2019 Best Schools in MissouriAbout this List

John Burroughs School

• Private School
• ST. LOUIS, MO
• 7-12
• 51

Alum: I graduated from JBS in 2016. It was a fantastic school! The student body is so diverse; everyone you meet can have wildly different viewpoints, and the students are open and enthusiastic to debate those viewpoints in the classroom and out of the classroom. The academics are tough, challenging and worth it. After graduating with honors and having taken some hard AP classes in high school, coming to college felt like a breeze. Burroughs prepares you so well for higher learning, and it inspired me to stay informed and look around for all different types of perspectives in everything in life.
Read 51 Reviews

• A+

• 610 Students
• 6:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Saint Louis Priory School

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• 7-12
• 76

Alum: I loved my experience at Priory, from start to finish. I felt challenged, but not overly-stressed. Time management was a cinch in college thanks to my time at Priory -and entering college with nearly two semester's worth of credits helped offset some of the cost (or so my parents tell me, ha). The school is very diverse for a Catholic school, but not as diverse as a public school or JBS.
My friends from Priory are friends for life, and I will not hesitate to highly recommend it to anyone who would be a good fit for the challenge.
Read 76 Reviews

• A+

• 443 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• PK, K-12
• 124

Parent: We have been at MICDS for 6 years and have found that the vast majority of both the teachers in Middle and Upper Schools have been very invested in my children. They make themselves accessible to help when it is needed. Members of school Administration are easy to talk to, accessible and very child centered. The breadth of clubs, organizations and experiences that are available to participate in at MICDS are like no other! The new STEM building, stadium, field and Aquatic Center make our high school campus facilities top of the line!
Read 124 Reviews

• A+

• 1,240 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Clayton High School

• School District of Clayton, MO
• 9-12
• 117

Parent: Clayton is a wonderful school. The environment is conducive to promoting positive learning experiences. The family support(s) and resources are always available.
The students are very welcoming, constantly sharing their knowledge of educational experiences and showing team building spirit!
The school is recognized for achieving state standards, diversity , positive school culture, and college readiness programs.
Clayton high school is the best school chosen by many! And always a good choice of schools to attend.
Read 117 Reviews

• A+

• 870 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Thomas Jefferson School

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• 7-12
• 25

Alum: I am an alum of Thomas Jefferson School ('03) and still remain involved with the school. Unequivocally, TJ helped shape not only how I think and learn, but also who I am today. The faculty is not only deeply knowledgeable in their content areas, but also takes great joy in working directly with students. The curriculum is extremely rigorous, and I found I needed to get to my junior year of college before the coursework challenged me in a way that I was challenged in high school. Given the small size of the school, it's not for everyone, but anyone looking for an immersive experience that is guaranteed to change a child's life trajectory, consider TJ.
Read 25 Reviews

• A+

• 85 Students
• 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

St. Louis University High School

• Private School
• St. Louis, MO
• 9-12
• 160

Alum: Challenging academics, excellent athletics, and a great community. St Louis U High was an incredible place to call home for my high school experience. If you are up to the challenge of getting a jump start on college preparedness, join the SLUH community. It is well worth it!
Read 160 Reviews

• A+

• 1,050 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Pembroke Hill School

• Private School
• Kansas City, MO
• PK, K-12
• 63

Senior: Pembroke Hill is a great place to go to school! The community is small so you get close with teachers and students. Everyone is always willing to help you and never judges you. The academic stress can get high, and it is defiantly not a relaxed environment, but you will receive a great education. The college counseling isn't the best. We pride our selves on being a college prep school, however, we don't get a college consoler until junior year. That would be my only complaint with my school!
Read 63 Reviews

• A+

• 1,113 Students
• 9:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

The Barstow School

• Private School
• Kansas City, MO
• PK, K-12
• 25

Alum: Teachers are incredible- all very knowledgeable and committed to success of their students. The English and History department teachers are especially impressive. The administration, however, is top-heavy, and overly concerned with external image. Their interests seem to be monetarily focused rather than on the welfare and happiness of students. I attended Barstow for over 13 years and am grateful for the education I received and the relationships I made, but saw a significant drop in morale among both students and teachers in recent years.
Read 25 Reviews

• A+

• 710 Students
• 9:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Whitfield School

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• 6-12
• 14

Parent: Sweeeeet and studious kids! Very inclusive, yet competitive and achievement-oriented. Great college prep!
Read 14 Reviews

• A+

• 440 Students
• 7:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Lafayette High School

• Rockwood R-VI School District, MO
• 9-12
• 265

Alum: Academics can be excellent, plenty of opportunities for any kid and any interest-
If your son is into sports- I’d give careful consideration. Football is mediocre, wrestling program is top notch, basketball for boys mediocre, volleyball for boys average- Baseball pathetic. The Varsity team rarely practices and the head coach is awful! All the talent in the World and he simply doesn’t care. They play about 2/3rds the games of most any other school or less. If Lafayette hired a head Coach that cared at all - I would give 5 stars. Really sad- if Baseball is important to your son, evaluate your options.
Read 265 Reviews

• A+

• 1,874 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Rockhurst High School

• Private School
• Kansas City, MO
• 9-12
• 118

Alum: I loved Rockhurst High School because it allowed me to concentrate on growing up with only young men around me which was super comfortable because I didn't feel any pressure to be someone I wasn't just because there was a girl over there. It also gave me opportunity to be part of a brotherhood with 1000 other men. For me another extremely big advantage was the then-amazing swim team I was able to be a part of and also the quickly growing and improving music program that I've grown to loving so much, forming one of my passions in life.
Read 118 Reviews

• A+

• 1,016 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Kirkwood Senior High School

• Kirkwood School District, MO
• 9-12
• 240

Alum: The campus of KHS is absolutely phenomenal. Especially the quality of atheltic fields, gyms, and architecture design being fitting for all students. The teachers and faculty are very considerate of the success for each individual student when I attended until graduation of 2016. Kirkwood implements an outstanding amount of technology and supplies students with iPads (now laptops) being distributed for academics. They really impacted me with school spirit and supplied many different options for courses that fit a vast amount of interests. I am proud to say I attended 4 years at this high school and can call myself a Pioneer!
Read 240 Reviews

• A+

• 1,779 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Chaminade College Preparatory School

• Private School
• St. Louis, MO
• 6-12
• 58

Senior: My time at Chaminade has been a fantastic one! From seeing the basketball team win state to seeing my brothers five days a week, Chaminade has made an environment for any young man to succeed in life. My Esto Vir journey has been one of ups and downs but the faculty, staff and students have always been there for me.
Read 58 Reviews

• A+

• 834 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Visitation Academy

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• PK, K-12
• 125

Senior: I love my school! The all girls environment allows the students to really push themselves academically. We have very strong core curriculum classes (sciences, english, math, etc.), yet our teachers encourage us to explore the fine arts. Our teachers are always available to help us when we need them and go above and beyond to make sure we are learning. The students are very self-driven and expect themselves to get really good grades. Our teachers often remind us that we should be more concerned about learning the material than receiving grades.
Read 125 Reviews

• A+

• 548 Students
• 10:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Ladue Horton Watkins High School

• Ladue School District, MO
• 9-12
• 190

Junior: Ladue Horton Watkins High School really is a great place. The students here are hardworking, diverse, friendly, and accepting. The curriculum is difficult, although plenty of students at Ladue take multiple AP classes throughout their high school career (I know several kids who are taking 9-10 by the end of their senior year.) My only issue is that although the kids here are nice, they can be a bit cliquey, so it's best to establish a friend group as soon as possible. Other than that, Ladue Horton Watkins High School is a great school!
Read 190 Reviews

• A+

• 1,301 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Marquette Senior High School

• Rockwood R-VI School District, MO
• 9-12
• 389

Senior: The teachers there are very knowledgeable in their area of expertise and strive to bring out every student's potential. Furthermore, there are a plethora of activities to choose from, ranging from cooking to robotics!
Read 389 Reviews

• A+

• 2,223 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Columbia Independent School

• Private School
• Columbia, MO
• PK, K-12
• 23

Junior: Columbia Independent School is very rigorous and academically challenging, and I am beginning to feel like there is sometimes too much focus on academic success over a student's well being. For me, this had not been a problem until this/my junior year. But also, junior year has been known to be a rough one. Otherwise, CIS is an excellent school with teachers who are interested in more than just your academics. They strive to get to know you and put in the time and effort in order to see you succeed. I have been at CIS for almost 12 years now and would not want to have gone anywhere else. Columbia Independent School has set me up for great success in college and beyond!
Read 23 Reviews

• A+

• 325 Students
• 8:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Cor Jesu Academy

• Private School
• Saint Louis, MO
• 9-12
• 142

Alum: Cor Jesu definitely prepared me for college. It taught me that school takes a lot of hard work and passion to see results. The teachers at Cor Jesu are amazing. They're my favorite part of the school. They don't talk down to you, they really want the best for you, and they know how to make learning fun. Cor Jesu is definitely requires a lot of work from their students with the harsh curriculum, but it's in the student's best interest!
Read 142 Reviews

• A+

• 626 Students
• 10:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Wydown Middle School

• School District of Clayton, MO
• 6-8
• 3

Parent: I'm so impressed with the individualized attention given to each student to ensure they are getting what they need to succeed. Without exception, the teachers have been responsive and proactive. Nothing is perfect however this place is pretty darn close!
Read 3 Reviews

• A+

• 648 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Notre Dame de Sion School

• Private School
• Kansas City, MO
• PK, K-12
• 97

Freshman: Notre Dame De Sion makes you feel welcoming. Coming from a school that doesn't really care about education & then coming to a place where everyone cares about education & seeing you make it is amazing. Amazing students, staff, and parents there that will help you get where you need to be! This school also teaches you about college readiness, but gives you lessons to use later on in life.
Read 97 Reviews

• A+

• 647 Students
• 11:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Parkway Central High School

• Parkway C-II School District, MO
• 9-12
• 123

Junior: I have had a very good time at Parkway Central High. Most teachers and staff are extremely helpful and will answer any questions students may have. My favorite thing would probably have to be how well they prepare you for college at Parkway Central. They have a myriad of AP courses available for the average student to take and they’re all very accessible and easy to get into. The classes are very challenging and have been preparing me extremely well for college. I can’t wait to see how my experiences here might resonate with the ones I have at college!
Read 123 Reviews

• A+

• 1,260 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

McKelvey Elementary School

• Parkway C-II School District, MO
• PK, K-5
• 2

Parent: My third child is now going through McKelvey. It has been an amazing school for all of my children. The best of the best.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• 584 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Greenwood Laboratory School

• Private School
• Springfield, MO
• K-12
• 28

Alum: Greenwood is a small private school with a hardworking and driven student body. Academics are fairly rigorous, and while sports culture is weak in comparison to larger schools, there seems to be high involvement in athletics despite the school's smaller numbers. The high school counselor, who has a great bond with all of the students, enhances school spirit and overall involvement in activities. It is very easy to create bonds with your teachers and have one-to-one learning opportunities due to the small class sizes, which I think is a factor behind the school's general academic success. Adjusting as a new student is easy, as most people are quite welcoming. Most students at Greenwood have known each other since kindergarten which creates very tight-knit classes, and thus a comfortable environment to be in, even as a newer student like myself. Overall, my experience at Greenwood was a positive one--I made good friends, close bonds with teachers and feel fairly prepared for college.
Read 28 Reviews

• A+

• 375 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

George R. Robinson Elementary School

• Kirkwood School District, MO
• K-5

• A+

• 491 Students
• 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

North Glendale Elementary School

• Kirkwood School District, MO
• K-5

• A+

• 586 Students
• 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio