Finding the right school can be overwhelming. There's a lot to think about - like location, academic performance, and, of course, tuition! We're counting down some of the most pricey educations in the country...
30. The Rivers School
A college prep day school in Weston, Massachusetts, The Rivers School was initially founded in 1915 as a school for boys. However, it eventually expanded to accept female students as well.
Children who attend this school each pay an annual tuition of $55,450. The school has approximately 400-500 students enrolled in it, from grades 6-12. The school's Middle School program includes grades 6-8, while its Upper School program consists of grades 9-12.
29. Friends Seminary
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary in an independent school, and the longest continuous coeducational school in New York. Located in the East Village district of Manhattan, it is a Quaker school that complies with the values of the Religious Society of Friends.
The school's mission is to prepare its students "not only for the world that is, but to help them bring about a world that ought to be." We love to hear it! Nearly 800 children attend the school, from grades Kindergarten through 12, after coughing up an annual fee of $56,300.
28. St. Thomas More School
St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut is the dream school for any student who has ambitions to pursue a successful career in basketball. It comes as no surprise to know that 20 former alumni of the school went on to become professional NBA players!
But dreaming this big doesn't come cheap - it costs around $56,900 per year to attend the school. However, students do get to enjoy the perks of the school. These include high-end gymnasiums, a beach, five athletic fields, tennis courts, a track, and more than 40 different academic courses to choose from!
27. Poly Prep Country Day School
Stretching over 25 acres in the Dyker Heights area of Brooklyn, New York, is Poly Prep Country Day School. Established in 1917, it consists of two schools - the Upper and Middle Schools of the institution - and first began to admit female students in 1977.
Today, Poly Prep is an independent, coeducational day school, with about 1,134 students in grades kindergarten through 12. And with tuition costing up to $57,000, it certainly comes with its perks. School trips include sightseeing around the world - from Argentina to China to Spain!
26. Horace Mann School
Horace Mann School, located in the Bronx in New York City, is an independent college preparatory school that was founded in 1887. Enrolled in the school are approximately 1,700 students in the New York metropolitan area, starting from nursery school to grade 12.
Education at Horace Mann isn't cheap, with tuition fees costing around $57,200. This barely comes as a surprise, since New York is one of the states in which residents find themselves paying more to send their children to private schools than to college!
25. The MacDuffie School
The MacDuffie School has described itself as an "international community." Located in Granby, Massachusetts, it serves around 250 students, of which half are international students from 25 different countries around the world! It is also home to around half of the students, offering dorms to those who opt to stay overnight.
The school has several perks, such as a full salad bar, a soup bar, a deli bar, freshly cut fruits, and vegetables, rotating hot entrées, and desserts. It also has several tennis courts, a prestigious dance program, and a student center with cozy couches. Unsurprisingly, tuition at the school is $58,300.
24. Grier School
An all-girls school in Pennsylvania, Grier School is one that any girl who loves to dance would probably love to attend. It has a dance curriculum and theater program, at which professional choreographers give training sessions to the students who are enrolled.
But the $59,900/year school has a lot more to offer than just a future for Broadway dancers. It also has an equestrian team with over 40 horses and 4 rings, both indoors and outdoors. Students live on campus in dorms called cottages, which are looked after by housemothers.
23. St. Paul’s School
A boarding school located in Concord, New Hampshire, St. Paul's School is part of the Eight Schools Association - a group of highly elite private schools in the U.S. It's also quite proud to be what it describes as "highly selective" about the students who live on its 2,000-acre campus.
The school emphasizes sports just as much as it does studies; each student at the school must be involved in at least one sports team. Impressively, the school's campus is also where the country's first hockey game took place. It's no wonder the yearly tuition to attend St. Paul's is $62,000!
22. Woodberry Forest School
Woodberry Forest School is named after the Virginia city in which it's located. It's an all-male school, attended by only around 400 students. Despite this, however, the school's campus is rather huge, and includes a ropes course, an outdoor swimming pool, a lake, and even a golf course.
In addition to these luxuries, the school also offers a weekly dinner menu that looks a lot like one ya might pick up at a fancy restaurant. For the hundreds of boys enrolled in the school, all these perks appear to be very well worth the $62,200 they spend each year to attend the school.
21. St. Andrew’s School
St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware rests on a 2,000 acre-plot, big enough to provide homes for its more than 300 students. And that's exactly what it does! In fact, it is not only possible - but mandatory for the students to live on the boarding school's campus - for $62,280 a year!
The campus also includes a six-lane crew course, a boathouse, 14 tennis courts, five soccer fields, and four lacrosse fields. Graduates of the school include authors, diplomats, professional athletes, Olympic gold medalists, and U.S. ambassadors. The school was even used as a filming site for an episode of The West Wing!
20. Linden Hall
Next on the list is the oldest all-girls boarding school that has been continuously running in the country since 1746. The school, located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is known for its outstanding horseback riding programs for those who enjoy the sport.
The school has around twenty horses on campus, along with a professional indoor riding ring with a "grand viewing deck and comfortable lounge." Students can enroll in the school's year-long training program and compete in national competitions as well as on-campus horse shows. Linden's boarding tuition is about $62,696.
19. Avenues: The World School
An international system of private schools for all ages, this school has more than 20 campuses all over the world! Many of its students are children of tech millionaires and celebrities, including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' daughter, Suri Cruise, who's enrolled in the school's New York campus.
Students at Avenues receive some pretty nice benefits in return for the $62,700 they pay to attend the school each year. Not only does each student receive a MacBook and an iPad, but they also have private cars to take them home at the end of every school day!
18. Northwood School
A private boarding school located in Lake Placid, New York, Northwood School is yet another expensive institution on this list. It offers its students, grades 9-12, a trimester-based college preparatory curriculum - in addition to a post-grad year for its most recent graduates!
The school takes advantage of its strategic location and encourages its students to engage in activities outside of the academic curriculum. For $63,860 a year, students can enjoy participating in sports activities at the school, which include hiking, kayaking, alpine skiing, rock climbing, and even snowboarding!
17. Wasatch Academy
Based in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Wasatch Academy is a school that describes itself as "America’s boarding school for Generation Z." And apparently, it goes out of its way to live up to that statement! Classes offered by the school include video recordings and 3-D animation studios.
Some of the extracurricular activities students enjoy are after-school skiing, horseback riding, indoor and outdoor rock climbing, and mountain biking. And for Gen-Zers who can't get enough of the gym, it also has a massive weight-lifting gym, an indoor pool, and indoor basketball courts! Unsurprisingly, tuition is $64,800.
16. Episcopal High School
Virginia's very first high school, the Episcopal High School, could probably be mistaken for a college campus. It covers an area of 130 acres, and features picturesque brick buildings and sidewalks. The campus also has modern classrooms, huge gyms, and on-campus chapels.
But the most exciting thing about the $64,900/year school is what happens outside of its campus. Students participate in at least 80-100 experiences, where they are taken to the nation's capital as part of the school's "Washington Program." In addition, all seniors at the school take part in internships in Washington, D.C.
15. Trinity-Pawling School
An all-boys boarding school located 60 miles north of New York City, Trinity-Pawling School is home to around 300 students. Its 230-acre campus includes a contemporary arts center, several athletic fields, a greenhouse, and a theater big enough to seat 400 people!
The school has a dress code by which students have to dress in "Blues and Grays," meaning blue blazers, grey dress pants, white shirts, and blue and gold ties. Trinity-Pawling has described itself as the place "where boys find their greatness." It's also a place where they pay $66,000 a year to live and study!
14. The Hill School
Located just 40 miles outside of Philadelphia is The Hill School, which was declared one of the nation's most elite boarding schools by Business Insider. Several of the school's graduates are sons and daughters of politicians, including Pennsylvania's governor, Tom Wolf, and Donald Trump Jr.
The school has a very strict dress code for its students, which is quite formal in its appearance. Boys are required to wear a coat and tie, and girls must be dressed in a blazer and an "appropriate collared Oxford shirt." To live on campus, students pay $66,420 per year.
13. Concord Academy
Concord Academy, a boarding school Massachusetts, is an independent, coeducational college prep boarding school, located northwest of Boston. It has a campus stretching over 39 acres of land and ranks in the top fifteen U.S. boarding schools - for student SAT scores and SSAT scores.
The school is home to nearly 400 students in grades 9-12. Some are locals, and others come from several countries around the world. As one student put it, "it's the best of both worlds... to have people from all over the world!" The school's tuition fee stands at around $66,520 per year.
12. Salisbury School
The $66,625 per year that students pay to attend Salisbury School is probably well worth the experience they get in return. For starters, the all-boys private college-preparatory school includes a total of 110,000 square feet of gym space, an Olympic-sized hockey rink, two basketball courts, a wrestling room, and so much more!
Yes, really. But the school's academic program is also as rich as its campus. It offers classes ranging from digital media and entrepreneurial studies to building boats and designing houses. If that wasn't enough, meals include Milkshake Mondays, an "Asian Pho bar," cookouts, and themed dinners.
11. The Berkshire School
The Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, is a private boarding school for grades 9 through 12 - as well as Nike's favorite spot for holding their annual Running Camp. And given that the 400-acre campus has some of the best athletic facilities in the region, it's hard not to agree with the sports brand.
According to The Boston Globe, the school has "one of the prettiest campuses in Massachusetts, or anywhere." For $67,900 a year, students at the scenic school can enjoy not only its beautiful campus but also the several activities it offers, like a croquet club, a dog walking club, a bagpipes club, and more.
10. Midland School
Located on the Central Coast of sunny California, Midland School is not one's typical educational system. Students who attend the school spend half of their time taking classes and the other half doing farmwork. Yep. The school's motto? "Live Your Education."
At Midland School, students do all the handiwork needed to do on the farm-school, including chopping wood, caring for livestock, planting and tending to crops - and even cleaning. Cell phones are confiscated until the end of the year so that the students are invested in their time at the school. The yearly tuition is $69,700.
9. The Storm King School
Previously ranked one of the top 50 boarding schools in the continent, the Storm King School is one of the oldest boarding schools in the state of New York. Each of the 195 students who attend the school gets to enjoy being one of only eight students in any class they may decide to take.
The school's campus, which stretches over 55 acres, includes fencing teams, tennis courts, and student dorms, which are called "cottages." Not only that, but its $69,900 yearly tuition also covers a team of chefs who whip up quite a buffet for the students - including a noodle bar, sandwich bar, pasta bar, and veggie bar!
8. Kent School
Kent School, located in Kent, Connecticut, is a private, co-educational college preparatory school established in 1906. On the school's campus, students are free to use the indoor and outdoor tennis courts, baseball and football fields, and even a boating and rowing house.
Students at Kent School have unlimited access to its 172 courses and 56 clubs for a yearly tuition of $69,950 - a price similar to what some people pay for a private college! The school also has a pizza station, sandwich bar, salad bar, pasta bar, dessert bar, and even a cereal bar.
7. The Woodhall School
The Woodhall School in Connecticut is for students who are looking to ditch conventional learning. Teachers give classes with individualized approaches and only 2-5 students in each classroom. This is why the school allows a maximum of only 42 students to be enrolled in the school at a time.
The prestigious $76,000/year school offers several unique types of clubs for the students to take part in, including music, a cappella, astronomy, investment and philanthropy, and social media clubs. Other features include volleyball courts, a campus pond, and 25 acres of woods.
6. The Quad Preparatory School
Located in downtown Manhattan is The Quad Preparatory School, an institution that focuses on children who are considered gifted learners. The school not only has typical learning subjects like math and languages, but also counseling, health, and wellness courses.
The school is invested in getting their students, who pay a $79,250 yearly tuition, into the country's best colleges. Weekly individual sessions with college counselors are scheduled for students in grades 11 and 12, as well as check-ins with academic advisors once every two weeks.
5. The Lang School
The Lang School in New York City doesn't hold its students to our typical standards. According to their website, "beyond taking college entry requirements, students choose electives, develop a portfolio, acquire mentors, apply for competitive internships, and choose their college majors - generally by their junior year."
In exchange for a yearly tuition of $80,250, students at The Lang School get to take on a topic they're passionate about for research purposes. Some examples include "studying the history of surgical knots" and "learning to take apart and reconstruct a Porsche."
4. The Oxford Academy
How can a school with the name "The Oxford Academy" not make this list of top expensive schools in the country? Located in Westbrook, Connecticut - one of the richest towns in the country - the all-boys boarding school certainly lives up to its name.
Students enjoy several advantages that come with the $82,000 cost of being enrolled in the school. A few of these include guaranteed "individualized one-on-one classes," whose methods are "alternative to a traditional classroom setting." Other benefits include the school's sailing club and international trips.
3. Forman School
The Forman School, a co-educational boarding and day school in Litchfield, Connecticut specializes in teaching children with ADHD. Its classes and overall approach aim to provide its students with the skills they need to get into colleges of their choice.
But these classes are by no means cheap - tuition for the school is around $85,900 per year. Students on campus can use its dorms, a robotics lab, tennis courts, athletic centers, and a huge dining hall. Cooking classes during lunchtime are also offered, making it an enjoyable and educational experience as well.
2. IMG Academy
High School or sports training camp? Actually, IMG Academy is both! The private boarding school offers its 6th-12th graders intense, year-round training in multiple sports - including basketball, football, baseball, soccer, golf, tennis, track & field, lacrosse, and cross country. Whew - we're exhausted just listing them!
Students get to enjoy the 600-acre campus' impressive training facilities, massive fields, and enormous weightlifting rooms. The school takes sports and athletics so seriously that training is actually written into students' class schedules. Tuition varies depending on the sports program but can cost as much as $88,900 a year!
1. Shortridge Academy
Aaaand finally: Shortridge Academy, a private school in New England, focuses on mental health in addition to its academic programs. Each student is accompanied by a personal counselor to not only discuss their struggles or concerns, but to work with the students' parents to build therapeutic plans for each of them.
Some activities include jiu-jitsu, nature hiking, weight training, as well as skiing trips. It looks like the jaw-dropping $118,000 yearly payment to attend the school is worth it for these students since several of the school's graduates go on to attend colleges of their first choice.