Explore Private Schools in the U.S. & Worldwide

Wycombe Abbey stands as the quintessential girls' boarding school, renowned across the board. Its consistent placement at the forefront of academic excellence comes as no surprise, as the girls it nurtures are not only highly intelligent but also incredibly dedicated and hardworking. Year after year, a significant number of students secure coveted spots at prestigious institutions like Oxford and Cambridge, reflecting the school's lofty standards. Nestled within the verdant landscape of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, Wycombe Abbey offers a sprawling campus within easy reach of London and Heathrow Airport. It's no wonder that discerning parents often prioritize Wycombe Abbey when considering boarding schools for their daughters. Beyond its stellar academic reputation, the school also boasts state-of-the-art facilities for Music, Art, and Drama, further solidifying its status as a premier educational institution.

What does it mean to be a Downe House girl? The answer is in the key characteristics known as the Downe House DNA – Collaboration, Resilience, Creativity, Aspiration, Compassion, Communication, and being Outward-Looking. In the classroom, on the playing field, on stage, and everywhere in between, these core values are the hope, aim, and challenge for every girl. We give the girls every opportunity to develop these seven important skills and characteristics through all aspects of life at Downe House.

St. Michaels University School (SMUS) in Victoria, BC, Canada, is a top boarding school choice for families who want their children in grades 9–12 to learn and grow in an international environment. SMUS focuses on STEAM subjects—science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—which help students develop skills they will use in their future studies and careers. With small class sizes and lots of support, SMUS students explore topics that encourage problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork. SMUS also offers one of Canada’s largest Advanced Placement (AP) programs, giving students a head start on university-level learning. Located on beautiful Vancouver Island, SMUS combines a safe, urban campus with access to nearby city amenities. Students enjoy modern classrooms, science labs, art studios, and sports facilities, and can explore the surrounding city of Victoria in their free time. Students from over 30 countries attend SMUS, creating a diverse community where friendships and connections are built for life. Boarding students receive excellent support from staff and teachers who help them succeed academically and personally. With activities in arts, sports, and outdoor adventure, SMUS encourages students to develop independence and leadership in a caring, inspiring environment.

Benenden is one of the leading boarding schools in Britain. Founded in 1923, we are situated in 250 acres of attractive parkland in Kent, the Garden of England, just an hour from London. There are 560 girls in the School, aged 11-18.

Cheltenham Ladies’ College has been at the forefront of girls’ education for 170 years. Our heritage and global reputation were founded on our pioneering approach to girls’ education and our future aims are no less ambitious. College is passionate about the futures of our pupils. While their academic achievements are important, these must go hand-in-hand with co-curricular activities that inspire and challenge them, a community that supports them, and opportunities to pursue their passions and learn from their mistakes. By nurturing well-rounded and self-confident girls, we help them to develop the skills they need to manage the choices and opportunities ahead of them, leaving College as empowered young women.

Shawnigan Lake School is a world-class, co-ed boarding school located on Vancouver Island. Our 300 acre campus provides a safe, clean, rural environment. We are known for our caring atmosphere, truly a "home away from home," with traditions like shared meals in the magnificent dining hall and a supportive House(residence) program. We offer a rigorous, supportive academic program, nationally recognized sports, outstanding fine arts, and programs fostering leadership, environmental action and public service.

Founded in 1814, North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, co-ed, college preparatory boarding and day school serving toddlers through postgraduates. NYA is located in the small coastal town of Yarmouth, Maine - ten minutes from Portland, Maine, and two hours from Boston, MA. The Head of School is Ben Jackson. The Board of Trustees is led by James Cabot. NYA has 413 enrolled students with an average class size of 11 students. NYA offers 18 Advanced Placement courses and 24 interscholastic sports for both boys and girls at the Varsity and Junior Varsity Level.

The mission of Stanstead College is to provide students from Canada and around the world with a highly structured and supportive educational program in a small, secure environment. The Stanstead experience helps all students reach their full academic potential in preparation for university, develop healthy and active lifestyles, and understand the importance of respect, responsibility and self-discipline. The success of Stanstead College over the past 135+ years rests in its ability to both reinforce traditional values and embrace innovation in a constantly changing world.

Pearson College UWC is part of the United World College network. Pearson offers a global education with an IB-based academic program and strong experiential education components. Admission to Pearson is either through a direct entry Global Selections Program or more commonly through alumni volunteer driven UWC National Committees operating 160 countries. Pearson seeks to welcome a deliberately diverse student community by actively seeking a representation of students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, including a diversity of socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

ounded in 2007, Brookes Westshore is a purpose-built day and boarding school sitting on 4-acres in the heart of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Brookes Westshore is a co-educational, day and boarding school offering the world-renowned International Baccalaureate® (IB) programmes of education across the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) in addition to the BC Ministry Curriculum. Brookes provides outstanding opportunities, locally and abroad, to 300 students from over 23 different nationalities across Grades 4-12.

Maple Leaf World School – KPU (MLWS-KPU) is located on the Richmond campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The school’s learning environment offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in English and in a Canadian educational environment. Students complete the BC graduation program curriculum preparing them for further studies at KPU and in universities around the world. Maple Leaf schools in British Columbia are accredited as Independent Schools by the BC Ministry of Education. While focusing on academic achievement and studies in English, our students also have the option to enroll in Mandarin language and Chinese social studies courses giving them an academic advantage in their post-secondary applications. Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is a Canadian polytechnic university that integrates teaching, research and innovations in preparing students for fulfilling careers. Established in 1981, KPU offers degrees, diplomas and certificates in more than 120 programs. The Richmond campus is located in the heart of a vibrant and very ethnically diverse community on a 10-acre urban site. The campus has classrooms, state-of-the-art graphic design computer labs, interior design work studios and fully equipped science labs. The campus also includes a cafeteria, student lounge areas, indoor and outdoor courtyard spaces, a library and learning centre.

ENSR is a co-educational, private school, operating as a limited, not-for-profit organization. Founded in 1906, this renowned private institution is over a century old and now welcomes around 600 students. Situated in Switzerland’s French-speaking region near Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), close to both the Latin and Germanic worlds, the school enjoys a privileged position in the centre of Europe.

Phoenix Magnet Academy strives to provide an excellent academic education through academic study and experiential education. It is the belief of the academy that the function of a high school is not only to prepare students for post-secondary studies but also to develop the whole child, academically, physically and socially, in other words, the mind, body and soul. To this end, the academy will provide students with programs of study that foster academic excellence in an experiential environment that will enhance their personal skills and competencies.

Fort Erie International Academy is a private boarding school located in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. The focus of the school is to provide a unique education for students with a global perspective preparing them to be global leaders.

Queen Anne's School is an independent day and boarding school for female pupils aged eleven to nineteen. Founded in 1698 in Westminster as the Grey Coat Hospital, it became a school for females in 1874, moving to the present site in Caversham in 1894. In 2019, the Grey Coat Hospital Foundation merged with the United Westminster Schools Foundation to create the United Westminster Grey Coat Foundation, which maintains oversight through an independent governing body. Boarders are accommodated in four boarding houses; there are three-day houses. Since the previous inspection, the school has completed a new main entrance, school office, and music center, including a recital hall and a recording studio.

Bard Academy at Simon’s Rock is a two-year boarding and day program designed to prepare 9th and 10th graders to start college early. Within six years of entering Bard Academy as a high school freshman, a student who matriculates into Bard College at Simon’s Rock after Grade 10 will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree by around age 20. The Academy curriculum is designed and taught by college professors who also teach undergraduate courses at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Many of our students will take advantage of our 3/2 dual-degree programs in STEM with Columbia University and Dartmouth College, allowing them to receive both a bachelor's degree from an Ivy League institution and Bard College by the age of 20-21!

Whether in the mountains or in an urban environment, Swiss Boarding Schools Disentis & Zurich provide a safe and comfortable home for your child during his or her school years. In the friendly, yet performance-oriented, atmosphere of our English-language boarding schools, our learners can develop their skills and prepare for their International A Levels – a qualification that opens the doors to the world’s most prestigious universities.

SuOn Academy is located in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As a full-time, well-established private boarding secondary school, it has offered the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) since 2008. SuOn Academy has two campuses and is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education bi-annually. SuOn offers high school courses in grades 9 to 12 which follow the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Curriculum. Our teachers consist of highly qualified professionals with teacher qualifications and certified by the Ontario College of teachers. This is supplemented by academic guidance teams who are familiar with the characteristics of Chinese students and provide extensive support and service to all aspects of school and personal life. Upon graduation, students will receive a globally recognized Ontario high school diploma and are accepted into world-class universities in Canada and abroad. SuOn currently has two campuses, located on Queenslea Avenue and Heavitree Drive.

Founded in 1897, the Collège & Lycée Saint-Charles is located in outstanding settings in Ajoie, in the Swiss Jura Canton. The school, which welcomes young people aged between 10 and 20, stands on the edge of the Allaine, in a tree-lined garden at the foot of the magnificent Château de Porrentruy. Nicknamed the Athens of the Jura, this little town with nearly 7,000 inhabitants is known for its long tradition of education, its openness to the wider world and its vocation of stimulating the thirst for knowledge.