Private School

The Miami Valley School

#1 in Best Private High Schools in Dayton Area

grade A+
Overall Grade
Private
PK, K-12
DAYTON, OH
Rating 3.98 out of 5 80 reviews

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A+

Overall Niche Grade

How are grades calculated?Data Sources

Academics
grade A+
Diversity
grade A
Teachers
grade A minus
College Prep
grade A+
Clubs & Activities
grade B+
Sports
grade C+

mvschool.com

(937) 434-4444

5151 DENISE DRIVE
DAYTON, OH 45429

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About The Miami Valley School...

Ohio

Applying

Application Deadline

Rolling Admissions

Application Fee

$75

Interview Required

Yes

Required/Recommended Tests

Tuition

Yearly Tuition

$22,961

Tuition is for the highest grade offered and may have changed for the current school year. For more information, please contact the school.

Received Financial Aid

49%

Average Financial Aid

$11,000

From The Miami Valley School

The Miami Valley School is Dayton's only independent, nonsectarian college preparatory school for grades Pre-K through 12.

Since its founding in 1964, MVS has been a leader in experience-based education, an approach that is guided by its signature MVS Immersion Method. MVS challenges students to become self-sustaining learners and compassionate global citizens by empowering them to explore their passions in a supportive, diverse learning environment. The results speak for themselves: 100% of MVS graduates attend top colleges, with 94% of the Class of 2022 being accepted at institutions marked "highly competitive" on the Barron's Selectivity Index.

Visit our campus and learn why students don't just come to MVS. Here, they become.

Upcoming Events

Ram for a Day: Shadow Day & Group Tours
October 9, 8:00 am
The Miami Valley School, 5151 Denise Dr, Dayton, OH 45429
View Event Description
Prospective families with children in pre-K through grade 12 are invited to schedule a “shadow day” for their student to visit classes on Monday, October 9. There will also be group tours of MVS for families at 8:30am and 10:00am. Come experience a day at Dayton’s #1-ranked private school, see the MVS Immersion Method in action, and become a Ram! Click to RSVP.
MVS Speaker Series: The Science of Reading with Eugene Greenfield
October 27, 6:30 pm
The Miami Valley School, 5151 Denise Dr, Dayton, OH 45429
View Event Description
Join Science of Reading expert Eugene Greenfield to learn all about the current research in how kids learn to read! This evening program, held at MVS at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 27, will help anyone who has a young learner in their life, or who is just curious about this important topic! Click to RSVP.
Academic Excellence at MVS: The Immersion Method
November 16, 6:30 pm
The Miami Valley School, 5151 Denise Dr, Dayton, OH 45429
View Event Description
In this interactive evening program, you’ll learn about how The Miami Valley School’s signature Immersion Method aligns with a 21st-century model of academic excellence and sets students up for success beyond school. MVS teachers will be on hand to share their learning philosophies and provide a sneak peek into their classrooms for short “master classes.” The Immersion Method, and its emphasis on learning through real-world experience, has defined excellence in education at MVS for 59 years. This approach challenges students to explore, connect, share, and reflect as key elements of the learning process while empowering them to dive deeply into their passions. Learn more at “Academic Excellence at MVS” on Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m. Click to RSVP.
In this interactive evening program, you’ll learn about how The Miami Valley School’s signature Immersion Method aligns with a 21st-century model of academic excellence and sets students up for success beyond school. MVS teachers will be on hand to share their learning philosophies and provide a sneak peek into their classrooms for short “master classes.” The Immersion Method, and its emphasis on learning through real-world experience, has defined excellence in education at MVS for 59 years. This approach challenges students to explore, connect, share, and reflect as key elements of the learning process while empowering them to dive deeply into their passions. Learn more at “Academic Excellence at MVS” on Thursday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m. Click to RSVP.

View All Upcoming Events

The Miami Valley School Rankings

Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.

See All The Miami Valley School Rankings

Academics

Average Graduation Rate

100%

Average SAT

1350

50 responses

Average ACT

54 responses

Niche College Admissions Calculator

Popular Colleges

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following colleges.

grade A+
The Ohio State University
46 Students
grade A+
Case Western Reserve University
30 Students
grade A minus
University of Cincinnati
30 Students
grade B+
Miami University
25 Students
grade A
University of Dayton
23 Students
grade A+
Carnegie Mellon University
22 Students
grade A+
New York University
22 Students
grade A+
Vanderbilt University
21 Students
grade A+
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
18 Students
grade A+
Boston University
16 Students

More About The Miami Valley School Academics

Individualized College Counseling

MVS' unique experiential education prepares every one of our graduates for the challenges of college and beyond. However, the MVS college process is not one-size-fits-all. Over their high school careers, every senior works with our Director of College Counseling to find the best place for them. At MVS, personalized college counseling is integral to student success. Visit us to learn more!

Learn More

Culture & Safety

Poll

75%

of students agree that they feel safe at their school. 24 responses

Poll

58%

of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there. 24 responses

Poll

What are your favorite school events or traditions?

Based on 71 responses

Immersion
21%
Graduation
18%
Convocation
15%
Musicals
10%
Soul food lunch
10%
Rocket Day
8%
Diversity day
7%

Students

Diversity

Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.

Students

490

83%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive. 24 responses

79%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy. 24 responses

38%

of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic. 24 responses

Preschool

Annual Cost

$11,768

Cost is for the most complete schedule offered and may have changed for the current school year. For more information, please contact the school.

Starting Age

3 years

Pre-K Student-Teacher Ratio

6:1

Website

mvschool.com/academics/early-childhood-school

Offers Full Week
Yes
Offers Part Week
No data available
Offers Full Day
Yes
Offers Part Day
Yes

Teachers

Student-Teacher Ratio

6:1

National

17:1

Poll

70%

of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons. 27 responses

Poll

78%

of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 27 responses

Poll

78%

of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom. 27 responses

Map

Homes For Sale

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Clubs & Activities

B+

Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.

Girls Athletic Participation

Boys Athletic Participation

69%

of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in. 16 responses

50%

of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need. 16 responses

38%

of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations. 16 responses

A minus

Overall Niche Grade

How are grades calculated?Data Sources

Cost of Living
grade B
Good for Families
grade B+
Housing
grade B minus

Median Household Income

$56,543

National

$69,021

Median Rent

$849

National

$1,163

Median Home Value

$133,400

National

$244,900

The Miami Valley School Reviews

80 reviews

So I only went to MVS for 2 years because I moved from Arizona to Ohio. This was my first time going to a private school and I was nervous being a new student. However, on my first day their were many students that came up to me and welcomed me and even showed me my classes. A lot was different than a public school. Their were advisories, lunches were longer, I got out of school later, and it was in such a secluded neighborhood. A couple of the best parts of MVS was that I made a bunch of international friends through the school and still we keep in contact, I was able to have such an awesome advisor, teachers that encouraged me through my classes and supported me, having a college counselor help me throughout the college process and even able to talk to my counselor when I was suffering with homesickness. The worst parts of MVS in my opinion is just that I had no time to rest. I felt very stressed and all over the place most days. Overall I would say that a change for MVS is diversity

Review The Miami Valley School

First off, I'll say that MVS USED to be a great school, and i had many great teachers.But there were a lot of changes in past 5-6 years none of which were for the better, and I assume it's only gotten worse since I left after middle school.Won't name names but the current leadership, particularly the leader of the lower school, completely wrecked it.Changed everything so MVS is not about anything it used to stand for and isn't delivering the same education to the kids.The staff changes constantly and they got rid of lots of great teachers and staff who made the school what it was.Now everything is about the image and attracting new students, when it used to be a school that really valued the students it did have a provided great education, taught critical thinking skills.Also always was weird drama with the admin/higher ups and lot of the issues at the school were kept very under wraps.Socially, just too small to have a normal or good experience.

We had not previously considered private school options for myriad reasons—cost and culture at typical private schools being the primary concerns. When we began looking for alternatives to public school, we were delighted to find an independent school that shares so many values with our family. MVS has so many different unique learning opportunities even in kindergarten (i.e. my son is learning Spanish and Mandarin, gets to visit the campus greenhouse, and has been on two field trips for immersion.)

One critical aspect for us was safety, and this school feels as safe as you can get. It's a positive community, with respectful parents and staff/administration that are all mindful of student health and safety. From what we've experienced, the leadership is communicative and transparent.

Report Card

About

Applying

Tuition

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Ram for a Day: Shadow Day & Group Tours

MVS Speaker Series: The Science of Reading with Eugene Greenfield

Academic Excellence at MVS: The Immersion Method

The Miami Valley School Rankings

YouTube Video

Academics

Popular Colleges

Individualized College Counseling

Culture & Safety

Instagram Posts

Students

Preschool

Teachers

Map

Home Listings

Clubs & Activities

Living in the Area

The Miami Valley School Reviews

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