Best Private High School in Every State

Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, ranks as the best private school in the United States. Almost as old as the country itself, Phillips Academy is the oldest incorporated boarding school in the country. There are only 13 students in the average class, and 11% of the student body are international, and 53% are students of color. The average SAT score at Phillips is 1470, tied for the highest among private schools in Massachusetts and above over 95% of all test scores nationwide among private schools.

The most popular universities for Phillips graduates are Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Stanford. Tuition at Phillips is $46,400 for day students and $59,850 for boarding students.

Cranbrook Schools, located on a 319-acre campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, enroll nearly 1,700 students — 800 of whom are in high school. There are seven students for every teacher at Cranbrook and four out of every five Cranbrook faculty members have a master’s or doctoral degree.

On average, Cranbrook students score better on college admissions exams than over 90% of all test takers nationwide. The most popular colleges and universities for Cranbrook graduates are University of Michigan, Michigan State, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard.

Mounds Park Academy, a private school in St. Paul, Minnesota, boasts one of the highest average SAT scores of any private school in the state, at 1400. The school, which opened in 1982, covers grades K-12 and boasts a perfect graduation rate. The high school curriculum at Mounds Park is focused on college prep, cultivating independent thought, and balancing academics with athletics and the arts.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Ridgeland, Mississippi, was founded in 1947 and today ranks as the best private school in the state. The school’s curriculum is focused on college prep and service, as high school students take on a service learning project. Past projects include building houses in Mississippi with Habitat for Humanity and humanitarian work in Cuba.

Less expensive than most schools on this list, tuition at St. Andrew’s is $20,050, and the average financial aid package is nearly $8,000.

The John Burroughs School in St. Louis is nationally recognized for its STEM program. It also has a strong track record for preparing students for college admissions exams. The average SAT score at the schools is 1420 — higher than about 95% of all scores nationwide.

Though, with a tuition of over $30,000, John Burroughs is one of the most expensive private schools in the state, some students benefit tremendously from financial aid. The average financial aid package in the school is $22,751 — more than every other Missouri private school.