The 10 most expensive boarding schools in America
For some parents, the decision to send a child to boarding school is a long-term investment in the child’s academic future — even if it comes with short-term financial hardship.
Private school students tend to outscore their public school peers across several metrics of success, including music, reading and math, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, commonly referred to as “the nation’s report card.”
These statistics are complicated, however, by the reality that many private school students were advantaged long before they entered the classroom. Many experts argue that private school students outscore their public school peers because their parents are more likely to have completed college and have more financial resources.
“When you compare children who went to private school (for an average of six years) with those who only went to public school, any apparent benefits of private schooling — higher test scores, for example — are entirely attributable to parents’ education and income,” Robert Pianta, a professor of early childhood education at the University of Virginia, told U.S. News & World Report. “The fact that they went to private school does not account for any differences we might see.”
The average cost of private school attendance, from kindergarten through high school, is $312,026, according to the Education Data Initiative. That average tends to increase when looking at private schools located in the northeast — with Connecticut schools having the highest cost of private education in the country. Other high-cost hotspots include California, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
To determine the most expensive boarding schools in the U.S., Quartz reviewed the combined cost of tuition and fees, before financial aid, at more than 50 highly-ranked boarding schools. While schools in the northeast tended to be more expensive, in aggregate, it was California high schools that dominated the list of the nation’s most expensive boarding schools.
Continue reading to learn about the most expensive boarding schools in America.
10th most expensive: Concord Academy
Concord Academy is a coeducational school located in Concord, Massachusetts. Founded in 1919, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $78,610.
9th most expensive: St. George’s School
St. George’s School is an Episcopal, coeducational school located in Middletown, Rhode Island. Founded in 1896, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $78,900.
8th most expensive: Brooks School
Brooks School is a coeducational school located in North Andover, Massachusetts. Founded in 1926, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $78,923.
7th most expensive: The Lawrenceville School
The Lawrenceville School is a coeducational school located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Founded in 1810, it is one of the oldest prep schools in the United States. The combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $79,500.
6th most expensive: Cate School
Cate School is a small, coeducational school located in Carpinteria, California. Founded in 1910, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $79,980.
5th most expensive: The Webb Schools
Webb School of California (for boys) and the Vivian Webb School (for girls) are connected boarding schools — often simply referred to as the Webb Schools or the Webb. The boys’ school was founded in 1922, while the girls’ school was founded in 1981. Located in Claremont, California, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $80,835 for both schools.
4th most expensive: San Domenico School
The San Domenico School is a coeducational school located in San Anselmo, California. Founded in 1850, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $81,000.
The Village School is a coeducational International Baccalaureate school, located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1966, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $85,550.
2nd most expensive: The Athenian School
The Athenian School is a coeducational school, located in Danville, California. Founded in 1965, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $87,760.
Most expensive: Woodside Priory School
Woodside Priory School — also known as the Priory — is a coeducational Catholic school, located in Portola Valley, California. Founded in 1957, the combined cost of tuition, boarding, and fees before financial aid is $89,915.