The 50 most elite boarding schools in America

Location: Faribault, Minnesota

Endowment: $25 million

Acceptance rate: 36%

Enrollment: 472

Shattuck-St. Mary’s School takes a unique approach to education with programs that allow students to learn at their own pace. As part of the school’s new ScholarShift program, 11th and 12th graders take blended classes that officially meet only twice a week, leaving time for students to speak one-on-one with instructors and pursue outside projects. For such projects, students can utilize the school’s weCreate space, which features studios for video editing, music recording, fashion design, and more.

Location: Indian Springs, Alabama

Endowment: $12 million

Acceptance rate: 52%

Enrollment: 299

Inspired by the motto “learning through living,” Indian Springs School takes education outside of the classroom. For instance, the student government is set up like a small town with a mayor and six commissioners and weekly town meetings, placing decision-making power in the hands of the students. The Indian Springs campus is located just 15 miles from Birmingham, Alabama’s biggest city, and its surrounding mountains, spring lake, and state park give students the chance to further explore outside of a traditional academic setting.

Location: Farmington, Connecticut

Endowment: $111 million

Acceptance rate: 48%

Enrollment: 321

Technology plays a prominent role in the curriculum at Miss Porter’s School. Every student at the all-girls school must own an iPad, which is used both during class and for outside assignments. Starting freshman year, every student also receives formal leadership training where girls learn skills in areas like decision making, problem solving, and strategic planning.

Location: Portsmouth, Rhode Island

Endowment: $45 million

Acceptance rate: 37%

Enrollment: 360

Portsmouth Abbey School boasts 1.24 miles of coastline along Narragansett Bay and houses 70% of its students. The Roman Catholic school is also home to a fully-operational, on-campus monastery led by a community of Benedictine monks. The Benedictine ideal of a “community life of work and prayer” informs the school’s ethos, which teaches students to balance academics with social and physical activities.

Location: Millbrook, New York

Endowment: $35 million

Acceptance rate: 35%

Enrollment: 304

Millbrook School still maintains decades-old traditions that help cement each student as a piece of the school’s rich history. These traditions range from Friday Night Forums, where students hear from renowned speakers, to intersession, where they spend a week outside of the classroom doing things like mastering ballroom dancing or camping in the Adirondacks.

Location: Marion, Massachusetts

Endowment: $44 million

Acceptance rate: 35%

Enrollment: 514

Affectionately known as "The School by the Sea,” Tabor Academy has a longstanding maritime heritage that permeates its programs and extracurriculars. Experiential learning opportunities for students include marine and nautical science studies, traveling to the Virgin Islands via the school’s part-classroom, part-vessel schooner, and participating in a collaborative class on the Oyster Farm. Tabor hopes to be internationally recognized for ocean ecology by 2026.

Location: Austin, Texas

Endowment: $13 million

Acceptance rate: 39%

Enrollment: 688

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School prides itself on strong academics that fully prepare students for college. The school also believes that what happens outside of the classroom is equally as important as what happens in it, and provides students with dozens of opportunities to explore extracurricular interests through its advanced film program, intensive theater focus, student dance company, on-campus art gallery, and more.

Location: Portland, Oregon

Endowment: $21 million

Acceptance rate: 43%

Enrollment: 860

Oregon Episcopal School is a pre-K through 12th grade day school with an optional boarding program for grades 9 through 12. The high school’s Aardvark Science Exposition is an annual science, engineering, computer science, and math research competition where finalists are sent to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair — the world's largest international pre-college science competition. Last year, more than a dozen OES students received Grand Award prizes of $500 to $1,000.

Location: Hudson, Ohio

Endowment: $110 million

Acceptance rate: 49%

Enrollment: 390

Western Reserve Academy boasts small class sizes — 12 students on average — and a low 7:1 student-teacher ratio, so every student can get the individual attention they need. The school also sends students to top-notch colleges, including the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Chicago, Dartmouth, Northwestern, and Duke.

Location: Woodberry Forest, Virginia

Endowment: $315 million

Acceptance rate: 48%

Enrollment: 393

In 1889, Woodberry Forest School was founded on the former farm of President James Madison’s family. The all-boys campus — where 100% of students board — is located in Central Virginia, a few-hours drive from the nation’s capital. The boys at Woodberry are taught that honor and moral integrity are the highest virtues a man can possess. To that end, the honor system is the foundation of the Woodberry experience.

Location: North Andover, Massachusetts

Endowment: $75 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 352

At Brooks School, students are encouraged to fill their schedules with the classes that most interest them, from multivariable calculus to 3D design to African-American literature. Between their junior and senior year, students can apply for a spot in Brooks’ "Students on the Forefront of Science" program, which matches applicants with internships in cutting-edge science and technology hubs. Past placements have included spots at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Location: Suffield, Connecticut

Endowment: $44 million

Acceptance rate: 29%

Enrollment: 415

In the last 10 years, leadership education and training has taken center stage at Suffield Academy. The school’s leadership program emphasizes skill-building and group dynamics tailored to each grade level ending with a formal leadership experience for seniors. Each year, a selection of Suffield alumni are recognized with the Alumni Leadership Award for exceptional displays of leadership in their careers or humanitarian endeavors.

Location: Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

Endowment: $244 million

Acceptance rate: 44%

Enrollment: 440

Over the last four years, the most popular colleges attended by Mercersburg Academy graduates have included elite schools like Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh University, and the United States Naval Academy. Throughout its history, the school has produced seven Rhodes Scholars, three Medal of Honor recipients, and a Nobel Laureate as well.

Location: Middlebury, Connecticut

Endowment: $61 million

Acceptance rate: 46%

Enrollment: 210

All-girls learning environments emphasize “substance over superficialities,” according to Westover School, where girls graduate as leaders with a strong sense of self-worth. The school also has a standout “Women in Science and Engineering” program, known as WISE, that has sent graduates on to top-tier science and engineering programs at MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Location: Simsbury, Connecticut

Endowment: $92 million

Acceptance rate: 26%

Enrollment: 390

The Westminster School aims to turn students into lifelong learners through dynamic relationships with instructors and a traditional liberal arts and sciences curriculum. Students can take their education a step further through a number of enrichment opportunities, including WISE, an online summer program that features classes like mythology and genetics, and the School Year Abroad program, where students spend a year studying and traveling throughout China, France, Italy, or Spain.

Location: Pottstown, Pennsylvania

Endowment: $153 million

Acceptance rate: 32%

Enrollment: 515

The Hill School primes students for “college, careers, and life” through a traditional liberal arts education, formal dress, a student-written honor code, regular family-style meals, and several signature programs. Nearly 80% of students board at The Hill School, which was originally founded as “The Family Boarding School” for its pioneering decision to house students and faculty under the same roof to forge connection, communication, and understanding.

Location: Byfield, Massachusetts

Endowment: $75 million

Acceptance rate: 23%

Enrollment: 406

At The Governor’s Academy, each class is tailored toward helping students develop one of the school’s seven essential skills, which include thinking critically, communicating effectively, and readily adapting to new situations. Students can also take advantage of the school’s college counselors, who partner with them to help narrow down their choices and put together competitive applications.

Location: Troy, New York

Endowment: $93 million

Acceptance rate: 36%

Enrollment: 358

In 1814, Emma Hart Willard opened the doors to her Middlebury, Vermont, home and transformed it into a school. Now located in upstate New York, Emma Willard School threw its bicentennial bash in 2014, celebrating a 200-year-old legacy of excellence in girls' education. Emma Willard is rooted in tradition; each year girls participate in dozens of seasonal and farewell rituals like plays, retreats, and a baccalaureate service.

Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Endowment: $214 million

Acceptance rate: 37%

Enrollment: 435

In addition to more than 40 honors and Advanced Placement classes, Episcopal High School offers a host of interdisciplinary courses that explore the complexities of subjects like global energy and ethics.

EHS graduates head on to top-notch colleges, with popular choices including Washington & Lee University, Hamilton College, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Location: Sheffield, Massachusetts

Endowment: $130 million

Acceptance rate: 27%

Enrollment: 405

Located at the foothills of Mt. Everett, Berkshire School is surrounded by arts, culture, and health and wellness destinations in an area known as The Berkshires. The school is committed to preserving the setting’s natural beauty with sustainable buildings and an eight-acre solar field. In addition to a strong college prep curriculum, advanced programs in math and science research and humanities research are available to Berkshire students who want to explore beyond the required study.

Location: North Bethesda, Maryland

Endowment: $20 million

Acceptance rate: 23%

Enrollment: 492

The oldest Jesuit school in the country, Georgetown Prep focuses on helping each student build a strong mind, body, and spirit. The all-boys school provides ample opportunities for growth — both in and out of the classroom — through numerous athletic teams, student publications, and extracurricular clubs, including speech and debate, chess club, and student government.

Location: Mount Hermon, Massachusetts

Endowment: $139 million

Acceptance rate: 31%

Enrollment: 650

In 2014, the highest number of Northfield Mount Hermon students matriculated to Boston University, NYU, George Washington University, and Northwestern. The school helps students get there by offering $8.4 million in financial aid and a College Model Academic Program, which requires them to complete three college prep courses each semester. Eighty percent of students are boarders on NMH’s 1,565-acre campus, most of which is located along the scenic Connecticut River.

Location: Kent, Connecticut

Endowment: $75 million

Acceptance rate: 43%

Enrollment: 570

Kent School’s course catalog rivals that of a university, with a breadth of options that includes music technology, Roman lyrical poetry, and meteorology. The curriculum also retains serious rigor with 27 Advanced Placement classes available and opportunities for students to complete independent study projects on a topic of their choice.

Location: Southborough, Massachusetts

Endowment: $140 million

Acceptance rate: 32%

Enrollment: 369

Though St. Mark’s School has remained rooted in Episcopal traditions since its founding 150 years ago, the school welcomes students of all faiths and requires a bi-weekly multifaith chapel service. More than two-thirds of St. Mark’s student body lives on campus and all students have the option to take their studies global through the school’s partner exchange programs, spring break trips, and service learning opportunities.

Location: Dobbs Ferry, New York

Endowment: $40 million

Acceptance rate: 34%

Enrollment: 490

The Masters School uses the Harkness method in all of its classes, so students learn through collaborative round table discussions in place of lectures.

Or students can take advantage of other alternative learning opportunities, such as CITYterm, a semester-long program in New York City, and High Mountain Institute, a semester in the Rocky Mountains where rigorous academics are combined with hands-on wilderness experience.

Location: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Endowment: $217 million

Acceptance rate: 38%

Enrollment: 799

Cranbrook Schools’ campus is a designated National Historic Landmark that’s comprised of a lower, middle, and upper school that each prepare students for their next academic stage. Upper school students are in college prep mode where they practice critical thinking skills, take on leadership roles, and interact with other cultures. Five full-time college admission counselors work closely with colleges and universities across the country to forge relationships between Cranbrook students and admissions representatives.

Location: Claremont, California

Endowment: $32 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 407

Home to two schools that share a campus, Webb features both an all-boys and an all-girls school in the same space. The two keep classes separate through tenth grade, transitioning into co-educational courses junior year. The Webb Schools are also home to the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology — the only museum in the country located on a high school campus that is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Location: Culver, Indiana

Endowment: $322 million

Acceptance rate: 38%

Enrollment: 811

Culver Academies — Culver Military Academy, Culver Summer Camps, and Culver Girls Academy — awards 48% of its student body $10.7 million in financial aid. Student-run developmental leadership programs have been at the center of the school since its inception in 1894. Ninety-two percent of students board at the lakeside campus, which also has an enduring, nationally competing horsemanship program.

Location: Blairstown, New Jersey

Endowment: $89 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 460

Blair Academy students can take advantage of the “maker space,” a laboratory-turned-workshop where students dive headfirst into hands-on design projects like 3D printing and building robots. On the other side of the creative spectrum, students can also partake in a range of fine arts, from acting to orchestra to set design for plays.

Location: Newport, Rhode Island

Endowment: $138 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 365

In addition to lively academic discussion and debate in the classroom, St. George’s School emphasizes experiential learning in the local community and around the world. Every semester the seaside Episcopal school sends students on one leg of a transatlantic voyage in a 69-foot marine research vessel called Geronimo, where they get a firsthand education in marine biology.

Location: Middletown, Delaware

Endowment: $195 million

Acceptance rate: 28%

Enrollment: 310

Technology is intertwined with the curriculum at St. Andrew’s Academy. Students use blogs to document their progress in physics, musicians send recordings to their instructors for feedback, and teachers keep in touch with their pupils through learning-management software.

St. Andrew’s students also gain entrance to elite colleges; New York University, Wesleyan University, and Davidson College topped the list of the most popular choices from the last four years.

Location: Concord, Massachusetts

Endowment: $56 million

Acceptance rate: 28%

Enrollment: 382

Though Concord Academy enrolls more day students than boarders, the school has a strong living-learning community. Students from every grade live together in six historic family homes and also have the option for homestays with day students’ families. Concord values hard work over competition, calling itself a “no prize” school that eschews class rank and academic awards.

Location: Windsor, Connecticut

Endowment: $180 million

Acceptance rate: 27%

Enrollment: 650

Above all, The Loomis Chaffee School is committed to providing top-notch academics and shaping students into their best selves. To enhance the academic experience, the school offers writing workshops, study abroad opportunities, guided research projects, and experiential learning programs such as internships, volunteer work, and scholarly competitions.

Location: Carpinteria, California

Endowment: $75 million

Acceptance rate: 14%

Enrollment: 270

The vigorous academic courses at Cate School are designed to foster students’ self-knowledge and the village-like campus — known as The Mesa — encourages students to take advantage of the nearby Los Padres National Forest and Pacific Ocean for outdoor learning and leisure activities. Cate School's selectivity could be explained by its commitment to diversity; the student body is comprised of 42% students of color from 31 states and 17 countries.

Location: Washington, DC

Endowment: $60 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 575

St. Albans students excel academically, and the school has graduated 45 National Merit Semifinalists since 2007 and 21 Presidential Scholars in its history. The all-boys school also partners with the National Cathedral School for Girls to offer an array of co-educational opportunities, including art and drama programs, select sports, and the 160-voice Chorale.

Location: Watertown, Connecticut

Endowment: $236 million

Acceptance rate: 21%

Enrollment: 594

The Taft School’s volunteer program, sustainability initiatives, and Center for Global Leadership and Service support the school’s motto: “Not be served but to serve.” Students have the opportunity to graduate with a “Service Diploma,” which asserts a second-language proficiency and community service experiences abroad. In the last five years, graduates matriculated to top schools including George Washington University, Georgetown, and Cornell.

Location: Dallas, Texas

Endowment: $145 million

Acceptance rate: 25%

Enrollment: 1,098

Courses at The Hockaday School are intensely rigorous, including classes that do not carry the specific “Advanced Placement” designation. There’s no shortage of official AP classes at the all-girls school, however, with choices including calculus, human geography, and biology. A full 93% of students who take the corresponding exams earn a 3 or higher.

Location: Ojai, California

Endowment: $138 million

Acceptance rate: 12%

Enrollment: 250

The Thacher School is located in California’s serene Ojai Valley where the mountains run east to west and hiking and horseback riding are common outdoor activities for students and faculty. The school aims to teach its student body — 90% of which are boarders — the value of a disciplined education in congruence with adventures in the wilderness.

Location: Hightstown, New Jersey

Endowment: $326 million

Acceptance rate: 22%

Enrollment: 542

An average class size of 12 and a 6:1 student-teacher ratio allows Peddi School to give each student individual attention and academic support. It pays off: The most popular college destinations among recent Peddie graduates include prestigious schools like New York University, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, and Cornell.

Location: Wallingford, Connecticut

Endowment: $318 million

Acceptance rate: 23%

Enrollment: 865

Choate Rosemary Hall celebrated its 125th anniversary last year by ramping up its commitment to innovation. The school, which requires its students to bring iPads to class, dedicated a new mathematics and computer science building that’s LEED-Gold certified and home to Choate’s award-winning Robotics team and i.d. Lab — a tech-packed facility for creative thinking and innovation. There’s also the Kohler Environmental Center where junior and senior students can enroll in the yearlong Environmental Immersion Program that combines sustainable living, study, and independent research.

Location: Lakeville, Connecticut

Endowment: $362 million

Acceptance rate: 21%

Enrollment: 598

Students at The Hotchkiss School hail from all over — 35 states and 34 countries, in fact — and can venture back out into the world for a semester abroad in France, Italy, China, Spain, or one of Hotchkiss’ domestic destinations. During school breaks, students can also participate in shorter, faculty-led tours of places such as Canada, Cuba, Ecuador, Kenya, and many more.

Location: Concord, Massachusetts

Endowment: $244 million

Acceptance rate: 18%

Enrollment: 384

The Middlesex campus was designed by the famed Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm and is located just 20 miles outside of Boston, among some of the country’s most historic towns. The school balances personal exploration and demanding academics — an "Introduction to Mindfulness" course that teaches pupils how to reduce stress and improve relationships is required for all new students. Notable alumni include former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld and cofounder of Instagram Kevin Systrom.

Location: Milton, Massachusetts

Endowment: $268 million

Acceptance rate: 19%

Enrollment: 700

Students at Milton Academy narrow down their schedules from a wide range of courses, choosing between everything from Latin literature to computer programming to jazz improvisation. Outside of the classroom, students can also participate in community service and outdoor programs like rock climbing, kayaking, and camping.

Location: Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Endowment: $320 million

Acceptance rate: 20%

Enrollment: 816

The Lawrenceville School is defined by its "House System": a living situation for boarders and day students where each of the 18 dormitories represents a sub-community informed by grade and gender. The houses often compete for academic and athletic honors and have individual traditions like sports games and community service events. Lawrenceville is committed to its Green Campus Initiative, which includes a 30-acre solar farm that covers 90% of the school's energy needs.

Location: Groton, Massachusetts

Endowment: $350 million

Acceptance rate: 12%

Enrollment: 381

At Groton, students must take at least five full-credit courses per semester, including classes in expository writing, ethics, and foreign language. More than just academics, Groton also prioritizes its sense of community, a value emphasized by traditions such as morning Chapel Talk, daily check-ins, surprise holidays, and the school birthday dinner.

Location: Deerfield, Massachusetts

Endowment: $532 million

Acceptance rate: 17%

Enrollment: 638

Deerfield Academy provides 35% of its student body with $8 million in financial aid annually. In addition to participating academically, students are required to be involved in a co-curricular activity like community service, dance, theater, or sports. More than one-fourth of Deerfield’s 330-acre campus is comprised of athletic fields, tennis courts, a fitness center, and a 5,900-square-foot boathouse along the Connecticut River.

Location: Concord, New Hampshire

Endowment: $551 million

Acceptance rate: 16%

Enrollment: 541

During their time at St. Paul’s School, students engage with class material through hands-on assignments and collaborative projects, including experimentation in laboratories and exploration outside of the classroom. Graduates of St. Paul’s then go on to top-tier universities, with Georgetown, Brown, Columbia, and Harvard included as some of the most popular choices over the past four years.

Location: Andover, Massachusetts

Endowment: $1 billion

Acceptance rate: 13%

Enrollment: 1,141

A total of 835 students board at Phillips Academy Andover, the oldest incorporated boarding school in the US, now in its 238th year. The school offers students a rigorous academic curriculum — and access to two on-campus museums — in preparation for college. Over the last three years, dozens of graduates went on to attend all eight Ivy Leagues with the most at UPenn, Harvard, and Yale. Former US presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush are both alumni.

Location: Exeter, New Hampshire

Endowment: $1.15 billion

Acceptance rate: 19%

Enrollment: 1,085

At Phillips Exeter Academy, all classes are taught seminar-style, with students gathered around circular tables. The strategy, known as the Harkness method, originated at Exeter and is the school’s signature — and students love it. According to the school, students come to class prepared and ready to discuss, and engage with the material on a deeper level than could be achieved through traditional lectures.

Exeter counts Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg among its notable alumni.