The Best Private High School in Every State

With an average SAT score of 1380 and an average ACT score of 31, the Albuquerque Academy has the best test scores of any private high school in New Mexico. The non-denominational independent school educates nearly 1,200 students grades six to 12, emphasizing experiential education. The school’s tuition is over $25,000 per year, but about one-quarter of students get financial assistance.

Of the 257 private high schools in New York, Trinity School ranks as the best. The high school, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, has a 6:1 student teacher ratio, well below the typical nationwide ratio of 17:1. Such a low student-to-teacher ratio allows students to receive more individualized attention and participate more in class.

One of the main reasons Trinity ranks as the best private high school in New York is the students’ test scores. Students at the school average 34 on the ACT — tied with 11 other schools for the highest average among private high schools. The students’ average SAT score is 1500, one of just six private schools in the country where students score at least that high.

With an average SAT score of 1390 and an average ACT score of 32 among its students, Cary Academy in Cary, North Carolina, ranks first in the state and in the top 100 in the country for its university exam test scores. The school received A+ grades from Niche for its academics, teachers, clubs and activities, and college prep. The school’s curriculum emphasizes four values — discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

Fargo’s Shanley High School & Sullivan Middle School is one of just nine private high schools in North Dakota. It is one of the smaller schools on this list, with just 541 pupils. According to a Niche poll, most students and parents feel that teachers at the school give engaging lessons and genuinely care about the students. Though the average ACT score of 28 among students is lower than most other schools on this list, it is the best of any private high school in the state. Shanley High School’s average SAT score of 1350 ranks second among private high schools in the state.

Hawken School is located in Gates Mills, Ohio, a village just a few miles East of Cleveland. The school’s student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1 is one of the lowest in the country, allowing students to get more personalized attention, which can benefit their education.

Though Hawken boasts one of the best average ACT score of any private Ohio high school, at 31, the school’s average SAT score of 1360 ranks eighth.