2023 Best Private High Schools in the Cleveland Area

• Hudson, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  226 reviews

Parent: WRA is the whole package! The academic rigor, the preparedness for higher education, the variety of classes offered to the students and the top notch athletics at WRA are beyond compare. But what makes WRA’s value unmeasurable, is the awareness that students excel when they feel valued, seen, heard and safe. The staff (educators, coaches, administration and everyone in between) care about and genuinely love the students. They care about students mental, emotional and social well being. The staff works to create an environment where every student feels valued. WRA staff wholeheartedly understands the pressure teenagers face today and work hard to combat those pressures with a caring and supportive environment.... Read 226 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 431

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Hunting Valley, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.45 out of 5  123 reviews

Parent: We have two boys at University School and we say US is one of our favorite parts about living in Cleveland! Our boys sprint out the door every morning because they love going to school! We chose US because our boys are both inquisitive and full of boy energy. In our interview they told us “we know boys” and they REALLY do! The boys come home telling us everything about their days! Also, we were thrilled to find how down to earth and fun the families are! There’s tons of after school activities and school events that help you get to know people. The camaraderie and brotherhood between the boys throughout the grades is so cool to observe! We also love the passion of the faculty members. They really care! Because they make learning so fun and engaging, the boys LOVE learning!... Read 123 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 851

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Shaker Heights, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.24 out of 5  136 reviews

Parent: At the beginning, my daughter was very hesitant to attend HB for her high school. However, during the four years, she learned a lot, met many good friends and wonderful faculty and thus became loving HB very much. HB offers rigid curriculum, an open environment with healthy competition which helps the kids better prepare for the future. The college counseling of HB is also amazing— I really appreciate the school for starting the information sharing at the very early stage— hope parents and students get prepared early!... Read 136 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 790

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Gates Mills, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  156 reviews

Freshman: A very good school, amazing academics, and great resources! I especially like the clubs. The teachers are nice, but the classes can be boring sometimes. Great food! Diversity is great. We learn about diversity for the first 1/2 of the 1st school year as a Freshman and I think we are going to be learning about it even longer. College Readiness is great and the school holds meetings with students 1 on 1 and in a group to talk about colleges. Parental involvement is average, and my parents technically don't do much to help. If you apply, you will get a weekly (or was it monthly? I can't remember) email from the school about what is happening. Sports are said to be great, but I am not taking a sport. As a freshman, I think that safety is good. Hawken upper school (high school) also has a place called the woods, which is a large forest where people do school things. I really like the school and no, this is not something that the school made me fill out so this is an actual review.... Read 156 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,082

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Shaker Heights, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.65 out of 5  124 reviews

Parent: My son is new to the Early Learner's program this year. We chose Laurel due to its phenomenal reputation for Early Childhood. Our very first visit confirmed what we had heard in the community: the teachers are second to none, and the environment is welcoming, warm, safe, full of love and lots of learning! My son runs happily into his classroom each morning, so excited to see his teachers & friends and for all that is in store for him each day. The communication from the teachers is excellent and it's clear they are experts in early childhood education, developmental stages and transitions, and helping each little person become their best, most confident self! Laurel's commitment to play-based education (with a heavy emphasis on outdoor & experiential learning) was an important factor in our decision, and it's clear my son is growing by leaps and bounds. We could not be more pleased with our choice and his experience!... Read 124 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 540

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• North Ridgeville, OH•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.47 out of 5  76 reviews

Senior: Lake Ridge Academy is a great school for kids who are looking for a hands-on learning community where teachers become friends and advocates. The small size of the school can be challenging socially (particularly in younger years), but the overall quality of the school experience makes it worthwhile. Best English and History teachers anywhere. School of Fine Arts and Center for Scientific Research offer students a chance to pick their adventure. One of the best features of the school is the large physical campus which includes a greenhouse, a small working farm, outdoor classrooms, woods for an annual Ohio historical re-enactment, soccer fields, tennis courts and more. Class trips each year of high school extend learning opportunities off campus. Very much a community school with active involvement of parents. Lots of opportunities for students to participate in and/or create student led organizations focused on topics that students want. One warning: no cafeteria!... Read 76 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 400

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Willoughby, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  51 reviews

Niche User: My daughter was enrolled for 12y as international student coming from Spain. The objective was to improve opportunities of enrolment in a college for undergraduate studies. From beginning she was welcomed and she received very good support for all aspects. From academics to athletics and college counselling. Faculty is always ready to support her or us in any issue. From an academic point of view, level is lower than in Spain, but she had the opportunity to study AP courses that have a higher level and can be changed by credits in the college. AOA school is an excellent boarding school and if If would have to select and school again, for sure I select AOA as my first option.... Read 51 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 350

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Cleveland, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.61 out of 5  192 reviews

Alum: I had an amazing experience at Saint Ignatius and I learned so much. The academics and athletics are top-notch, but the school is so much more. The tradition and expectation of community service helps students experience the real world and become Men for Others. There is a great community, and the connections and friends made here will continue throughout your life. You get a lot of freedom, and one of the best parts of going here was being able to go off-campus to get food or explore Ohio City. I grew in my faith and as a man from what I learned here. It prepared me for college well and it's overall an amazing education!... Read 192 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,430

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Akron, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.28 out of 5  79 reviews

Senior: Because The Elms is so small, you can build meaningful and close relationships with your classmates, as well as the teachers, and each class is very engaging, and the teachers are easy to talk to, and work with. there is a wide variety of fun clubs, school traditions, sports, and weekly school-day activities. Its especially fun during the holidays! Every now and hen, there is also mass, which helps to calm our minds from the stress of school, and refocuses us on our personal relationship with God. We also have a lot of opportunities to help different charities in our community, and the school dances are always a lot of fun!... Read 79 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 265

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Gates Mills, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.23 out of 5  92 reviews

Freshman: This school is literally amazing! It is developing a more diverse community, opening up its doors to more diverse teachers and providing aid and help to students in need. Plus, they have become more LGBTQA+ accepting and have multiple clubs, giving people an outlet to speak and be who they want to be. Not to mention, their sports are amazing and have all won their state tournaments and championships.... Read 92 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 732

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Lakewood, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.56 out of 5  190 reviews

Alum: Great overall environment with impart ales community involvement A place where students grow intellectually while learning the importance of us citizenship. History and role in the world Extraordinary school spirit which Carrie’s forward throughout life Great alumnae reunions Unbelievable sports program across so many major spots such as hockey, wrestling, football and basketball Most h s state championships in sports in the state of Ohio despite not starting until 1952 Great emphasis on religion as way of teaching right and wrong and being a good contributing member of society Outstanding sconce program and quiet possibly the ver best language program in Latin in the entire country... Read 190 reviews

• grade A

• Students 963

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Cuyahoga Falls, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.31 out of 5  219 reviews

Senior: It has always felt like home. The environment is warm, the teachers genuinely care about the learning and welfare of the students, and I know I am receiving the best education possible. I am challenged daily, and have learned to "think outside the box". I feel ready for college. I also appreciate that there are many clubs that are available to join. In fact, I even started a club this year.... Read 219 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,010

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Cleveland Heights, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  200 reviews

Sophomore: My freshman year was very enjoyable, even though there were some hardships. I worked tirelessly to receive an A in each of my classes!... Read 200 reviews

• grade A

• Students 295

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Akron, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  162 reviews

Senior: As a transfer into Hoban high school it was one of the best decisions of my life to date. The education that I am receiving is top notch! On a daily basis I know that I am being prepared fro my life after high school. Not only in the classroom, but life skills and tools I will use for the rest of my life. Not only is the education I am receiving incredible the friendships and people that I hav met is just as good! These people hold me accountable and keep me on my toes. I am grateful for my high school experience, and I would not trade it for anything.... Read 162 reviews

• grade A

• Students 818

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Akron, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.52 out of 5  207 reviews

Junior: Me choosing to Attend St.Vincent- St.Mary has been one of the best choices I made. From the first day, I walked into the school I got adapted to it. The school is very family oriented. Everyone is accepted and there is a place for everyone. Everyone at the school is helpful and very supportive. The staff also want the best for you and they push you to your highest potential. There is also plenty of classes you can choose from to help get you ready for college and life responsibilities. I recommend STVM to everyone! If you think there isn't a place for you I guarantee you STVM is that place.... Read 207 reviews

• grade A

• Students 650

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Beachwood, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  7 reviews

Alum: Fuchs Mizrachi is the greatest school in the entire state of Ohio. Fuchs Mizrachi is very unique and there is truly nothing like it.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A

• Students 514

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Rocky River, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.32 out of 5  201 reviews

Alum: Magnificat is an amazing school they have a rigorous college preparatory course and show dedication to helping all students grow and learn in every way. The school has top of the line features and state of the art classrooms. Although people are highly critical of the school's lack of diversity, it is ignored that Magnificat is a great community that values quality education. Magnificat gives accessible aid to any student that needs help and gives back to the community in any way possible, the girls who attend there have access to many service projects and outreach events that build up the rocky river to be an amazing community! I hope you or your daughter has an amazing experience at mags, just like mine!... Read 201 reviews

• grade A

• Students 710

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Parma, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  187 reviews

Senior: What I like about Padua Franciscan High School is the atmosphere. The atmosphere here is very joyful and spiritual. The teachers are always trying their best to help you succeed, they work tirelessly to help their students succeed, many go far and beyond to help students succeed. They will stay hours after school for tutorials if you don't understand something, or even come super early in the morning. Most of them are flexible with schedules. The counselors here are exceptional because they work day and night to meet deadlines, and have to gather a lot of information for college. The students here are always willing to help each other out and every grade gets along. The athletics here, are incredible, every year we have students committing to further their athletic and academic career at college. Our football team has won all but two games this year! What needs to be changed is probably really only the food here and the expense of it, it is very expensive in my opinion for lunch.... Read 187 reviews

• grade A

• Students 740

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Cleveland, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.16 out of 5  277 reviews

Senior: I loved attending Saint Joseph Academy. It has been wonderful to attend a school that cares so much about its students! I liked the freedom students were given when selecting classes and during lunchtime to go to club meetings, meet with teachers, and hang out with their friends. If I could change one thing, I would want more classes offered in unique subjects such as economics and criminology so students could pursue these interests!... Read 277 reviews

• grade A

• Students 688

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Rocky River, OH•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  85 reviews

Senior: The first thing I want to say about Lutheran West is that I had a fantastic time all four years. The best thing about Lutheran West was that it felt like a family there. Lutheran west is on the smaller side of student bodies at schools, West currently has around 600 kids. It was nice that everyone knew each other and no one felt left out. Growing up in a public school all the way until high school I knew how kids treated other kids, and it was not nicely at all. Also there was almost double the amount of kids so putting a name to everyone's face as impossible. I think the only downside was that sometimes I felt like Lutheran West was money hungry in ways. Such as, if you got your phone taken away it was 5 bucks to get back. Another example is changing a class you do not like, they made you pay 25 bucks just to switch to a different class. If you missed a Saturday dentition it also costed 30-40 bucks. But other than that my experience was one of the best I could've imagined.... Read 85 reviews

• grade A

• Students 600

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Mentor, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  108 reviews

Senior: The community aspect of Lake Catholic is strong and students have opportunities to take a broad range of classes, including AP classes. The uniform can be a pain sometimes, but it makes the students look more organized. Religion classes are required, even for those who aren't Catholic, but the religion teachers are respectful of everyone's beliefs and religion class can be a very calm setting for students to relax for a period during the day. The amount of performing arts and fine arts classes offered is incredible and Lake Catholic even has their own pottery studio with wheels. The athletics at Lake Catholic are also incredible, especially with the recent state titles.... Read 108 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 511

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Canton, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  100 reviews

Senior: I did not want to go to this high school when I started out. I was the first of my siblings to not go to a public school and I hated it. However, the school ended up being the perfect fit for my needs. It is a close knit community, where every teacher knows your name and is willing to lend a hand. Yes it has its flaws, as all religious minded schools do, but I really believe it is the best choice available for students that are able to attend.... Read 100 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 346

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Westlake, OH•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.56 out of 5  9 reviews

Parent: My children are loved by the staff, guided as Christians and challenged academically. Classical methodologies help develop their ability to think well and communicate winsomely. There is not a better community to raise up children in! Watching students grow in their discernment and logical abilities, understanding of langauge through their Latin classes and gain a deep appreciation and knowledge of history confirms my decision year after year.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 325

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Cleveland, OH•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  47 reviews

Parent: If I could give a 10/10 to Benedictine I would. Situated at the top of a hill looking westbound over downtown Cleveland, it offers an expansive campus complete with a 9-12 High School, Church, Monastery for the Monks, Grotto, and Athletic Facilities including a turfed outdoor all-purpose football field. They are currently undergoing a renovation process to add a school entrance, science wing, and meeting space. I also heard they will update and modernize the cafeteria and some roofs on campus. They call Benedictine, The Home of Champions because they embrace a championship mindset. In academics, in sport, in family, and in future life. Ryan Ryzner doing a tremendous job building a team of administrators, faculty, and support staff that is transforming Benedictine from a good college prep school into a superlative college prep school. Benedictine will prepare your young boy for life as a man. Just visit the school and get a feel for how special this place really is!... Read 47 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 351

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Cuyahoga Falls, OH•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  247 reviews

Senior: I love how welcoming and warm thr atmosphere of the school is. Teachers and are very kind, along with most students. When you step into the building you can really feel how different it is from other schools. I feel more comfortable to be open and myself at CVCA than previous schools I've attended. One thing I would like to see change is more diversity. Currently the school is lacking in that aspect. In terms of diversity, racially the student population is 90 percent White. People of color are minorities in the school. It would be nice to see more ranges in culture and back ground in the school. Especially since it can feel very isolating for many poc students, including myself.... Read 247 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 843

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1