Explore Private Schools in the U.S. & Worldwide

Students come to Andover to join 1100 smart, engaged, passionate students from around the world; to work with brilliant, accomplished teachers; to have access to unparalled resources; and to feel a sense of limitless opportunity. Education Week calls Andover "the quintessential boarding school [which] has remained true to its mission of building character while preparing students for college."

Founded in 1781, Phillips Exeter Academy originated the Harkness philosophy of teaching whereby 12 students and a teacher join in classes around an oval Harkness Table. Students from 44 states and 29 countries enjoy a rich curriculum of over 350 courses. More than $15 million in financial aid supports 48% of Exeter's students. An endowment of more than $800 million supports Exeter's commitment to academics, excellence in teaching, a diverse student body, a wide variety of co-curricular opportunities, and state-of-the-art facilities including the new Phelps Science Center and the Academy Center.

The mission of the Lawrenceville School is to inspire and educate promising young people from diverse backgrounds for responsible leadership, personal fulfillment and enthusiastic participation in the world. Through our unique House system, collaborative Harkness approach to teaching and learning, close mentoring relationships, and extensive co-curricular opportunities we help students to develop high standards of character and scholarship, a passion for learning, an appreciation for diversity, a global perspective, and strong commitments to personal, community, and environmental responsibility.

Choate Rosemary Hall is a co-educational boarding and day school for students grades 9-PG, located in New England USA. Choate provides intellectually talented students from various backgrounds an experience that enriches their lives and prepares them to contribute to an ever-changing world. We emphasize innovative curriculum, guided independent learning, active campus engagement, and formation of character.

Set on a beautiful campus less than an hour's drive from Boston, Groton is a small school offering big opportunities to students in grades 8 through 12. The extended family that is Groton shares a deep commitment of one to another and each to the whole. A broad-based curriculum includes particular advantages such as the opportunity to study two languages concurrently or pursue tutorial study of a subject one-on-one with a teacher. A school in the Episcopal tradition, Groton educates the whole person through wide-ranging art, athletic and service programs, the variety of perspectives reflected in a diverse student body and the unique leadership opportunity of the Groton prefect year. 37% of the student body receives $4.7 million dollars in financial aid annually.

Critical thinking, dynamic classrooms, and a spirited community all define Middlesex. Students pursue academic excellence in small, challenging, Socratic classes. An 18,000 square foot, state-of-the- art math and science building opened recently. A modern theater arts complex supports a deep commitment to the arts, and an expansive athletic center enhances a competitive athletic program. Middlesex's unique location encourages its students and faculty to draw on the extensive opportunities of a major urban center. Financial aid is awarded to over 30% of the student body. Students came from 32 states and 16 countries in the 2010-11 academic year.

Set on 2,000 wooded acres in New Hampshire's capital city, St. Paul's is one of a few U.S. schools that remains fully boarding, both for students and faculty. SPS is committed to the three essential elements of adolescent development – mind, body, and spirit. Students encounter rigorous academics and the highest levels of college preparation, with a new mathematics and science building opening in 2011. An expansive athletic center, two climbing walls, two indoor hockey rinks, two boathouses, and a 2,000-meter rowing course speak to the School’s emphasis on sports and fitness. The Episcopal tradition supports students of every faith, encouraging open discussion of spirituality in the modern world. Close adult-student relationships are at the core of SPS community life, with its emphasis on personal responsibility and service. Over $7.6 million in financial aid is awarded annually to support 37% of students.

Founded in 1891, Hotchkiss strives to develop in students a lifelong love of learning, responsible citizenship, and personal integrity. Our students come from 37 states and 33 foreign countries. Thirty-nine percent are students of color. Over $7.6 million in financial aid is available each year; 37 percent of students receive financial aid. With more than 248 courses, Hotchkiss offers a large-school academic experience with a small-school feeling. The average class size is 12, and facilities include a 97,500-item library, a visual arts center, two theatres, new state-of-the-art athletic and music centers, and a golf course and tennis courts, all on an 827-acre campus. Our athletic teams compete with remarkable success in 19 interscholastic sports, including baseball, basketball, cross-country, field hockey, football, golf, hockey,lacrosse, sailing, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, track, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. We also offer instruction in outdoor leadership, paddle tennis, rock climbing, spin cycling, and yoga. With a teacher:student ratio of 1:5 and course offerings that total 248, our students have exceptional opportunities for advancing their education and finding mentors on the faculty who will support them in their learning. Students, teachers, and staff members are equally important members in this community based on trust, mutual respect, compassion and shared intellectual curiosity.

The individuality, diversity, and quality of Concord Academy's faculty and student body make it an exceptional place to live and learn. Life at this boarding and day school is creative and inquisitive; the people are impassioned and involved. The school is academically demanding. Students participate in a range of artistic, athletic, and extracurricular activities. Large enough to offer 368 students a comprehensive program, it is small enough to provide a caring community. Set in an historic town near Boston, Concord Academy is a vibrant community enhanced by its culturally rich environment.

Deerfield Academy, a coeducational college-preparatory boarding school founded in 1797, is known for its high academic standards and cohesive school spirit. Deerfield nurtures its 630 students’ intellectual curiosity and encourages responsible citizenship through a rigorous curriculum. The outstanding faculty prepares students for competitive colleges and universities, challenging students in an academic program that includes Honors and Advanced Placement courses in nineteen subject areas, an extensive spring term elective program, and domestic and foreign off-campus study. Deerfield also provides over 120 varied athletic and extracurricular offerings. The 280-acre campus provides extraordinary facilities including an arts center and the Boyden Library, housing a broad-based collection of more than 75,000 items. The 80,000 square-foot Koch Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology houses 30 state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratory spaces, dedicated spaces for independent research, and a planetarium. Students, 35% supported by over $6.6 million in financial aid, are selected on the basis of academic promise, leadership potential, diversity of background, and the willingness to contribute to the school community.

Think. Act. Lead. Serve. These core values shape every aspect of life at The Webb Schools, where a dynamic curriculum—taught by expert, passionate teachers—is guided by current events and the unique interests of each class, keeping students engaged in meaningful, real-world applications of what they’re learning. With a multi-disciplinary approach and extensive humanities offerings, unique Advanced Studies courses, and inquiry-based math and science courses, Webb’s curriculum engages and challenges students. Webb empowers students to think critically, explore deeply, and connect ideas across subjects. Our 150-acre campus in Claremont, California, offers a peaceful, inspiring setting just outside Los Angeles—easily accessible from anywhere in the world, with Ontario International Airport less than 30 minutes away and approximately one hour to LAX. Signature Advanced Studies offerings designed by Webb faculty provide students with a profound and engaging experience centered on the breadth and depth of the material. Webb’s partnerships with top faculty at institutions like Harvey Mudd and Pomona Colleges provide rich academic experiences that prepare students for the rigors of higher education. Webb graduates attend leading colleges and universities, equipped with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive and lead in an ever-changing world.

Milton Academy, engages faculty and students in intense and challenging preparation for college and for life, in an environment that stimulates and supports extraordinary intellectual and personal growth. Day in and day out, in and out of class, faculty connect vitally with students – setting sights high, bringing opportunities to light, tackling big questions, affirming students’ individuality, and building their confidence and skill. Not only do they succeed at the most competitive universities in the country, Milton graduates' awareness, creativity and competence empower them to fully commit themselves to meaningful endeavors of all kinds, throughout the world. Milton Academy is located just eight miles south of Boston.

Located one mile from the ocean, in the foothills of Santa Barbara County, Cate School is a coeducational college preparatory boarding school. Founded in 1910, the School delivers a demanding academic program resulting in a breadth and depth of scholarly inquiry. Cate School seeks students with the capacity to handle a demanding college-preparatory curriculum, with the curiosity to engage in our student-centered small classes, and with the compassion and character to be active and caring members of our small community. The student body of 265 students (83% are boarders) comes from 22 states and 19 foreign countries and is both academically talented and remarkably diverse (41% students of color). In an intimate setting, students and teachers together pursue high ideals. Cate's mission statement reads: "Through commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, each member of the Cate community contributes to what our founder called "the spirit of this place...all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work."

Thacher trains young people in the art of living for their own greatest good and for the greatest good of their fellow citizens in a diverse and changing world. To that end, the School augments its challenging academic program with profound lessons learned from the care of a horse, teamwork on playing fields, outstanding instruction and opportunity in the arts, the give and take of everyday life with schoolmates and teachers, and adventures shared in the wilderness. The aim is to inspire and encourage hard work, integrity, self-reliance, a lifelong love of learning. Thacher students develop a reverence for truth, self-knowledge, and a deep concern for the world in which we live. Our students take part in a healthy, authentic community culture that supports them every step of the way. To learn more about Thacher please visit our website and consider a visit to campus. We would love to host you and show you what makes Thacher such a special community.

With a beautiful campus and a distinguished history dating back to 1864, Peddie has long been recognized as one of the nation's finest boarding schools. Noted for its distinctive programs dedicated to academics, athletics, arts and residential life, Peddie provides a rigorous academic experience mixing tradition with innovation while focusing on the education of the whole child. Peddie's faculty is recognized for encouraging and inspiring bright and enthusiastic students to reach for new levels of achievement in an unusually friendly, genuinely supportive and remarkably diverse community.

St. Andrew's is a community of highly engaged students and teachers all living together on a spectacular 2,200-acre campus. Fully committed to our rigorous academic program, our students are dynamic, actively exploring their passions in athletics, the arts and service—both to humanity and to the environment. This close community is characterized by high expectations, trust, kindness and compassion. St. Andrew's values diversity. Over 40 percent of students receive over $4.5 million in financial aid. Students from all backgrounds bring their interests and passions—emerging as engaged and responsible citizens of the world.

Known for academic rigor and close faculty-student relationships, Taft fosters personal responsibility, honor, and an achievement ethic in all areas of school life: intellectual, artistic, athletic, and extracurricular. Our 220-acre campus features: 59,500-volume library; Lady Ivy Kwok Wu Science and Math Center; Sony Virtuoso Language Lab; Mark W. Potter Art Gallery; 2 theaters; 18-hole golf course; 2 ice hockey arenas; 16 tennis courts (4 indoor); 8 squash courts; six-lane, all-weather track; 11 playing fields; 200-course curriculum. A diverse student body from 33 states and 27 countries is supported with $6.6 million in aid.

Suffield Academy has 420 students from more than 25 countries and 20 American states. The school is located between New York and Boston with easy access to major international airports. Suffield has distinctive four-year college counseling and leadership development programs. More than $120 million has been invested in the Suffield campus over the past decade with new facilities for academic, athletics, arts, and community life. In 2026 more than 1,100 students applied for 120 available spaces at Suffield Academy.

Founded in 1865, St. Mark’s School is a premier coeducational boarding and day school serving students in grades 9–12. Located in Southborough, Massachusetts, just 25 miles west of Boston, our 250-acre campus features picturesque buildings, expansive fields, and faculty homes that create a true sense of community. At St. Mark’s, 374 students are guided by an exceptional faculty through a rigorous academic program complemented by robust offerings in athletics, the arts, leadership, and spiritual life. Our close-knit environment fosters meaningful relationships and supports students as they grow both intellectually and personally. With an average class size of 10 students and a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1, students benefit from individualized attention and deep engagement in the classroom. Our curriculum includes more than 20 advanced courses, along with distinctive signature programs such as the STEM Fellowship, History Fellowship, Global Diploma, and Classics Diploma. These opportunities encourage students to pursue their interests at a high level while developing critical thinking, creativity, and global awareness. St. Mark’s is committed to cultivating character, leadership, and a strong sense of purpose. Our diverse and motivated student body is inspired by passionate educators who challenge and support them to reach their full potential. Graduates leave St. Mark’s exceptionally well prepared for success at highly selective colleges and universities, and for lives defined by courage, integrity, and impact. We invite you to take a closer look and discover what makes the St. Mark’s experience truly distinctive.

One can’t help but be captivated by the enthusiasm, curiosity, creativity, and genuine warmth of the very special group of adults and young people from around the country and around the world who live and learn together in this 100 percent boarding community. In this day and age when we are all grappling with an increasing pace of change, competitive environment, and complexity of our shrinking global community, Episcopal is uniquely positioned to prepare our students not just to excel in outstanding colleges and universities but to take their place as caring and gifted leaders on a local and global level. For more than 175 years our students have thrived in our school’s rich array of academic offerings, embraced our commitment to personal honor, ethical leadership, and spiritual growth, and been guided and inspired by the close and caring relationships they develop with the adults here. Preparation for true leadership in this quickly changing future, however, demands that we offer our students even more. Our school’s innovative approach to curriculum and program that dives deeply into the opportunities and global connections of Washington, D.C., sets us apart and offers our students an educational experience unlike any other.