2019 Best Boarding Schools in the New York City AreaAbout this List

Hackley School

• Private School
• Tarrytown, NY
• K-12
• 53

Sophomore: As a sophomore currently in Hackley, I can only highly recommend the school. The academic program is one of the most rigorous out there even if it isn't noticeable in the school. Various AP classes and advanced electives are the common practice beginning sophomore year and beyond and some freshmen may even take some as well.

The English Department is considered the bane of most students' existence and goes into such analytical depth that it rivals any AP English course out there.

Transitioning from a public school to this could be difficult, especially if it's into the Upper School. The rigorous curriculum will challenge you, and lower grades than usual will appear. Our strongest science and math students who take on AP Physics C and Multivariable Calculus in senior year are subject to the two most difficult classes in the school, classes that can give test grades as low as 40 on a regular basis. It's worth it though, the experience is unforgettable.
Read 53 Reviews

• A+

• 834 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Masters School

• Private School
• Dobbs Ferry, NY
• 5-12
• 86

Parent: As a parent of a recent graduate, I can proudly state that Masters provided my daughter with a transformative experience. During her time at Masters, she found her voice, her passions, and lifelong friendships. Her teachers, advisor and college counselor were fully supportive and committed to her growth and wellbeing. Academics are appropriately challenging. The student body is extremely talented and wonderfully diverse. Now a freshman in one of her top-choice colleges, my daughter finds herself happy, adjusted and well prepared!
Read 86 Reviews

• A+

• 667 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Stony Brook School

• Private School
• Stony Brook, NY
• 7-12
• 43

Junior: The academics are challenging but rewarding for those that are looking for a challenge. There are AP and college-level classes that certainly help students prepare for college. The teachers are very competent, responsible and try to develop deep relationships with their students. The student body is very diverse, with some coming from Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. The teachers are quite diverse too, most of which are not from Long Island! The food, made by Sage Dining, can be hit-or-miss. Some foods can be questionable, but it is mostly decent. The school is making an emphasis on improving the facilities of the school but need to fix some dorms.
Read 43 Reviews

• A+

• 361 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Pioneer Academy

• Private School
• Wayne, NJ
• PK, K-12
• 47

Parent: Pioneer Academy is located in a wonderful neighborhood to live in. The school is very safe, clean, and high end. The school has a lot of success in local competitions and college acceptance rate is 100%. K-12 it has really strong academic curriculum. It has a very welcoming and friendly environment.
My child goes to Montessori program at Pioneer Academy. I’m very happy with what my child learns at this very early age. It’s a great school!
Read 47 Reviews

• A+

• 318 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Knox School

• Private School
• St. James, NY
• 6-12
• 11

Works Here: The Knox School is such a unique place! The diversity of students, the strength of the faculty, and opportunities that are available to students are endless. I am proud to work in such a special place.
Read 11 Reviews

• A+

• 142 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Léman Manhattan Preparatory School

• Private School
• New York, NY
• PK, K-12
• 41

Parent: Amazing school! We just started this fall and so far the faculty, staff, and administration has been extremely welcoming! Our children love going to school, and always come back with stories of what they learned, ate (delicious chef-made meals), and did either at the pool, gym, or playground. It is a well-rounded school with a nicely balanced curriculum that combines academic rigor with a great arts program, athletic department, and music program.
Read 41 Reviews

• A+

• 880 Students
• 9:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

EF Academy

• Private School
• Thornwood, NY
• 9-12
• 58

Senior: Best decision I’ve made. The campus is, clean, new and fantastic!

Impressed with put-into-practice differentiated learning, not just say they do it. The curriculum is robust and the professors are incredibly talented at making learning fun and accessible to our students. They emphasize the positive and teach students great values & social skills. Having smaller class sizes allows professors to truly know everyone’s strengths & challenges.

The school is diverse and the teachers really care about we students. We absolutely fall in love with the wide variety of classes, programs and clubs offered. It’s highly academic In STEAM, but at the same time we have art, music, language and PE for all grades. The school also offers many social opportunities through evening activities & outings and educational workshops. With this balance I feel EF Academy develops the individuals academically and socially while at the same time is warm and nurturing.
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• 800 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Thornton-Donovan School

• Private School
• New Rochelle, NY
• K-12
• 12

Senior: Thornton-Donovan is a smaller international private school that is open to students grade K-12. The student body is under 200 and very tight-knit. There’s a strong sense of community around campus that isn’t present at larger schools. A decent portion of the student body are transfers from countries such as Albania, China and Kenya. From an academic standpoint, T-D is unique because the curriculum thematic, with courses being offered that teach students about the history and heritage of a particular country for that school year.
Read 12 Reviews

• A+

• 170 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Yeshiva University High School for Boys

• Private School
• New York, NY
• 9-12
• 11

Junior: The features I've enjoyed most are the extracurricular freedoms, the variety of faculty backgrounds, and the large student body.
If interested in joining a club, most do not require a commitment. If one wants to create a club, 10-15 members, and a faculty advisor is all that is needed (I'd know, as I started the Book Club), making the extracurricular process very efficient.
Our faculty is comprised of Ivy-league graduates, a teacher who worked on the first research initiatives for cellular communication, and a few paramedics. The variety of faculty is conducive to an environment in which all student's diverse interests can be fostered.
The large student body means that even if you have unusual interests—say you're 80's pop culture stuck in a teen's body (like me)— you're sure to find one other student who will finish "Whoah, we're half..".
My least favorite feature of my school is that despite our large size (which ensures some diversity) there is still some insularism.
Read 11 Reviews

• A+

• 280 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Green Meadow Waldorf School

• Private School
• Chestnut Ridge, NY
• PK, K-12
• 9

Parent: Green Meadow is an incredibly special place. We sent our daughter there for ten years and our son is currently a sixth grader. Waldorf education is very different from mainstream education, so if you are considering this school, that’s the first thing you need to figure out. Waldorf education focuses on the body, mind and spirit - with the arts considered as important as other subjects. They teach math and science in really exciting, creative ways. The kids get a LOT of outdoor time, which is wonderful. Green Meadow is a particularly strong and well-established school. It has an amazingly gifted and dedicated teaching staff, and a thoughtful and responsive administration. Sure, there are some small dramas that happen, but in general, this is an excellent school with a dedicated and supportive community.
Read 9 Reviews

• A

• 340 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Bridgeport International Academy

• Private School
• Bridgeport, CT
• 9-12
• 27

Niche User: The faculty at Bridgeport International Academy (BIA) are exceptional. Four teachers also are Professors at the University of Bridgeport (UB) and the relationship between UB and BIA makes the school exceptional. For example, juniors and seniors can take college classes and the BIA Chemistry class just had their laboratory work at UB. Exciting!
Read 27 Reviews

• A

• 60 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. John's Preparatory School

• Private School
• Astoria, NY
• 9-12
• 152

Alum: I loved my 4 years at SJP! I wish I could go back. They’re a really strict school, and I actually thought they wouldn’t be because of all the stories you hear outside of school.
Honestly they don’t tolerate bullying, it’s dealt with ASAP. They definitely don’t tolerate fighting or drugs, just ask any student who was kicked out because of it.
The teachers are pretty tough, but you know they care about you to succeed. You have the best experience at SJP by being involved. Students are nice, you’ll make friends pretty quick. The secretaries are extremely nice, always there for us, they’re very motherly and make you feel safe.
Fr. Liju is the chaplain, he’s the best. He is funny, sincere He doesn’t judge you no matter what you tell him. He always says “Keep smiling and have a wonderful day”
4 years goes by quick. You don’t get the same love in college as we did at St John’s. If I had to do it over again, I’d choose them again!
Read 152 Reviews

• A-

• 660 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Martin Luther School

• Private School
• Maspeth, NY
• 6-12
• 12

Junior: Martin Luther is a small school with a lot of attention on all students. The teacher involvement is really high and we have a number of international students making it a pretty diverse environment
Read 12 Reviews

• A-

• 203 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. Benedict's Preparatory School

• Private School
• Newark, NJ
• K-12
• 46

Parent: I admire the leadership and readiness the school teaches these young men for the real world. They are not only focused on academic skills, but life long skills. They treat each student as adults, encourage them to make decisions that will not only affect themselves, but their fellow brothers. Fr. Edwin Leahy is an excellent role model to so many of these young men, in so many ways other than just the Headmaster of the school. He truly motivates each child and treats them as his own. Hard work is an understatement to describe this school. As a parent on the Rowing Team, these last 4 years has been equally strenuous on us as well. Planning and prepping for the regattas to ensure that the kids and coaches are well fed for the day, to ensure that they have everything they need in not so favorable weather. We, as parents are all in as well. It truly takes a village!
Read 46 Reviews

• A-

• 750 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School

• Private School
• Brooklyn, NY
• 9-12
• 167

Senior: Bishop loughlin along with its diversity, is a well school and environment for children as they are more than involved in school. This school has many activities from performing arts to educational programs that are great! The one thing I love most is it feels like home. I am involved in school and it’s great. There are many opportunities that each of us are exposed to that can most definitely help us in our near future.
Read 167 Reviews

• B

• 660 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Immaculate Conception School

• Private School
• Bronx, NY
• PK, K-8
• 2

• NG

• 540 Students
• 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Eagle Hill School

• Private School
• Greenwich, CT
• K-9
• 2

Parent: Our son, who has ADHD and learning differences, has been a student at Eagle Hill for 6 years. An advantage of the Eagle Hill program vis-a-vis those of other area schools for children with LDs is that it supports the development of pragmatic language skills, in addition to providing an individualized academic program. Also, the small class sizes are critical for our son's learning style. It is also very helpful that the school has an in-house team of specialists - speech pathologists, psychologists, a social worker - who work with students and alongside faculty to support the children's learning. When our son was in public school, we had to outsource for speech and motor training. I am amazed at our son's journey from a kid who could barely spell a word in first grade, let alone play on a soccer team, to the confident kid he is today. He may learn differently, but at Eagle Hill, he has acquired strategies to be successful in that way that he learns.
Read 2 Reviews

• NG

• 265 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Yeshiva Yesode Hatorah

• Private School
• Brooklyn, NY
• K-9

• NG

• 178 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Matheny School

• Private School
• Peapack, NJ
• PK, 2-12

• NG

• 41 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. Thomas Choir School

• Private School
• New York, NY
• 3-8
• 2

Parent: My experience as a choir parent at St. Thomas Choir School NYC has been overwhelmingly positive.
The school is a nurturing community of educators that encourage each and every individual Chorister to reach their full potential. Excellence in academics is balanced with athleticism, volunteer activities and structured leisure time.
Communication is excellent between administrators, teachers, support staff and families.
Read 2 Reviews

• NG

• 30 Students
• 2:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Shrub Oak International School

• Private School
• Mohegan Lake, NY
• 3-12

• NG

• 14 Students
• 1:1 Student-Teacher Ratio