and extracurriculars. Go Snails!... Read 114 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 343

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Ojai, CA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  102 reviews

Senior: I really like the Thacher school and the experience it's given me. It's pretty small so you know everybody and a lot of community knowledge, which sometimes is good and bad. However, because of its small class size, you get to interact with amazing people and know them really well. Everyone is from all over the world so you get to open your horizons and find out about the world as a whole and different cultures.... Read 102 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 251

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Hightstown, NJ•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  156 reviews

Sophomore: Peddie makes an effort to inform prospective students of its academic rigor. And oh, is school hard at Peddie! The typical school day is packed with a class of challenging math, a productive discussion in Humanities, lectures and labs in Chemistry, Biology or Physics, and more. Students can explore and succeed in a many fields including Computer Science, the Arts or an additional language. After school, students are engaged in a required extracurricular activity. Many students opt for sports, which all have practices in state-of-the-art facilities with the guidance of devoted coaches. I've been on the swim team for the past year, and have found team culture to be wonderful and supportive. Other activities include being in the cast or set crew of musicals, Robotics (FRC), and community service. Dorm life is great too, the lounges are open and spacious, and SNAs (Saturday Night Activities) are aplenty.... Read 156 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 532

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Bloomfield Hills, MI•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.42 out of 5  275 reviews

Senior: I came to CK during the pandemic. It obviously was not a traditional experience, however, comparatively, the school's response to the pandemic in ensuring the best possible education was provided to their students was definitely exceptional. With the amazingly breathtaking campus, CK has the facilities and resources like no other high school that students have the full advantage of utilizing. Students had the opportunity to return to campus for in-person learning a lot sooner the other schools due to the spacing available. Now attending CK in a post-pandemic time, I can fully enjoy all that the school has to offer...and trust me, they've got lots!... Read 275 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,659

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Watertown, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.4 out of 5  77 reviews

Senior: Taft is a great school! The teachers are excellent, student life is decent, and there is definitely a lot of opportunities to take advantage of as a student from any year. Something I love about Taft is the amount of courses you get to pick from (including Global Online Academy) and also how much freedom you have as you become an upperclassman. Overall there is a lot of support and people are always trying to help you, academically and otherwise.... Read 77 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 580

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Montezuma, NM•

• Private School•

• 11-12

• •
  Rating 4.56 out of 5  55 reviews

Other: My experience has been phenomenal, especially with the fun but rigorous IB curriculum. Despite the challenges of IB, I can see that a huge support system exists and always is here to help me out with anything. This support system mainly consists of students and teachers. The teachers are also professional and they have helped me understand my subject choices at a deeper level. The food and safety of the campus is also relatively good, compared to the other schools I have learned at. I feel like UWC in general give students the opportunity to get closer to their dream jobs while allowing them to explore many extracurricular activities and engage in fun outdoor activities. Being in a boarding school, I have learned to be more independent and would say that I am ready for a college life. I have also developed a large circle of friends, which I am confident that will last for the years to come.... Read 55 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 235

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Concord, MA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.24 out of 5  107 reviews

Junior: I LOVE CA! As a current day student, I don’t have many regrets about my choice to go CA. The academics are manageable but rigorous, super friendly community, and most teachers really put in an effort to connect with students. CA is centered around common trust basically meaning that we all have trust in each other and put effort to foster a community. With that said, that is the case about 90% of the time. I’ve had a couple negative experiences with teachers and students who simply just don’t adhere to the common trust. For instance, I’ve a couple of teachers who just didn’t put in any effort to support me or my unique learning. Other than those few experiences, I have nothing but positive feedback for CA.... Read 107 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 419

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Carpinteria, CA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.31 out of 5  52 reviews

Senior: A wonderful experience that gets better each year. The school is quite small, with just shy of 300 students, so there are lots of resources allocated for each student with impressive breadth and depth. You get the best of the experience if you're really intentional about putting yourself out there, both among people and academic/extracurricular opportunities. I had the pleasure of getting SCUBA certified under a collaborative program with PADI that my biology teacher ran. You can see both the ocean and the mountains from campus, and the school fully uses both. The Animal Behavior and Marine Bio senior electives heads out to the channel islands for their projects, too.... Read 52 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 298

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Blairstown, NJ•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.52 out of 5  109 reviews

Parent: We have had a wonderful experience at Blair; our daughter is thriving. Blair has helped her develop academically and socially. We love Blair's challenging school curriculum, especially that each student is assigned two advisors - an academic and a personal one. Our daughter has made wonderful relationships with girls and boys across a wide range of backgrounds. We cannot say enough good things about the way Blair handled COVID - school was open last year and many fun outdoor activities were planned to keep the kids entertained and engaged. This year the head of Blair told families from day one that they were going to co-exist with COVID and did they ever! Our daughter has challenged herself trying and falling for a new sport, enrolling in advanced courses and starting a new club. We feel so luck to be a Blair family... Read 109 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 465

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1