Explore K-12 Private Schools in the U.S. & Worldwide

Cushing Academy develops curious, creative, and confident learners and leaders. Founded as a coeducational institution in 1865, the school is located one hour west of Boston and draws students (grades 9-12 and postgraduate) from more than 30 countries and 30 states to its rural, 162-acre campus in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Combining outstanding academics with a robust program of athletics, arts, and cultural offerings, the Academy's dynamic faculty leads a holistic, student-centered approach to learning. At Cushing, students build confidence and intellectual curiosity; they are pushed by their teachers and peers to explore and elevate their unique range of talents, abilities, and interests. Community plays an essential role in the Cushing experience; 96% of students live on campus and the school’s academic, social, and athletic support is singularly designed to promote opportunities for leadership and personal growth. At its core, Cushing Academy empowers students in all aspects of their lives and builds a foundation for a lifetime of independence, learning, and the pursuit of excellence.

The Bryn Mawr School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for girls from preschool through grade twelve. Within a nurturing environment, Bryn Mawr's rigorous academic curriculum inspires a passion for intellectual curiosity and emphasizes the delights and demands of learning. In the classical humanistic tradition, Bryn Mawr promotes the full development of mind, body, and spirit. A Bryn Mawr education is grounded in the expectation that young women will be resilient in the face of complexity, ambiguity, and change; will become responsible and confident participants in the world; and, will lead considered and consequential lives.

■ Located in Orlando, Florida, the only IB school in Central Florida with a warm, sunny climate for living, learning, and sports. ■ Offers nearly 150 courses across multiple levels, including ESL, American High School, 35 honors courses, 2 AP courses, and 36 IB courses. ■ STEAM program in science and engineering in collaboration with MIT, mentoring students in robotics and innovation projects. ■ Entrepreneurship program partnering with local businesses to provide real-world entrepreneurial experiences. ■ Cypress Center for the Arts provides comprehensive arts education, including performing arts in partnership with the Julia Conservatory. ■ Offers 21 sports and over 60 teams, with strong programs in golf, tennis, and swimming. ■ Notable alumni include CBA athlete Fanbo Zeng, who graduated from Windermere Preparatory School and played for the NBA G League Ignite. ■ Brand-new townhouse-style boarding, double occupancy, located near Walt Disney World, with faculty serving as housemasters and strong campus security. ■ College counseling begins in 9th grade, with strong college acceptance outcomes.

Landon School, an independent, non-sectarian boys day school, prepares talented boys for productive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play. In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum that features 17 Advanced Placement (AP) and 15 honors courses in the Upper School, students choose from 22 arts and 23 co-curricular athletics programs so that they can nurture all of their passions. Landon embraces the teacher-coach mentor philosophy so that faculty members are also coaches, advisors and leaders who connect with students in multiple ways throughout the day -- in the classroom, on the athletics field, in the art studio, on the performance stage, and beyond. For example, History Department Chair Bill Reed is also the head coach of our varsity soccer and baseball teams, a father of two (including one Landon boy), and a respected teacher who has such a lasting impact on his students that one alumnus nominated him for the University of Chicago's 2014 Outstanding Educator Award. Studio Arts Department Chair Walt Bartman is head coach of our varsity swimming/diving and water polo teams, a father of two, a practicing artist and a mentor to our students as they undertake extracurricular projects -- this year, he provided guidance to a group of students as they painted portraits for at-risk Argentinian children and another group who painted pet portraits for patients at Children's National Medical Center. Assistant Middle School Head Erin Duffy connects with her students as a history teacher and as head coach of the seventh grade basketball team. Grade 6 Dean Addison Hunt gets to know students as their math teacher and as head coach of the varsity, junior varsity and Middle School cross country and track teams. Spanish teacher Sarah DeCamps, also a Middle School tennis and soccer coach, has taken groups of her students to Honduras to experience the language and culture firsthand. Lower School science teacher Beth Hughes bonds with our youngest Bears as a coach on the soccer field and as an advisor who helps students care for class pets as part of the after-school Animal Crew program. In 2015, five seniors were recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars for displaying the potential for excellence in their college studies. The 16 students in the 2014-15 Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry class had a 100% pass rate and averaged a 4.65 (out of a possible 5) on the AP exam, a full two points higher than the national average. Two of our Upper School students were USA Water Polo Academic All-Americans. A team of our Middle School boys built their own SeaPerch submersible remote operating vehicle and in 2015 qualified for SeaPerch Nationals. A tech-savvy team of Lower School students, who worked together to learn to write computer code and program robots, finished first in the state of Maryland and 16th in the nation out of 1,150 teams in the Wonder League Robotics Competition. In 2016, 13 Upper and Middle School artists earned honors in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; the work of five artists was juried into the Congressional Art Exhibition; and 22 Landon artists were among the finalists (and four won awards) in the regional Best of the Independent Schools Art Awards, an independently judged contest held in our very own Landow Gallery. Our musicians also shined in competition: Members of our Upper School Strings Ensemble, Jazz Band, Chamber Singers, Bearitones and Concert Band earn four first places and one second place at the 2016 Big Apple Classic music festival in New York City. On the athletics front, Bears varsity teams won five IAC championships in 2014-15, and the lacrosse team secured a No. 2 national ranking. In addition, 16 athletes from the Class of 2016 have committed to compete in college athletics. Our alumni, who frequently share their stories -- and praise Landon's teachers -- on our Bear Blog (www.landon.net/bearblog), have gone on to be Naval nuclear engineers, tech pioneers in Silicon Valley, college basketball coaches, investment bankers, award-winning writers and so much more.

In a community where every student is known and needed, Millbrook prepares its student for college and lives of meaning and consequence by instilling the values of respect, integrity, stewardship, service, and curiosity. Nestled on 800 acres in the Hudson Valley of New York, Millbrook School resides just 90 miles north of New York City and is home to 330 students from 26 different states and 21 different countries. Through our commitment to ensuring that all of our students are needed and known, our students have the opportunity to explore new passions, while developing greater expertise and confidence in their current interests. As a student at Millbrook, you will be surrounded by so many people who are dedicated to helping you succeed. Between our expert faculty, who will be your coaches, advisers, teachers, and dorm parents, we have the ability to see our students in multiple lights and help our students build upon their strengths to bolster their weaknesses. Our faculty will push you to look at the world like never before, developing a deep value and appreciation for thoughtful and respectful intellectual discourse. One particularly notable program available to Millbrook students is the Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo at Millbrook School. Established in 1936, Millbrook’s AZA accredited Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo is one of a kind. Founded by Millbrook’s first biology teacher, Frank Trevor, the zoo allows students unique, hands-on experiences with more than 170 exotic and indigenous animals in facilities that extend across 6 acres. Classes such as Environmental Science, Animal Behavior, Primate Evolution, and Independent Science Research are tied closely to our zoo and expose students to solution-oriented approaches which focus on sustainability, evolution, and quality of life for all within the means of nature. Outside of academics, every Millbrook student will engage at the zoo through the campus-wide community service program and through extracurricular offerings. Through these opportunities students will have hands-on experiences in animal husbandry, diet preparation, and veterinary medicine. According to the President and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Millbrook School’s Trevor-Lovejoy Zoo is the pre–eminent education and conservation program for high school students in the United States.

Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart serves girls grades K through 12 and offers a co-educational preschool program. Stuart Country Day School is an independent college-preparatory school for girls governed by a lay and religious Board of Trustees. Stuart is a member of the National and International Network of Sacred Heart Schools. Stuart is dedicated to providing young women with a rigorous academic program and a supportive atmosphere in which to best develop their moral and intellectual lives.

The Village School is located in the western Energy Corridor of Houston, Texas, it is the only boarding school in the Greater Houston area, with most local parents working in the aerospace, medical, and energy industries. The school offers over 200 high school courses, including ESL, college prep courses, 14 honors courses, 16 AP courses, and 55 IB courses. STEAM education is a key strength, with curricula and activities developed in collaboration with MIT. Students have the opportunity to earn five different types of diplomas at The Village School, including U.S. High School Diploma, IB Diploma, Entrepreneurship Diploma, Pre-Med Diploma and Computer Science Diploma. The Village School partners with the Space Center to provide learning and research opportunities in space-related fields, along with corresponding internships. During high school, students can take part in internships through partnerships with many well-known local companies, research institutes, hospitals, and non-profit organizations. On-campus dormitory consists entirely of double-occupancy rooms under a fully gated-campus management system for greater safety. The school excels in soccer and basketball, having won multiple state championships. The school provides college guidance begins in 9th grade, having outstanding university placement, with a high percentage of students admitted to top-tier STEM universities.

Palmer Trinity School is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational, Episcopal day school located on 60 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County. Established in 1972, Palmer Trinity School enrolls 800 Students in grades six through twelve. The School reflects both the metropolitan and suburban flavor of the city of Miami with 30 countries represented in its student body. Over seventy percent of the students are bilingual, and forty percent speak three or more languages. Palmer Trinity School seeks students of good academic potential and strong personal character in its commitment to fashion a diverse community.

Since 1893, Baylor has been one of the premier college-preparatory schools in the U.S. Our beautiful 690-acre campus is located on the Tennessee River and only five minutes from downtown Chattanooga. Students enjoy the benefits that come from small classes, a unique leadership program and innovative curriculum, an exceptional faculty that includes 100 educators with advanced degrees, vast extracurricular choices, and nationally recognized athletic teams. Graduates are admitted to colleges and universities nationwide, including some of the most selective schools in the world.

Founded in 1887, Head-Royce is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational, non-denominational, K-12 school, which offers a challenging educational program. The mission of Head-Royce School is to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and exuberance for academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for the diversity that makes our society strong, and to encourage constructive and responsible citizenship. The school nurtures the development of the whole child through a program that seeks to develop intellectual abilities such as scholarship and disciplined, critical thinking; to foster in each student integrity, ethical behavior, compassion, and a sense of humor; to promote responsibility and leadership, an appreciation of individual and cultural differences, and a respect for the opinions of others; to nurture aesthetic abilities such as creativity, imagination, musical, and visual talent; and to encourage joyful, healthy living and physical fitness. All members of the Head-Royce community strive to create an educational environment that reflects the school's core values of academic excellence, diversity, and citizenship, one in which each student can thrive. We believe that a program based on these core values will prepare our students to be effective global citizens as they face and embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Our mission is accomplished through the cooperative efforts of parents, students, and staff by providing a rigorous curriculum and a positive discipline program that challenges all students to reach their potential. The mission is realized in a community that nourishes the faith life of the parents, students, and staff through prayer, worship, and service to others.

Westover is a girls-centered boarding and day school for grades 9–12, including a postgraduate year, located in Middlebury, Connecticut—a quintessential New England town within reach of New York City and Boston. With an intentionally small community of approximately 200 students, Westover offers a highly personalized educational experience where every student is known, challenged, and supported to thrive. Rooted in a tradition of academic excellence across the humanities, arts, sciences, mathematics, and global studies, Westover combines rigorous college preparation with innovative, real-world learning. Signature programs such as Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and the Financial Independence, Resourcefulness, and Entrepreneurship (FIRE) initiative encourage students to think critically, communicate confidently, and engage deeply across disciplines. Housed in the Ann Pollina Center for Women in Science and Engineering, WISE is built on the belief that students learn STEM best by actively doing STEM. The program features hands-on, inquiry-driven coursework in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, environmental engineering, fluid physics, game design, and public health—courses designed to reflect the tools, ideas, and challenges shaping today’s scientific and technological landscape. At the same time, Westover’s interdisciplinary approach ensures students develop equally strong foundations in writing, research, creativity, collaboration, and global understanding. Through innovative programs, close faculty mentorship, and a globally minded community, Westover prepares young women not only for admission to the world’s leading universities, but also for lives of purpose, leadership, and meaningful impact.

Carmel Catholic High School is a Catholic, college preparatory secondary school for young men and women from ninth through twelfth grades. Every student to us is a unique and worth individual with great potential waiting to be discovered and harnessed. We value and encourage creativity and we provide a loving and supportive environment where every student can feel successful as a person. We firmly believe that a young person learns from his or her total experience of the school setting, so we strive to address the religious, academic, social, psychological, and physical development of the young person through the school

The Masters School is a coeducational, college preparatory school located on 96 wooded acres, just 35 minutes north of New York City. Students and teachers make full use of state-of-the-art campus facilities as well as one of the most exciting classrooms in the world--New York City. As a boarding and day school, this is a place of high standards, great achievement, and hard work. The curriculum is challenging. The athletic teams are competitive and accomplished. The arts program is exceptional. An engagement with the School's community service program has been a guiding principle since the School's founding in 1877.

Woodside Priory is a coeducational, Catholic independent school for students in middle school, grades six through eight and in high school, grade 9 through 12. Situated within ten minutes of Stanford University on the San Francisco peninsula in Portola Valley, the Priory combines its 50-acre (20-hectare) rural campus with a challenging college preparatory curriculum, a 7-to-1 student-faculty ratio, and a full complement of competitive athletics and enriching co-curricular. As both a day and a boarding school, seamless interaction between boarders and day students provides an enthusiastic and spirited campus student life where local students blend with students from countries throughout the world. The Priory embodies the values of Benedictine education - a belief in order and personal responsibility, a respect for diversity, the importance of community life and the development of the whole person.

St. John's is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting standards in the development of individual, spiritual, ethical, intellectual, social and physical growth. While the means to achieve that purpose may change, it remains the basic mission of the School. The School seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge.

At Valley Christian School, our mission is to provide a nurturing environment offering quality education supported by a strong foundation of Christian values in partnership with parents, equipping students to become leaders to serve God, to serve their families, and to positively impact their communities and the world. The Junior High School provides sixth, seventh and eighth grade students with a departmentalized approach for all subjects. Emphasis is placed on preparing students for the comprehensive curriculum of the high school by developing good study skill and discipline for more advanced academic work. Honors classes are offered in English, Math and Science. By the time students reach the high school, they have honed their critical and analytical skills and are ready to meet the demands of a challenging curriculum.

Holderness is an Episcopal, college-preparatory school. Utilizing its small size and close-knit community, Holderness strikes a balance between academics and sports, including football, nationally recognized ski teams (alpine, nordic, freestyle, freeride, snowboarding), hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. Holderness is known for its unique job and leadership programs, as well as community service and outdoor program. Carpenter Arts Center provides an art gallery, ceramic, photography, and recording studios. Recent additions include Gallop Fitness Center, Alfond Library/Media Center and renovated Schoolhouse.

Located on a beautiful 22-acre campus in the heart of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Cretin-Derham Hall is a National Blue Ribbon school that offers students a supportive environment with a rigorous academic program and a wide array of extracurriculars. Founded in 1871, CDH is one of the oldest schools in the state. Though rich in tradition and history, CDH is also an innovative school with state-of-the-art facilities, including science labs equipped with digital microscopes and 3D printers and classrooms equipped with LCD projectors and Apple TVs. CDH offers an award-winning curriculum with 170+ courses that allow students to pursue their interests and reach their potential. The school’s business curriculum connects students with local professionals and enables students to develop and apply real-world skills. The school also features a successful athletics program and a highly-praised arts program.

Portsmouth Abbey School is the nation's leading Catholic Benedictine coeducational boarding school. The School was founded in 1926 by Father Hugh Diman, a Benedictine monk and first Headmaster. Students grow in knowledge and grace as they tackle rigorous classes taught in the Western intellectual tradition. Students actively serve others through service trips to Lourdes, France, and the community service program. Portsmouth Abbey School is academically challenging and a friendly, safe, and nurturing place to go to school. Student interests are supported by caring and talented faculty. Located near Newport, Rhode Island, the campus sits on 525 acres bordered by Narragansett Bay and the Aquidneck Club. This location provides a safe and engaging environment for 350 students in grades 9-12. It has 43 athletic teams, diverse community service programs, and extraordinary golf, sailing, squash, art, and fitness facilities.