2023 Best Schools in Guilford

• Wallingford, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.55 out of 5  170 reviews

Parent: Now that our son is a senior, I have actual experience to agree that Choate is the best school out there for our son. We are grateful for his continued growth as caring and kind young man, making life-long friends, with a solid academic foundation. Listening to his interests expand and develop in academic areas that we never expected really impressed us on how great Choate's teachers are engaging students to pursue their interests. In a conversation, our son said, "my friend xxx" and we didn't know who he was and asked which dorm he was in, and our son said, "he teaches." It was really wonderful to hear that he genuinely thinks some of his teachers are his friends. It makes a huge difference to have such mentors in boarding school. Not to mention, the community and environment is nurturing with good guidance for young adults in learning to make effective choices. In addition, he's an athlete committed to play D1 sports. These 4 years have been awesome.... Read 170 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 868

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Hamden, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.47 out of 5  104 reviews

Parent: My children attend & attended Hamden Hall. They have been phenomenally prepared for college and beyond! My children have been given access to educational & social diversity that is hardly available elsewhere. The tools to be successful in school & life are learned at every level at Hamden Hall. Diversity is encouraged enhanced, and supported! The school’s support of the Arts is without equal!... Read 104 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 600

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Middletown, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  240 reviews

Senior: I transitioned from Wolcott High School to Xavier High School in my junior year. The first time I walked into Xavier, I felt the difference in the environment immediately. Everyone was invested in education, faith, service, and being involved in extracurricular activities. The academic pace was faster with a more challenging curriculum. I had spent two years with no science labs, mostly virtual learning, absent teachers, and a lack of consistent instruction due to COVID-19, so it was extremely difficult to adapt to the rigors of a private school. I had to balance good grades, working to make a better basketball team, and trying to make new friends. Being part of clubs and the basketball team helped me connect with many of the students and teachers. What started off as a hardship soon developed into an opportunity to excel in my education, better prepare for college, establish outstanding friendships, and made for an awesome academic experience these past two years.... Read 240 reviews

• grade A

• Students 600

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  214 reviews

Junior: Guilford High School is an engaging, challenging, and cooperative environment with driven teachers who push each and every student to perform to the highest standard. With a sweeping variety of AP, IB, and ECE classes, the alumni tend to perform outstandingly in college or post-high school environments. Guilford High School additionally has a reputation of being extremely high achieving in the performing arts, with one of the best theater and music programs on the shoreline.... Read 214 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,102

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• West Haven, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.21 out of 5  122 reviews

Junior: Notre Dame High school is truly a special place. As someone who has gone to five different schools, Notre Dame is by far the best one. What sets Notre Dame apart isn't its great academics or competitive sports, but its culture. Notre Dame is the only high school in the world where the entire building is just one large community of brothers. Every student knows each other, as well as the teachers at a personal level. We are all seeking improvement, excellence, and to make a difference. Walking into the building feels like walking into home. Above all, Notre Dame aims to create Notre Dame men, which are men who are compassionate, serving, hard-working, and competent. Each faculty member in the building understands this goal and guides students to it. Notre Dame has something to offer everyone, from sports to academics to even clubs, there is plenty of room for personalization and growth. Overall, the best way to describe Notre Dame is a supporting and caring family.... Read 122 reviews

• grade A

• Students 533

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• PK, K-4

• grade A

• Students 292

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 2.89 out of 5  9 reviews

• grade A

• Students 493

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Public School•

• K-12

• grade A

• Students 774

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• 5-6

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  1 review

• grade A

• Students 468

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Westbrook, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: My son is truly happy at Oxford Academy. Academically is it a dream! His teachers challenge him but are willing to slow things down if it appears he is struggling (you won't find that in a traditional school). This can allow for extra review in an area so that the concepts become clearer before moving on (that is key to a student with ADHD). The parent portal is excellent with weekly reviews and term reports. Each teacher explains (in detail) what is involved with the day-to-day class time explaining what they worked on and how they approached solutions to help the student understand and be successful. Being that the ratio is 1:1 students are 100% accountable so there's no excuse for not understanding what's expected. The standards are high, consistent and fair. The staff is like family and I have no doubt that they care for my son.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 48

• Student-teacher ratio 2:1

• Middletown, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.31 out of 5  235 reviews

Parent: As parents, we are pleased and happy that our daughter spent her four years of high school at Mercy. She grew, learned, and made beautiful connections within a caring community. The school provided her with a solid academic curriculum, competitive sports program, a variety of clubs, and a strong sense of social responsibility through the school’s participation in community service activities. Her preparation and involvement helped her being accepted into multiple college programs with the opportunity to continue her participation in sports and diverse scholastic activities. We appreciate all the support from its teachers, staff, and coaches. We highly recommend Mercy High School!... Read 235 reviews

• grade A

• Students 397

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• K-4

• grade A

• Students 230

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• K-4

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: We joined Melissa Jones mid school year in 2016 and the transition was amazingly smooth. We were warmly welcomed by the office, principal, teachers and staff. The teachers are wonderful and communication is great from the classroom, office and PTO. MJS has small class sizes and works hard at academics in a nurturing, mindful way while incorporating social-emotional education as well. The PTO is great too! Tons of parent involvement at the school and enough opportunity for anyone who wants to help!... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 249

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Guilford Public Schools, CT•

• K-4

• grade A minus

• Students 241

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Regional School District No. 13, CT•

• 8-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  129 reviews

Senior: I had an amazing experience at Coginchaug Regional High School. I was able to make tons of friends and gain an amazing education (especially for a public school). Additionally, the overall support from the school was pretty good I would just say that mental health should be promoted more. Overall, though, the school is very connected and there is no tolerance for bullying etc.... Read 129 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 447

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.52 out of 5  151 reviews

Senior: I can only speak on Amistad High School since that is the only one I attended. It was a great experience. It was academically challenging, but there was many places of support and the extracurriculars available here really brought the school culture together. I personally had great teachers throughout my time here, but I heard some people didn't have such a great experience. It's a great school since it prepares you for college quite well and as a Senior now I'm glad I got into my dream school.... Read 151 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,134

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Public School•

• K-7

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: What’s not to love. Booker T’s academics are phenomenal, preparing our kids for the future now is essential and that’s what they do. Great staff and family oriented environment. Work hard, get smart!... Read 2 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 480

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Connecticut Technical High School, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.1 out of 5  59 reviews

Senior: I liked how most of the teachers at the school were there to help further your educational goals. I also really enjoyed my chosen trade of Criminal Justice and Protective services. Because through that trade I was able to learn about the innerworkings of police reports, emergency management, and medical emergencies. Also, through it I was able to gain a lot of certifications like stop the bleed, basic life support, and different emergency management ones. Things I would like to see changed at the school is for more interesting academic classes. For example, in English class I would like more options when it comes to reading. Or an actual math class instead of it being all online.... Read 59 reviews

• grade C

• Students 404

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Public School•

• PK, K-6

• grade C minus

• Students 259

• Student-teacher ratio 37:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 2.88 out of 5  8 reviews

Senior: Highville Charter School was a very interactive and exciting experience, to take part. Its one of the few high schools that I see with a starting year of preschool all the way to high school! The children at this school tend to build very lifelong bonds with each other and develop even closer relationships with their friendly staff. Though the school is not as big as other high schools, it helps each grade build close relationships with each other. When attending Highville Charter School's high school portion, you will have the ability to take college courses and be able to leave high school with an associates degree such as how I graduated high school with an associate's degree in Management. Something Highville Charter School needs to improve on is being able to separate its pre-school and middle school from its high school. There are times where the younger kids take the areas of study away from, the older kids and end up merging in with their fields of study space.... Read 8 reviews

• grade D+

• Students 447

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Private School•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  10 reviews

Parent: Our son has been at St. Thomas’s-affectionately known as STTS- for the last three years. Since day one, he has enjoyed his experience at this school- the dedicated teachers he’s had and the wonderful friends he’s made. STTS thinks a lot about the child and the child’s everyday experience. This has been especially important with the rise of COVID- for all of the children, big and small, to have help navigating their new world and the feelings that come up as a result. Their level of care as we continue to navigate the ever-changing parameters of this new normal has been thoughtful and unmatched. Through it all, they’ve kept community spirits high and incorporated some fun for the kids as well. It’s been great being a part of the STTS community- we couldn’t have made a better choice!... Read 10 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 120

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• New Haven, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  9 reviews

Parent: We have one daughter attending Cold Spring School, and we have appreciated and love how thoughtful every aspect of the school is from the curriculum, combined grades, and detailed feedback to the community and commitment to social justice. We feel as though our daughter is seen and heard, supported and challenged, learning and learning how to learn.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 154

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Middlefield, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  12 reviews

Parent: We were initially attracted to IDS because of the small class size and the attention to “soft skills” such as kindness, respectfulness, and embracing one another’s differences. We knew that our child would be exposed to curricular opportunities that were not available to us in our local elementary school, such as Spanish language instruction in the early grades, as well as science education, in general, and experiential learning, in particular, with the school’s on-site nature trail and its commitment to using the natural wonder of the outdoors to teach various age appropriate scientific concepts. Our child also has the opportunity for after school activities such as on-campus music lessons, enrichment programs (Legos were a big favorite), and, in the summertime, there are several weeks of camp for students of all ages. IDS has a faculty of engaged and enthusiastic teachers who are committed to educating the whole student. We love being part of this community!... Read 12 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 163

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Middletown, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  14 reviews

Parent: My 3 sons all attend St. John Paul II School in Middletown. I'll be very honest; the relief I have felt over the last two years has been immeasurable. The school has always been wonderful with a strong, tight community of families, parents, educators and administrators. Here, everyone is always on the same page...trying to do right by the kids. However, after the last two years with Covid, quarantines and distance learning, I have fallen in love with the school again and again. The teachers pivoted, over a weekend, into distance learning. It was challenging for all of us, but the teachers and admin were always on the other side working with us to do the best for our kids. I am so grateful for the care and education my sons are receiving. The school is safe, driven by their mission and they nurture our children with compassion, care and a sense of obligation. Lions forever!... Read 14 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 207

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Madison, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 4.57 out of 5  28 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a current 8th-grade student here, I joined in 7th grade after covid hit, and it's safe to say it was the best decision of my life. I have made so many wonderful friends and I am very sad to leave them and start my high school career. I would 100% recommend this school to any parent looking for a school for their child. You could join in 8th grade and still feel like you have known these people all your life. I am very grateful for this experience and I am very sad it is coming to an end so soon. We are leaving for the 8th grade Utah trip on May 31st, which will be my last day at this school except for graduation. I will most definitely cry. Love this school!... Read 28 reviews

• grade A

• Students 215

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1