While about 90% of all elementary and secondary school students in the United States attend public schools, there are some 5.8 million students who are enrolled in private schools.
Private schools are subject to less regulation than public schools, and can offer students a more specialized educational experience, such as a Montessori school, a religious school, or an all-boys or all-girls school. And like any other good or service, the quality of private schools varies heavily across the country and correlates with factors such as income and home value.
To determine the best private high school in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed rankings for all private schools from the 2020 Best Private High Schools in America list produced by school and neighborhood data clearinghouse Niche. Niche ranks private schools based on average SAT and ACT scores, the rank of the colleges that students are most interested in or go on to attend, college enrollment, culture and diversity, student-teacher ratio, and parent and student surveys. Data on the number of students, average SAT score, and annual tuition also came from Niche. When tuition data was not available from Niche, outside sources were used.
Wealthier, densely populated areas tend to have more high-quality public schools. In some states, the best private high school statewide ranks within the top 10 on a national level. Meanwhile, in others, the best private high school statewide ranks outside the top 1,000 on a national level. The same is true of those four states when it comes to the quality of their public high schools. This is a list of the best public high school in every state.
While recent studies suggest that, after controlling for family income, attending a private school has a negligible effect on overall student success, private school students tend to perform better on standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, and reading and math proficiency tests. Among the schools on this list, the average SAT score ranges from 1220 to 1500 out of 1600. For context. the average national SAT score in 2019 was 1059. For more on standardized test performance by school, see the 50 smartest public high schools in the U.S.
Click here to see the best private high schools in every state.
Alabama
> High school: Indian Springs School
> Location: Indian Springs
> Students: 315
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $24,000
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Alaska
> High school: Holy Rosary Academy
> Location: Anchorage
> Students: 147
> Average SAT score: 1250
> Annual tuition: $9,250
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Arizona
> High school: Phoenix Country Day School
> Location: Paradise Valley
> Students: 750
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $25,000
See all stories featuring: Arizona
Arkansas
> High school: Pulaski Academy
> Location: Little Rock
> Students: 1,393
> Average SAT score: 1290
> Annual tuition: N/A
See all stories featuring: Arkansas
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California
> High school: The College Preparatory School
> Location: Oakland
> Students: 364
> Average SAT score: 1470
> Annual tuition: $46,000
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Colorado
> High school: Kent Denver School
> Location: Englewood
> Students: 713
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $29,930
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Connecticut
> High school: Choate Rosemary Hall
> Location: Wallingford
> Students: 850
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $45,710
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Delaware
> High school: St. Andrew’s School
> Location: Middletown
> Students: 310
> Average SAT score: 1370
> Annual tuition: $55,500
See all stories featuring: Delaware
Florida
> High school: Ransom Everglades School
> Location: Coconut Grove
> Students: 1,094
> Average SAT score: 1390
> Annual tuition: $38,400
See all stories featuring: Florida
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Georgia
> High school: The Westminster Schools
> Location: Atlanta
> Students: 1,870
> Average SAT score: 1420
> Annual tuition: $30,330
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Hawaii
> High school: Punahou School
> Location: Honolulu
> Students: 3,744
> Average SAT score: 1330
> Annual tuition: $26,000
See all stories featuring: Hawaii
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Idaho
> High school: Riverstone International School
> Location: Boise
> Students: 371
> Average SAT score: 1330
> Annual tuition: $19,985
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Illinois
> High school: University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
> Location: Chicago
> Students: 2,051
> Average SAT score: 1450
> Annual tuition: $33,558
See all stories featuring: Illinois
Indiana
> High school: Culver Academies
> Location: Culver
> Students: 830
> Average SAT score: 1300
> Annual tuition: $42,135
See all stories featuring: Indiana
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Iowa
> High school: Maharishi School
> Location: Fairfield
> Students: 179
> Average SAT score: 1330
> Annual tuition: $19,500
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Kansas
> High school: Bishop Seabury Academy
> Location: Lawrence
> Students: 216
> Average SAT score: 1280
> Annual tuition: $13,995
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Kentucky
> High school: Louisville Collegiate School
> Location: Louisville
> Students: 587
> Average SAT score: 1360
> Annual tuition: $24,240
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Louisiana
> High school: Metairie Park Country Day School
> Location: Metairie
> Students: 720
> Average SAT score: 1360
> Annual tuition: $19,980
See all stories featuring: Louisiana
Maine
> High school: Waynflete
> Location: Portland
> Students: 560
> Average SAT score: 1310
> Annual tuition: $31,715
See all stories featuring: Maine
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Maryland
> High school: Holton-Arms School
> Location: Bethesda
> Students: 660
> Average SAT score: 1370
> Annual tuition: $40,150
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Massachusetts
> High school: Phillips Academy
> Location: Andover
> Students: 1,150
> Average SAT score: 1470
> Annual tuition: $43,300
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Michigan
> High school: Cranbrook Schools
> Location: Bloomfield Hills
> Students: 1,659
> Average SAT score: 1400
> Annual tuition: $34,200
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Minnesota
> High school: The Blake School
> Location: Hopkins
> Students: 1,380
> Average SAT score: 1390
> Annual tuition: $29,025
See all stories featuring: Minnesota
Mississippi
> High school: St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
> Location: Ridgeland
> Students: 1,172
> Average SAT score: 1340
> Annual tuition: $18,620
See all stories featuring: Mississippi
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Missouri
> High school: John Burroughs School
> Location: St. Louis
> Students: 641
> Average SAT score: 1400
> Annual tuition: $29,400
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Montana
> High school: Loyola Sacred Heart High School
> Location: Missoula
> Students: 172
> Average SAT score: 1220
> Annual tuition: N/A
See all stories featuring: Montana
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Nebraska
> High school: Mount Michael Benedictine High School
> Location: Elkhorn
> Students: 239
> Average SAT score: 1370
> Annual tuition: $11,875
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Nevada
> High school: The Meadows School
> Location: Las Vegas
> Students: 865
> Average SAT score: 1390
> Annual tuition: $27,500
See all stories featuring: Nevada
New Hampshire
> High school: Phillips Exeter Academy
> Location: Exeter
> Students: 1,085
> Average SAT score: 1430
> Annual tuition: $38,740
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New Jersey
> High school: The Lawrenceville School
> Location: Lawrenceville
> Students: 822
> Average SAT score: 1440
> Annual tuition: $51,440
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New Mexico
> High school: Albuquerque Academy
> Location: Albuquerque
> Students: 1,149
> Average SAT score: 1390
> Annual tuition: $24,795
See all stories featuring: New Mexico
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New York
> High school: Trinity School
> Location: New York City
> Students: 1,001
> Average SAT score: 1500
> Annual tuition: $47,965
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North Carolina
> High school: Cary Academy
> Location: Cary
> Students: 753
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $22,400
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North Dakota
> High school: Oak Grove Lutheran School
> Location: Fargo
> Students: 455
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $8,480
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Ohio
> High school: Hawken School
> Location: Gates Mills
> Students: 1,082
> Average SAT score: 1350
> Annual tuition: $29,900
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Oklahoma
> High school: Casady School
> Location: Oklahoma City
> Students: 939
> Average SAT score: 1340
> Annual tuition: $20,750
See all stories featuring: Oklahoma
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Oregon
> High school: Catlin Gabel School
> Location: Portland
> Students: 769
> Average SAT score: 1390
> Annual tuition: $34,100
See all stories featuring: Oregon
Pennsylvania
> High school: Germantown Friends School
> Location: Philadelphia
> Students: 1,017
> Average SAT score: 1400
> Annual tuition: $38,450
See all stories featuring: Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
> High school: The Wheeler School
> Location: Providence
> Students: 768
> Average SAT score: 1330
> Annual tuition: $37,900
See all stories featuring: Rhode Island
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South Carolina
> High school: Christ Church Episcopal School
> Location: Greenville
> Students: 1,107
> Average SAT score: 1300
> Annual tuition: $20,515
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South Dakota
> High school: Freeman Academy
> Location: Freeman
> Students: 70
> Average SAT score: N/A
> Annual tuition: N/A
See all stories featuring: South Dakota
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Tennessee
> High school: University School of Nashville
> Location: Nashville
> Students: 1,068
> Average SAT score: 1350
> Annual tuition: $25,776
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Texas
> High school: St. Mark’s School of Texas
> Location: Dallas
> Students: 863
> Average SAT score: 1470
> Annual tuition: $29,496
See all stories featuring: Texas
Utah
> High school: The Waterford School
> Location: Sandy
> Students: 963
> Average SAT score: 1370
> Annual tuition: $24,430
See all stories featuring: Utah
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Vermont
> High school: The Putney School
> Location: Putney
> Students: 235
> Average SAT score: 1290
> Annual tuition: $36,700
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Virginia
> High school: The Potomac School
> Location: McLean
> Students: 1,060
> Average SAT score: 1380
> Annual tuition: $38,550
See all stories featuring: Virginia
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Washington
> High school: Lakeside School
> Location: Seattle
> Students: 838
> Average SAT score: 1440
> Annual tuition: $32,000
See all stories featuring: Washington
West Virginia
> High school: The Linsly School
> Location: Wheeling
> Students: 465
> Average SAT score: 1230
> Annual tuition: $19,400
See all stories featuring: West Virginia
Wisconsin
> High school: University School of Milwaukee
> Location: Milwaukee
> Students: 1,113
> Average SAT score: 1340
> Annual tuition: $27,922
See all stories featuring: Wisconsin
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Wyoming
> High school: Jackson Hole Community School
> Location: Jackson
> Students: 84
> Average SAT score: 1330
> Annual tuition: $25,100
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