2020 Best Schools in the Boston AreaAbout this List

Phillips Academy

• Private School
• Andover, MA
• 9-12
• 118 reviews

Alum: My daughter graduated in 2011, and I am a member of the Alumni Council for Phillips Academy (full disclosure).

Even though I knew how special Andover was, I experienced an even better Andover through my daughter. She was a smart girl before, but she developed such confidence, particularly in math and science. I watched the self-doubt become controlled and I saw a true leader develop. Even when there was a disappointment, she knew that she could power through it with the skills she possessed.

And the friendships! She has life-long friends, both boarders and day students, boys and girls, athletes and non-athletes. All are smart, confident, and succeeding in their fields, now that Andover is behind them. But, you never lose Andover; it is always with you, allowing you to strive and succeed in every way.
Read 118 Reviews

• A+

• 1,146 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Noble and Greenough School

• Private School
• Dedham, MA
• 7-12
• 39 reviews

Parent: Nobles is an amazing school, filled with caring teachers and administrators and smart, nice kids who are talented in a lot of ways. The theatre program is top notch, as is the music. My son started this year as a freshman and is having an amazing time-- being challenged in his honors classes, and trying so many different clubs, from Model UN, to Chess team, to a cappella to Chamber Singers, to writing for science and humanities publications. This is a school that really cares about the students' well-being. Every morning they gather for assembly which often has performances. It's a noticeably joyful place and we are so glad our son is there.
Read 39 Reviews

• A+

• 614 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Middlesex School

• Private School
• Concord, MA
• 9-12
• 51 reviews

Parent: Extraordinary school and community. My daughter had so many wonderful teachers and mentors who cared about her development. This is that rare school that offers challenge and opportunities galore in a nurturing community. Facilties are good but the people here make the difference. Size is perfect. Location on outskirts of Concord is bucolic yet only 20 miles from Boston. Student culture is collaborative and kind. Well-rounded experience for all, thought each student develops his own path.
Read 51 Reviews

• A+

• 409 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Winsor School

• Private School
• Boston, MA
• 5-12
• 65 reviews

Alum: Overall, my experience at Winsor was overwhelmingly positive. Personally, I would like to see a change in the school’s response to mental health issues. The school’s biggest asset is its faculty. My teachers were passionate, engaging, and valued me as an intellectual and as a person; I feel that they genuinely wanted to see me succeed. Some of my classmates disliked their Winsor experience, but Winsor was undoubtedly the perfect fit for me. Although the work at Winsor can be overwhelming at times, it's worth it. Winsor taught me crucial skills, including critical thinking and time management, and cultivated my intellectual curiosity and my love of learning. Winsor prepared me well for college; I entered college leagues ahead of many of my college classmates. I feel very fortunate to have attended Winsor and am thankful for the opportunities the school has given to me.
Read 65 Reviews

• A+

• 450 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Groton School

• Private School
• Groton, MA
• 8-12
• 35 reviews

Senior: Groton is the best! Great people who all care for you and amazing friends who become like your family. The classes are challenging and engaging. They are also small and discussion based and science classes have frequent labs. Teachers care a lot about supporting you in and out of the classroom. PLUS fun traditions, cool sports and clubs, and good food. not super amazing sports teams competitively (varies w/teams) but very fun and good way to make friends
Read 35 Reviews

• A+

• 368 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Milton Academy

• Private School
• Milton, MA
• K-12
• 114 reviews

Parent: Best school ever! Students are friendly and accepting, curriculum rigorous but fair and allows students to explore areas of content not classically seen in rote memorization-type of schools. Many opportunities outside of classroom to explore - including many sports teams (ISL school), theater and musical performances as well as a very strong speech and debate team.
Read 114 Reviews

• A+

• 1,020 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Boston University Academy

• Private School
• Boston, MA
• 9-12
• 42 reviews

Sophomore: It's a very tightknit community, and only as competitive as you make it. The courses are challenging, but nobody is expected to get all As here and it's only as stressful as you make it yourself. BUA's workload does, however, prepare you for college courses, especially the opportunity to take university courses in BU. There are plenty of clubs and activities, and new clubs are formed each year. Although the school is small, the art by the students are impressive. BUA does not primarily focus on sports, but its gym class offerings are fun and unique, like aerial silks or rock climbing. The teachers are helpful and the students are nice. Overall it's a great community and college-prep school.
Read 42 Reviews

• A+

• 201 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Concord Academy

• Private School
• Concord, MA
• 9-12
• 81 reviews

Junior: I have yet to meet a bad teacher or staff, and all the kids here are all extremely inclusive and nice. The facilities are great, the new renovations look amazing, and they have a wide range of food, trips, and other fun extras. Plus, this is the most convenient school around, and I absolutely adore Concord downtown, which is on extended campus. It’s very easily accessible, and has a wide variety of shops. I love it here!
Read 81 Reviews

• A+

• 398 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Commonwealth School

• Private School
• Boston, MA
• 9-12
• 24 reviews

Parent: Commonwealth's faculty deliver a level of academic rigor that I've been unable to find at other schools. Just as amazing to me is the amount of nurturing and support the school is able to provide to students in attaining their full potential. Thanks to Commonwealth's small size, students are able to meet one on one with their advisors on a weekly basis. A good number of the faculty have university teaching experience, yet it's abundantly clear from the individual attention they give students both in and out of the classroom that they're at Commonwealth because they love teaching and working with teenagers. Another key ingredient in the quality of this school are the students it attracts: bright, curious, unpretentious, and not cliquish. My daughter, who tends toward quiet and reserved, has been at the school as a ninth grader for under a month, but has already made close friends. We're extremely fortunate to have found this school; I can't recommend it enough!
Read 24 Reviews

• A+

• 132 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

• Private School
• Cambridge, MA
• PK, K-12
• 55 reviews

Freshman: I came to BB&N last year and it has been the best decision of my life! All the teachers truly make connections with the students and want to help each person succeed. The community is outstanding, and being at BB&N has helped me expand my comfort zone and I became interested in lots of extracurriculars that I wouldn't have access to at my previous school. I would without a doubt recommend BB&N to anyone looking for an accepting, balanced, and truly unbelievable high school experience!
Read 55 Reviews

• A+

• 1,014 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Roxbury Latin School

• Private School
• West Roxbury, MA
• 7-12
• 44 reviews

• A+

• 304 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. Mark's School

• Private School
• Southborough, MA
• 9-12
• 36 reviews

Senior: St. Mark's, overall it has been a life-changing experience. I have had many ups and downs while attending this school and it has taught valuable life-lessons. The school will sometimes illogically make decisions that are really pointless or negative to student-life/academics. Most of the positives regarding St. Mark's revolves around relationships that you make while attending. I will forever be thankful for St. Mark's.
Read 36 Reviews

• A+

• 365 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Belmont Hill School

• Private School
• Belmont, MA
• 7-12
• 16 reviews

Senior: Belmont Hill is incredible. The small class size all-boys environment is great for those who struggle in the classic sit-down-and-shut-up atmosphere of public school classrooms. Teachers are incredible and they clearly care about their students, both in their academic pursuits and outside the classroom. Sports are top tier, but the food is kinda trash.
Read 16 Reviews

• A+

• 450 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Rivers School

• Private School
• Weston, MA
• 6-12
• 27 reviews

Sophomore: Rivers is often underestimated. People compare it to schools like Nobles and think rivers isn’t as hard. That is very false. Nobles and similar schools are just ahead in their rankings because they tend to take people with more money so better colleges want to accept them (it has nothing to do with better academics). As a rivers student, I am far smarter and have way more homework than all of my friends at nobles. Rivers is a great school in which the teachers are always willing to meet with you. When looking at other local private schools, rivers may not have the highest ranking online, but it definitely is of the same value!
Read 27 Reviews

• A+

• 504 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Brooks School

• Private School
• North Andover, MA
• 9-12
• 43 reviews

Senior: For the first 2 years, I absolutely loved it. I loved how tight knit the school was, the small classes and the structured schedule. But as I reached my Junior year, I started feeling like this school was too small for me. For a person that is looking for a community, Brooks can definitely provide that. Students always say hi and because most faculties also live on campus, your teachers are not just your teachers but also your coach, dorm parent and more. But if you are looking to branch out and try a bunch of new things and explore yourself, Brooks might not be the place for you. Though Brooks does try to accommodate students like that, offering independent studies and the freedom to pick and choose classes senior year, it is just not the same as some bigger schools.
Read 43 Reviews

• A+

• 352 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Dana Hall School

• Private School
• Wellelsey, MA
• 5-12
• 48 reviews

Middle School Student: Dana made me feel accepted for who I am, and I’ve never felt this confident and never have had this much self-love. There’s something for every girl here. Whether you’re into athletics, visual arts, performing arts, computer science, model UN or equestrian, there’s something for you and they’re high quality. Teachers care about you and are understanding. People here are diverse, vibrant and all care about each other. There’s outstanding levels for everyone, from honors and AP to introductory. If you ever need help, there’s science, math and English lab during the day if you need help. Teachers are always happy to help you after class! It’s super safe and you can even walk to Wellesley center and get food like: ice cream, Starbucks, pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts and more, in less than a 5 minute walk!
Read 48 Reviews

• A+

• 468 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Lexington High School

• Lexington Public Schools, MA
• 9-12
• 326 reviews

Senior: Lexington High School is a very competitive school in terms of academics which I believe is makes every Lexington High School student ready for college. However, this very competitiveness can often be too much as I definitely wouldn't recommend this school for kids with mental health issues who wouldn't be able to handle stress and pressure. Furthermore, Lexington High School has top-notch extracurricular activities and clubs, especially in science and technology from its two competitive FTC Robotics Teams, Science Bowl, Math Team and many more as well as there being tons of clubs which have absolutely nothing to do with academics such as over five dance clubs, cultural clubs, language clubs, magic club, etc. I could go on. Lexington is one of the safest towns in Massachusetts so I would say that LHS is definitely a safe high school.
Read 326 Reviews

• A+

• 2,212 Students
• 13:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Cambridge School of Weston

• Private School
• Weston, MA
• 9-12
• 58 reviews

Alum: I went to CSW back in the 1970's ,my mother's idea , because I was on the verge of dropping out of school. I just wanted to be an artist, and saw no reason to go any farther,but after a year at CSW I loved the teachers and students, and many remained lifetime friends.I was able to direct my own course and went on to college, and became a professional artist. Since then I've travelled the world,exhibited over 100 times ,many times in Europe,China,Canada, the USA, and Korea.The teachers were excellent!
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• 325 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Brookline High School

• Public Schools of Brookline, MA
• PK, 9-12
• 313 reviews

Junior: Brookline High School is a pretty large high school with many different academic opportunities. This school really is what you make it, like most faculty there say. There are two levels of every class, and some have three or four. The most difficult part about that though is that there is a large gap between the standard and honors classes. Other than that though, I really have enjoyed my experience at Brookline High School. They have a relatively strong performing arts program and a very diverse range of classes for those specialties. Personally, I have enjoyed their photography and ceramics classes the most, but they also have many cooking, engineering and arts electives. There are also a lot of emotional and academic support systems in place for any student that wants it, but you have to be assertive to access them.
Read 313 Reviews

• A+

• 2,080 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Newton Country Day School

• Private School
• Newton, MA
• 5-12
• 42 reviews

Alum: I attended NCDS from 7-12th grade. My experience can be characterized by a mix of good and bad experiences. This school is very academically rigorous. There was never a shortage of homework, but there is a large support system for you if you are willing to reach out. The teachers are very invested in every student and their performance. One of my favorite things about NCDS is the teacher relationships I formed. Having teachers you can lean on and complain to is oddly one of the best and most comforting things about being a student there.
On the other hand, NCDS has a major lack of diversity. The faculty is almost 100% white and the student body also lacks diversity. Additionally, the teachers are not trained on how to handle racially charged situations and this often left students like me to handle it alone. I know the school is working on diversity but they need to work fast because their students of color are the ones who pay for the disparity.
Read 42 Reviews

• A+

• 406 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Boston Latin School

• Boston Public Schools, MA
• 7-12
• 459 reviews

Alum: This was an extremely great high school. It helped me prepared to college, and dare I even say, being in college now is easier than being in high school. Teachers and advisers are really supportive and are always there to help. I didn't do this, even though I should've, but seek help when you need it! There are tons of clubs and opportunities for you to make friends. There are even programs to help students look for internships. I really regretted not taking advantage of that because I was scared of my incapability. Everyone in this school is treated equally, so don't be afraid to dive into unfamiliar grounds.
Read 459 Reviews

• A+

• 2,453 Students
• 21:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Weston High School

• Weston Public Schools, MA
• 9-12
• 96 reviews

Senior: I like Weston's academic system, they tend to teach very important information to get us prepared for college. I am in the metco program and have been since kindergarten. Going into Weston High school has helped me a lot to prepare me for the real world. The teachers in high school do not chase you when it comes to homework, projects, and etc to be done, that is all on you. I like how Weston is very serious when it comes to the requirements of making sure we graduate. You could be the worst student in the whole school and yet they make sure you graduate because Weston wants to see you succeed.
Read 96 Reviews

• A+

• 694 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Newton North High School

• Newton Public Schools, MA
• 9-12
• 350 reviews

Senior: Newton North High School is a great school! The teachers are understanding and will help you with your problems. There are many clubs to help you find your community. The students here are nice and open minded. There is always a staff member that you can find who can help you with any problem you have. Newton North will help you prepare for college, you can find help from either your teachers or college counselors.
Read 350 Reviews

• A+

• 2,148 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Governor's Academy

• Private School
• Byfield, MA
• 9-12
• 53 reviews

Alum: I felt that the community was very close knit and the teachers were very supportive. Despite being a day student I felt very connected to the community. The school encourages you to try a multitude of new things which helps you become more well rounded. I was involved in both the arts and sports, and I enjoyed both and thought both programs were very well run. I also think that the academics prepared me very well for college.
Read 53 Reviews

• A+

• 406 Students
• 4:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Newton South High School

• Newton Public Schools, MA
• 9-12
• 272 reviews

Senior: The school has prepared me very well for college and I find enjoyment in most of my classes. I have gotten 10 years worth of stress in 4 years...but I guess I'm prepared for college! In all seriousness, I find that most of the teachers are very well qualified, enthusiastic, and eager to interact with their students. The administration, on the other hand, is quite passive regarding any student complaints. The food is definitely not good in any way; when I was there, South had pipe burst issues, rat infestation issues, and wifi issues. Considering the amount of tax money the Newton county provides to the schools and considering the state of Newton North High School, I think the health and safety standards could definitely be improved. Overall, as a student, I feel as though I had a variety of very well educated teachers from a variety of backgrounds that were able to widen my view on all topics and matters.
Read 272 Reviews

• A+

• 1,893 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio