Here Are the 50 Most Expensive High Schools in America
When and how schools have tackled reopening varies from state to state — and even school district to school district — with some schools opening for in-person instruction, others moving entirely online and some others offering a hybrid model. With many schools undertaking remote learning, it begs the question — is it worth paying full price tuition for a fully online learning experience? And for those schools that are still offering in-person instruction, is it worth the risk of sending your child to school?
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The question of the best schooling option for your high school student becomes even more complex when there are tens of thousands of dollars are on the line — which is the case with the most expensive high schools in America. Even the “cheapest” of the most expensive schools costs a pretty penny, with a year’s tuition coming in at just under $45,000. As for what that money gets you, you’re typically paying for small class sizes, with some boasting a student-to-teacher ratio as low as 4-to-1, and intimate school settings, with many having a student body of less than 1,000. However, that’s not always the case — one of the schools that costs $50,000 a year has more than 10 times the number of students as one that costs more than $5,000 less.
To identify the 50 most expensive high schools in the country, GOBankingRates pulled the tuition costs for one year of the highest grade level offered — not including room and board for those that are boarding schools — of the top 200 high schools as identified by Niche. Schools are ranked from least to most expensive. See how much it costs to send your kids to an elite high school — which just might pave the way for them to attend one of the most expensive colleges.
Last updated: Feb. 26, 2021
50. Blair Academy
Location: Blairstown, New Jersey
Number of students: 460
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $44,900
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49. ECF-Fieldston Middle/Upper School
Location: Bronx, New York
Number of students: 990
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,100
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48. National Cathedral School
Location: Washington, D.C.
Number of students: 595
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,440
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47. Head-Royce School
Location: Oakland, California
Number of students: 875
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,600
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46. Greens Farms Academy
Location: Westport, Connecticut
Number of students: 713
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,690
45. Choate Rosemary Hall
Location: Wallingford, Connecticut
Number of students: 848
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,710
44. Hackley School
Location: Tarrytown, New York
Number of students: 834
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,775
43. Commonwealth School
Location: Boston
Number of students: 132
Student-to-teacher ratio: 5 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,848
42. Lake Forest Academy
Location: Lake Forest, Illinois
Number of students: 430
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $45,950
41. The College Preparatory School
Location: Oakland, California
Number of students: 372
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,000
40. Nightingale-Bamford School
Location: New York
Number of students: 592
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,500
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39. The Taft School
Location: Watertown, Connecticut
Number of students: 587
Student-to-teacher ratio: 5 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,500
38. Convent of the Sacred Heart
Location: New York
Number of students: 710
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,524
37. Crystal Springs Uplands School
Location: Hillsborough, California
Number of students: 539
Student-to-teacher ratio: 9 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,780
36. Boston University Academy
Location: Boston
Number of students: 201
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,848
35. Rye Country Day School
Location: Rye, New York
Number of students: 924
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,900
34. The Thacher School
Location: Ojai, California
Number of students: 255
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $46,920
33. Friends Seminary
Location: New York
Number of students: 777
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,000
32. The Webb Schools
Location: Claremont, California
Number of students: 410
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,035
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31. The Spence School
Location: New York
Number of students: 751
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,410
30. The Loomis Chaffee School
Location: Windsor, Connecticut
Number of students: 736
Student-to-teacher ratio: 4 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,440
29. Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School
Location: New York
Number of students: 1,287
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,540
28. Woodside Priory School
Location: Portola Valley, California
Number of students: 382
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,775
27. Trinity School
Location: New York
Number of students: 1,001
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,965
26. Castilleja School
Location: Palo Alto, California
Number of students: 430
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $47,970
25. The Urban School of San Francisco
Location: San Francisco
Number of students: 420
Student-to-teacher ratio: 4 to 1
Annual tuition: $48,091
24. Marin Academy
Location: San Rafael, California
Number of students: 420
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $48,272
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23. The Madeira School
Location: McLean, Virginia
Number of students: 324
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $48,300
22. The Branson Schools
Location: Ross, California
Number of students: 320
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $48,485
21. Peddie School
Location: Hightstown, New Jersey
Number of students: 550
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $48,800
20. Riverdale Country School
Location: Bronx, New York
Number of students: 1,189
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $49,210
19. Cate School
Location: Carpinteria, California
Number of students: 298
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $49,700
18. Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Number of students: 1,014
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $50,000
17. St. Mark's School
Location: Southborough, Massachusetts
Number of students: 365
Student-to-teacher ratio: 4 to 1
Annual tuition: $50,380
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16. Belmont Hill School
Location: Belmont, Massachusetts
Number of students: 450
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $50,800
15. The Hotchkiss School
Location: Lakeville, Connecticut
Number of students: 600
Student-to-teacher ratio: 4 to 1
Annual tuition: $50,990
14. Middlesex School
Location: Concord, Massachusetts
Number of students: 409
Student-to-teacher ratio: 4 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,212
13. The Harker School
Location: San Jose, California
Number of students: 2,048
Student-to-teacher ratio: 10 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,300
12. The Lawrenceville School
Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Number of students: 822
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,440
11. Concord Academy
Location: Concord, Massachusetts
Number of students: 398
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,455
10. Milton Academy
Location: Milton, Massachusetts
Number of students: 1,020
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,460
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9. Poly Prep Country Day School
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Number of students: 1,134
Student-to-teacher ratio: 5 to 1
Annual tuition: $51,484
8. Noble and Greenough School
Location: Dedham, Massachusetts
Number of students: 614
Student-to-teacher ratio: 5 to 1
Annual tuition: $52,300
7. Horace Mann School
Location: Bronx, New York
Number of students: 1,694
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $53,200
6. The Rivers School
Location: Weston, Massachusetts
Number of students: 513
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $53,450
5. Collegiate School
Location: New York
Number of students: 651
Student-to-teacher ratio: 8 to 1
Annual tuition: $53,900
4. Brearley School
Location: New York
Number of students: 720
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $53,990
3. Marymount School of New York
Location: New York
Number of students: 759
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $54,125
2. St. Andrew's School
Location: Middletown, Delaware
Number of students: 310
Student-to-teacher ratio: 6 to 1
Annual tuition: $55,500
1. Avenues: The World School
Location: New York
Number of students: 1,537
Student-to-teacher ratio: 7 to 1
Annual tuition: $58,700
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Jordan Rosenfeld contributed to the reporting for this article.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. As a result, some of the images may not reflect the institutions listed in this article.
Methodology: To find the 50 most expensive high schools in America GOBankingRates used Niche’s 2021 Best Private High Schools in America data to analyze the top 200 ranked schools. For each private school, GOBankingRates found the following factors: (1) 2020-2021 yearly tuition for the highest grade level (does NOT include room + board); (2) enrollment numbers; (3) student to teacher ratio; (4) Niche ranking; and (5) location (City, State). Only factor (1) was used to determine final rankings. Those schools that did not separate room + board from tuition were not included. All data was collected and is up to date as of Oct. 28, 2020.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here Are the 50 Most Expensive High Schools in America
