Most Expensive Private High Schools in America
Courtesy of Squaw Valley Academy via Facebook 40. Squaw Valley Academy > Yearly tuition: $52,950 > Enrollment: 62 > Student teacher ratio: 6:1 > Location: Olympic Valley, California Courtesy of American University Preparatory School via Facebook 39. American University Preparatory…
As the summer comes to an end, an estimated 56.6 million American children and teens will soon attend school. Some 3.7 million students are expected to graduate from high school at the end of the academic year — and about 9% of them will receive diplomas from private, rather than public institutions.
Unlike public schools, which are largely funded by local taxes, private schools derive revenue from tuition fees. For many parents, tuition costs are worth it for some of the benefits private schools typically offer. These can include flexibility in curriculum design, smaller class sizes, the option for a single sex education, and perhaps most importantly, a better quality education as evidenced by higher overall standardized test scores.
For these and other advantages a private high school education can provide, some parents are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars a year. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed yearly tuition data for over 3,000 private high schools to identify the most expensive private high schools in America. Tuition costs came from Niche, a school data clearinghouse.
For many American students, high school is a stepping stone to college — and college admissions are more competitive now than ever before. A private high school education can often provide students with a leg-up in the college admissions process. This can be especially important for those with the goal of getting into the best college or university possible. These are the hardest colleges to get into in each state.
It is important to note that tuition cost is not necessarily an indication of school quality and reputation. While this list certainly includes some of the most prestigious private high schools in the country, there are also many renowned institutions with lower tuitions than any schools on this list. Here is a list of the best private high school in each state.
Click here to see the most expensive private high schools in America
Click here to read our methodology
50. Léman Manhattan Preparatory School
> Yearly tuition: $50,850
> Enrollment: 880
> Student teacher ratio: 9:1
> Location: New York, New York
49. The Hewitt School
> Yearly tuition: $50,900
> Enrollment: 525
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: New York, New York
48. Middlesex School
> Yearly tuition: $51,212
> Enrollment: 409
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Concord, Massachusetts
47. The Rivers School
> Yearly tuition: $51,400
> Enrollment: 504
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Weston, Massachusetts
46. The Lawrenceville School
> Yearly tuition: $51,440
> Enrollment: 822
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey
45. Concord Academy
> Yearly tuition: $51,455
> Enrollment: 401
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Concord, Massachusetts
44. Milton Academy
> Yearly tuition: $51,460
> Enrollment: 1,020
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: Milton, Massachusetts
43. Marymount School of New York
> Yearly tuition: $51,750
> Enrollment: 759
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: New York, New York
42. Trevor Day School
> Yearly tuition: $52,600
> Enrollment: 785
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: New York, New York
41. Shattuck-St. Mary’s School
> Yearly tuition: $52,750
> Enrollment: 501
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Faribault, Minnesota
40. Squaw Valley Academy
> Yearly tuition: $52,950
> Enrollment: 62
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Olympic Valley, California
39. American University Preparatory School
> Yearly tuition: $53,000
> Enrollment: 23
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Los Angeles, California
38. Horace Mann School
> Yearly tuition: $53,200
> Enrollment: 1,694
> Student teacher ratio: 8:1
> Location: Bronx, New York
36. Collegiate School (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $53,900
> Enrollment: 651
> Student teacher ratio: 8:1
> Location: New York, New York
36. St. Thomas More School (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $53,900
> Enrollment: 110
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Oakdale, Connecticut
35. Linden Hall
> Yearly tuition: $54,200
> Enrollment: 212
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Lititz, Pennsylvania
34. Learning Prep School
> Yearly tuition: $54,849
> Enrollment: 194
> Student teacher ratio: 2:1
> Location: West Newton, Massachusetts
33. The MacDuffie School
> Yearly tuition: $55,450
> Enrollment: 274
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Granby, Massachusetts
32. St. Andrew’s School
> Yearly tuition: $55,500
> Enrollment: 310
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Middletown, Delaware
31. Grier School
> Yearly tuition: $55,900
> Enrollment: 300
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Birmingham, Pennsylvania
30. Vincent Smith School
> Yearly tuition: $56,300
> Enrollment: 57
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Port Washington, New York
29. Avenues: The World School
> Yearly tuition: $56,400
> Enrollment: 1,537
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: New York, New York
28. Eagle Hill School
> Yearly tuition: $57,200
> Enrollment: 210
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Hardwick, Massachusetts
27. Woodberry Forest School
> Yearly tuition: $57,250
> Enrollment: 399
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: Woodberry Forest, Virginia
25. South Kent School (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $58,000
> Enrollment: 170
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: South Kent, Connecticut
25. The Churchill School & Center (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $58,000
> Enrollment: 399
> Student teacher ratio: 7:1
> Location: New York, New York
24. Kent School
> Yearly tuition: $58,450
> Enrollment: 575
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Kent, Connecticut
23. Midland School
> Yearly tuition: $58,600
> Enrollment: 75
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Los Olivos, California
22. The Hill School
> Yearly tuition: $59,050
> Enrollment: 525
> Student teacher ratio: 8:1
> Location: Pottstown, Pennsylvania
21. Northwood School
> Yearly tuition: $59,920
> Enrollment: 193
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Lake Placid, New York
20. Chamberlain International School
> Yearly tuition: $60,000
> Enrollment: 77
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Middleboro, Massachusetts
19. Landmark School
> Yearly tuition: $60,400
> Enrollment: 475
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Prides Crossing, Massachusetts
18. Episcopal High School
> Yearly tuition: $60,900
> Enrollment: 451
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Alexandria, Virginia
17. Salisbury School
> Yearly tuition: $61,000
> Enrollment: 310
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Salisbury, Connecticut
16. Newgrange School
> Yearly tuition: $61,189
> Enrollment: 87
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Hamilton, New Jersey
15. The Storm King School
> Yearly tuition: $61,700
> Enrollment: 198
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
13. St. Paul’s School (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $62,000
> Enrollment: 534
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Concord, New Hampshire
13. Trinity-Pawling School (tied)
> Yearly tuition: $62,000
> Enrollment: 286
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Pawling, New York
12. Wasatch Academy
> Yearly tuition: $62,300
> Enrollment: 296
> Student teacher ratio: 6:1
> Location: Mt Pleasant, Utah
11. Aaron School
> Yearly tuition: $62,750
> Enrollment: 152
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: New York, New York
10. IMG Academy
> Yearly tuition: $63,000
> Enrollment: 994
> Student teacher ratio: 12:1
> Location: Bradenton, Florida
9. Berkshire School
> Yearly tuition: $64,200
> Enrollment: 408
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Sheffield, Massachusetts
8. The Lang School
> Yearly tuition: $65,000
> Enrollment: 50
> Student teacher ratio: 2:1
> Location: New York, New York
7. Mary McDowell Friends School
> Yearly tuition: $66,010
> Enrollment: 398
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Brooklyn, New York
6. The Oxford Academy
> Yearly tuition: $67,000
> Enrollment: 48
> Student teacher ratio: 2:1
> Location: Westbrook, Connecticut
5. The Woodhall School
> Yearly tuition: $74,500
> Enrollment: 42
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Bethlehem, Connecticut
4. The Quad Preparatory School
> Yearly tuition: $74,850
> Enrollment: 113
> Student teacher ratio: 2:1
> Location: New York, New York
3. Brehm Preparatory School
> Yearly tuition: $77,500
> Enrollment: 64
> Student teacher ratio: 4:1
> Location: Carbondale, Illinois
2. Forman School
> Yearly tuition: $78,600
> Enrollment: 230
> Student teacher ratio: 3:1
> Location: Litchfield, Connecticut
1. Shortridge Academy
> Yearly tuition: $85,000
> Enrollment: 40
> Student teacher ratio: 5:1
> Location: Milton, New Hampshire
Methodology
To identify the most expensive private high schools in America, 24/7 Wall St. pulled yearly tuition data for 3,000 private schools in the U.S. from Niche. Schools that withheld tuition information, or schools where the cost of tuition is dependent on a variety of factors (income, grades, etc.), were excluded from consideration. The number of students, student-to-teacher ratio, and the schools overall rank in the nation also came from Niche.
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Sam Stebbins is a writer at 247WallSt.com where his primary focus is on government policy, politics, companies, and broad social and economic trends. Sam has been writing in the money and news verticals for over 8 years and holds a bachelor's degree from Hobart College, which he earned in 2010. Sam resides in upstate New York and enjoys hiking, biking, canoeing, and skiing in the Adirondack Mountains and across the Northeast.
