Best private high schools in America

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October 15, 2018
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Best private high schools in America

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' 2017 Senate nomination reignited the national debate over whether public or private schools are better options for children's educational outcomes. Public school proponents argue that private schools, many of which are religious, often do not meet national standards for teacher qualifications, testing, or curriculum; and can discriminate against applicants for acceptance. Meanwhile, private school supporters say smaller class sizes, more diverse course offerings, and higher overall test scores can give students a leg up after graduation.

Regardless of which camp you're in, it's undeniable that certain private and public schools go above and beyond in providing for their students. Looking specifically at the private sector, Stacker analyzed Niche's 2019 Best Private High Schools to determine where in the country these schools are. Niche ranked schools based on the reviews of parents and students, the quality of colleges students consider, student-teacher ratio, and more, assigning letter grades to each school's academics, diversity, and extracurricular activities.

Read on to criss-cross the country from Georgia to California and find out which schools are using tuition dollars to best-prepare high schoolers for their adult lives.

RELATED: Best public schools in America's biggest cities

#50. St. John's School

Location: Houston, TX

Number of students: 1,258

Yearly tuition: $27,545

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: B

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#49. Hackley School

Location: Tarrytown, NY

Number of students: 834

Yearly tuition: $44,225

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#48. The Bishop's School

Location: San Diego, CA

Number of students: 800

Yearly tuition: $36,290

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#47. Greenhill School

Location: Addison, TX

Number of students: 1,315

Yearly tuition: $31,675

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#46. The Hockaday School

Location: Dallas, TX

Number of students: 1,089

Yearly tuition: $29,000

Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#45. Peddie School

Location: Hightstown, NJ

Number of students: 550

Yearly tuition: $48,800

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#44. The Hotchkiss School

Location: Lakeville, CT

Number of students: 632

Yearly tuition: $48,080

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#43. The Pingry School

Location: Basking Ridge, NJ

Number of students: 1,128

Yearly tuition: $39,523

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A-

#42. Germantown Friends School

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Number of students: 906

Yearly tuition: $35,775

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: NG

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#41. The Chapin School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 725

Yearly tuition: $43,000

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: B+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#40. The Loomis Chaffee School

Location: Windsor, CT

Number of students: 690

Yearly tuition: $45,360

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: NG

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#39. Pine Crest School

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Number of students: 2,636

Yearly tuition: $31,030

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: B+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#38. Riverdale Country School

Location: Bronx, NY

Number of students: 1,154

Yearly tuition: $42,805

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#37. Georgetown Day School

Location: Washington, DC

Number of students: 1,075

Yearly tuition: $39,788

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#36. Hopkins School

Location: New Haven, CT

Number of students: 715

Yearly tuition: $42,200

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#35. University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Location: Chicago, IL

Number of students: 2,051

Yearly tuition: $33,558

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#34. Middlesex School

Location: Concord, MA

Number of students: 406

Yearly tuition: $49,480

Student-teacher ratio: 4:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#33. Cranbrook Schools

Location: Bloomfield HIlls, MI

Number of students: 1,659

Yearly tuition: $34,200

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#32. Brearley School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 719

Yearly tuition: $49,680

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#31. Cate School

Location: Carpinteria, CA

Number of students: 280

Yearly tuition: $49,700

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#30. Head-Royce School

Location: Oakland, CA

Number of students: 875

Yearly tuition: $40,950

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#29. Crystal Springs Uplands School

Location: Hillsborough, CA

Number of students: 350

Yearly tuition: $42,430

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#28. Groton School

Location: Groton, MA

Number of students: 368

Yearly tuition: $43,400

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#27. Noble and Greenough School

Location: Dedham, MA

Number of students: 614

Yearly tuition: $50,200

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#26. The Westminster Schools

Location: Atlanta, GA

Number of students: 1,874

Yearly tuition: $29,275

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#25. Newark Academy

Location: Livingston, NJ

Number of students: 598

Yearly tuition: $40,945

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#24. Milton Academy

Location: Milton, MA

Number of students: 1,000

Yearly tuition: $47,330

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#23. Dalton School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 1,322

Yearly tuition: $44,640

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#22. Sidwell Friends School

Location: Washington, DC

Number of students: 1,145

Yearly tuition: $39,360

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#21. Polytechnic School

Location: Pasadena, CA

Number of students: 859

Yearly tuition: $37,500

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#20. The Thacher School

Location: Ojai, CA

Number of students: 246

Yearly tuition: $40,970

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#19. Horace Mann School

Location: Bronx, NY

Number of students: 1,694

Yearly tuition: $48,600

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#18. Castilleja School

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Number of students: 438

Yearly tuition: $44,580

Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#17. The Harker School

Location: San Jose, CA

Number of students: 2,048

Yearly tuition: $48,500

Student-teacher ratio: 10:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: B+

Clubs and activities grade: A

#16. Collegiate School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 651

Yearly tuition: $47,500

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A

#15. Winsor School

Location: Boston, MA

Number of students: 450

Yearly tuition: $44,300

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: B+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#14. Flintridge Preparatory School

Location: La Canada Flintridge, CA

Number of students: 500

Yearly tuition: $34,200

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#13. Deerfield Academy

Location: Deerfield, MA

Number of students: 658

Yearly tuition: $44,735

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#12. Regis High School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 529

Yearly tuition: $0

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A-

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#11. Stanford Online High School

Location: Stanford, CA

Number of students: 804

Yearly tuition: $22,850

Student-teacher ratio: 12:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: NG

#10. The Lawrenceville School

Location: Lawrenceville, NJ

Number of students: 822

Yearly tuition: $51,440

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#9. St. Paul's School

Location: Concord, NH

Number of students: 541

Yearly tuition: $55,000

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#8. The College Preparatory School

Location: Oakland, CA

Number of students: 363

Yearly tuition: $43,810

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A

#7. Lakeside School

Location: Seattle, WA

Number of students: 838

Yearly tuition: $32,000

Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#6. St. Mark's School of Texas

Location: Dallas, TX

Number of students: 863

Yearly tuition: $29,496

Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#5. Choate Rosemary Hall

Location: Wallingford, CT

Number of students: 859

Yearly tuition: $43,580

Student-teacher ratio: 4:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: NG

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#4. Trinity School

Location: New York, NY

Number of students: 1,001

Yearly tuition: $47,965

Student-teacher ratio: 6:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#3. Phillips Exeter Academy

Location: Exeter, NH

Number of students: 1,085

Yearly tuition: $38,740

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#2. Harvard-Westlake School

Location: Studio City, CA

Number of students: 1,598

Yearly tuition: $35,900

Student-teacher ratio: 8:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

#1. Phillips Academy

Location: Andover, MA

Number of students: 1,150

Yearly tuition: $43,300

Student-teacher ratio: 5:1

Academics grade: A+

Diversity grade: A+

Clubs and activities grade: A+

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