The 50 Most Expensive Boarding Schools In America

Location: Marion, Massachusetts

Total cost: $53,775

Enrollment: 494

Every three years, students at "The School by the Sea" have the opportunity to spend their winter break in the Caribbean doing hands-on research in marine biology and conducting studies and research in Caribbean history and culture.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Easthampton, Massachusetts

Total cost: $53,800

Enrollment: 530

The Williston Northampton School is very generous with financial aid and scholarships, including merit-based scholarships for legacy applicants.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Hebron, Maine

Total cost: $53,900

Enrollment: 250

Hebron has an A+ fitness center where students can jog along an elevated track, take dance classes in a multipurpose studio, or scale the rock-climbing wall.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

Total cost: $53,975

Enrollment: 435

Mercersburg Academy students will find their community all over the world, and in high places. Notable alumni include 54 Olympians, a Nobel Laureate in Physics, and Academy Award-winning actors Benicio del Toro and "It's a Wonderful Life" actor Jimmy Stewart.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Portland, Oregon

Total cost: $53,998

Enrollment: 850

At OES the learning doesn't end just because the school year does. OES offers a prize to upper school students who complete the summer reading challenge — 10 new books, 2,014 pages, or 30 hours of reading.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Simsbury, Connecticut

Total cost: $54,000

Enrollment: 390

100% of Westminster grads matriculate into colleges, many of which appear on Barron's lists of the Most and Highly Competitive Colleges and Universities.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Natick, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,000

Enrollment: 300

In addition to a normal high-school course load, students at Walnut Hill take classes in one of five artistic disciplines: dance, music, theater, and visual arts — or writing, film, and media arts.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Winchendon, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,080

Enrollment: 250

The Winchendon School, or "The Winch" as it's known among students, seeks to instill a "digital fluency" in its graduates, challenging them to adapt to different technology platforms and applications. All students are required to have a portable network device and the entire campus is wireless.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Bethlehem, New Hampshire

Total cost: $54,100

Enrollment: 115

The White Mountain School's rugged, New Hampshire location lends itself perfectly to the school's Sustainability Studies course, which gets students out of the classroom and into the environment they're studying.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Newport, Rhode Island

Total cost: $54,100

Enrollment: 365

Every semester the small Episcopal seaside school sends six to eight students up and down the Atlantic coast aboard a 69-foot marine research vessel called Geronimo, where they get a firsthand education in marine biology.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Plymouth, New Hampshire

Total cost: $54,100

Enrollment: 275

Holderness turns into a creative art colony every March during Artward Bound, where aspiring artists work with and learn from professional artists-in-residence in multiple media.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Concord, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,160

Enrollment: 275

In the last five years, at least 10 students matriculated into top schools each year, including Columbia, Harvard, NYU, the University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: San Anselmo, California

Total cost: $54,187

Enrollment: 624

This Catholic boarding school has an immersive Virtuoso Program for string instrument musicians who want a musical education as rigorous as their academic one.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Wallingford, Connecticut

Total cost: $54,189

Enrollment: 865

In 2012, Choate started its one-for-one iPad program. Requiring students to have the latest generation iPad, the school website says, opens the door to a better integrated technological experience in the classroom.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Total cost: $54,230

Enrollment: 360

This Roman Catholic school has more than 40 different clubs and extracurricular groups that cater to students with interests across the board, from table tennis to fishing to creative writing to a cappella singing.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Claremont, California

Total cost: $54,275

Enrollment: 404

The Webb Schools — consisting of the all-boys Webb School of California and the all-girls Vivian Webb School — have a fully accredited museum of paleontology right on campus.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: North Andover, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,325

Enrollment: 380

The Afternoon Program at Brooks School blocks off time for students to explore the activities and sports that interest them. Offerings include drama, community service, sailing, and interscholastic sports, although students have the flexibility to design their own program.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Blairstown, New Jersey

Total cost: $54,375

Enrollment: 454

The school cafeteria, affectionately known as the Can, has a number of "protein zone" menu options so student athletes can refuel after practice.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Andover, New Hampshire

Total cost: $54,400

Enrollment: 360

Proctor is an athletic school with 39 competitive male and female sports teams.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: North Hampton, New Hampshire

Total cost: $53,700

Enrollment: 305

Students searching for a culturally rich experience will find bliss at New Hampton School, which offers a unique exchange program with Shibei Senior High School in Shanghai, China. Each year five to six New Hampton Students are accepted.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Suffield, Connecticut

Total cost: $54,425

Enrollment: 410

In addition to multiple sports fields, eight international squash courts, and a 35-foot rock-climbing facility, Suffield is home to the Balance Barn, a new lifestyle center that offers yoga, meditation, and barre classes.

Students are required to purchase an Apple laptop, which drives up the total cost of attendance.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Wilbraham, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,460

Enrollment: 431

Students have weekly "family meals" with their dorms. Assigned seats rotate so they can get to know all their peers, and students take turn acting as wait staff for each other.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Bath, Maine, and Woodstock, Connecticut

Total cost: $54,500

Enrollment: 350

Hyde School was founded in Bath, Maine, in 1966. The school opened a second campus in Woodstock, Connecticut in 1996 to enroll more students.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Troy, New York

Total cost: $54,582

Enrollment: 337

In 1814, Emma Hart Willard opened the doors to her Middlebury, Vermont, home and transformed it into a school. Emma Willard School threw its bicentennial bash earlier this year, celebrating a 200-year-old legacy of excellence in girls' education.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Newtown, Pennsylvania

Total cost: $54,600

Enrollment: 540

George School was founded in 1893 by Quakers, who sought to emphasize the person on a spiritual basis, rather than turn students or employees into Quakers (only 15% of students practice Quakerism). The school's religious affiliation shines through in its continued dedication to service work.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Ojai, California

Total cost: $54,700

Enrollment: 240

Students have the option of taking a year to study off campus, domestically or abroad. The Thacher School offers programs in China, France, and Italy, and a Maine Coast Semester for those interested in ecology.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Deerfield, Massachusetts

Total cost: $54,850

Enrollment: 636

Yale, Georgetown, Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of Virginia are the most attended colleges by Deerfield alumni in the last 13 years.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: McLean, Virginia

Total cost: $55,055

Enrollment: 303

Madeira's proximity to Washington, D.C., gives the girls rewarding internship opportunities as well as fun shopping trips in Georgetown and the ability to take advantage of D.C.'s many free museums.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Millbrook, New York

Total cost: $55,225

Enrollment: 284

Millbrook students have plenty of opportunities to take trips with their teachers, from language-immersion programs in Costa Rica and Mexico to research trips in Machu Picchu to just-for-fun getaways to the Baja peninsula.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Bethesda, Maryland

Total cost: $55,320

Enrollment: 490

The Jesuit school offers its 100 boarders a close-knit community, with a staff of just nine full-time members and "dorm parents" who help students with homework, give counsel, or just shoot hoops in the gym.

Additional tuition refund insurance, billed at .09% of annual tuition, is required.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Interlochen, Michigan

Total cost: $56,335

Enrollment: 500

This year The Hollywood Reporter ranked the Interlochen Arts Academy the No. 1 launchpad for teenage talent. The fine arts boarding school attracts aspiring artists from all over the world to come study creative writing, dance, film, music, theater, and the visual arts.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Dobbs Ferry, New York

Total cost: $55,350

Enrollment: 475

Located on 96 majestic acres 30 minutes outside New York City, The Masters School attracts students from 17 states and 28 countries. An international cultural experience is a central part of a Masters education.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Sandy Spring, Maryland

Total cost: $55,790

Enrollment: 530

Athletics and outdoor learning are an important part of an SSFS education. Students have the opportunity to go hiking, trail running, rock climbing, or take a first responder course at this Quaker-affiliated school.

Students are required to own an iPad. Parents can purchase a kit from the school for $690.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Kent, Connecticut

Total cost: $55,910

Enrollment: 565

Kent School prides itself on a whole host of traditions, including Rock Day, when fifth formers (aka 11th-graders) climb a mountain to paint their graduation year on a huge rock.

Additional tuition refund insurance, billed at 2.3% of annual tuition, is required.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Weston, Massachusetts

Total cost: $56,000 (2013-14)

Enrollment: 335

Modeled after the traditional New England style of democratic self-governance, Cambridge School of Weston hosts "town meetings" as a central forum of debate and a place for students to vote on important issues. A student is elected by the student body to preside over meetings.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Windsor, Connecticut

Total cost: $56,035

Enrollment: 650

Every year Loomis Chaffee designs events around an all-school theme. Last year the theme was climate change; students welcomed guest speakers, read books, and participated in community service related to the theme.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Worcester, Massachusetts

Total cost: $56,198

Enrollment: 525

The camaraderie in the classroom extends to the courts, fields, and pools at Worcester Academy, where there are over 50 teams and 22 different sports available. Nearly 60% of students participate in the athletic program.

Additional tuition refund insurance, billed at 1% of annual tuition, is required.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Total cost: $56,620

Enrollment: 555

Much like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, The Lawrenceville School uses a House System, grouping students into small communities divided by grade and gender. Each House has its own study rooms and lives in the same dormitories.

Additional tuition refund insurance, billed at .85% of annual tuition, is required.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Pottersville, New Jersey

Total cost: $51,700

Enrollment: 100

Purnell has a rich history and more than 1,300 alumnae around the world. The total cost drops off significantly after freshman year, once students have paid a $4,800 fee that covers "the demystification process" and appointments to assess the girls' strengths and set academic goals.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Groton, Massachusetts

Total cost: $56,700

Enrollment: 383

What started as a nightly ritual between the Rector and students has became a Groton School tradition: handshaking. Over 100 years later, students end each day by shaking the hands of their dorm heads to build a sense of community.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Groton, Massachusetts

Total cost: $56,805

Enrollment: 400

One of many efforts at Lawrence Academy to broaden students' horizons, the Cultural Coffeehouse Series promotes the sharing of views and life experiences through dialogues and guest speakers from near and far.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Salisbury, Connecticut

Total cost: $57,130

Enrollment: 310

As classy as they come, the young men at Salisbury School wear jackets and ties to class, sit-down meals, Chapel, and special school events. This promotes a deeper sense of community and school pride.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California

Total cost: $57,400

Enrollment: 300

Through its commitment to provide an excellent arts education to students from all walks of life, Idyllwild Arts Academy awards financial aid to 60% of students.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts

Total cost: $56,800

Enrollment: 355

This all-girls school prepares its students for the real world with the Girls Summer Entrepreneurship Program, a hands-on experience in the evolving business world. Participants develop and present a business plan, learn financial and marketing basics, and strengthen their problem-solving skills under the mentorship of business educators and professionals.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Westbrook, Connecticut

Total cost: $58,600

Enrollment: 48

Oxford Academy caps its student body at 48 boys, allowing it to offer core classes comprised of one student and one teacher. The individualized courses, structured study time, and frequent feedback reflect the success of its students.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Portola Valley, California

Total cost: $58,775

Enrollment: 250

Founded over 50 years ago by a group of Benedictine monks fleeing communism in post-war Hungary, Woodside Priory School promotes personal and academic growth based on its Benedictine values: individuality, community, hospitality, integrity, and spirituality.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Mt. Hermon, Massachusetts

Total cost: $59,095

Enrollment: 650

With a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1 and over 180 academic courses to choose from, Northfield Mount Hermon School students can bet on a personalized education. A network of adults called the Partnership of 12 (which includes parents, advisors, teachers, coaches, and work supervisors) works together to ensure every student's needs are met.

A laptop and tuition-refund insurance, billed at 2.7% of annual tuition, are required.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Pebble Beach, California

Total cost: $59,425

Enrollment: 520

Students at the Pebble Beach campus have access to an outdoor education like no other. Stevenson School organizes weekend trips to Joshua Tree, rock climbing, mountaineering, sea kayaking, and an extensive ropes course.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Washington, D.C.

Total cost: $59,450

Enrollment: 575

Over the past five years, the universities that enrolled the most St. Albans School boys were Harvard, Yale, College of William and Mary, Georgetown University, and University of Michigan — evidence of the Bulldogs' premier education.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Total cost: $62,300

Enrollment: 200

A forward-looking institution, Brandon Hall requires graduates to apply to a minimum of two colleges and be accepted to at least one in order to fulfill graduation requirements. This ensures that each year 100% of students go on to attend college.

Students are required to buy an Apple laptop to complete their courses, bumping up the total cost of attending.

Methodology: Rankings are based on total cost, which includes tuition, room, board, and fees for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2014-2015 school year. Daytime-only schools and special-needs boarding schools were not included.

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