Education is essential for our future, but how much money are some parents paying for their children’s tuition? 24/7 Wall Street has been making lists with the most expensive high schools in the country every year and the price tags are insane! Some of these high schools cost more than university tuitions! What makes these schools so coveted and why are the tuitions so eye-watering expensive? Here are a few things about the top most expensive high schools in the USA.
St. Thomas More School – $54,000
The tuition for a year at St. Thomas More School (Oakdale, Connecticut) is nearly $54,000. The school has turned around 20 alumni into professional basketball players in the NBA. This is why many students go to the St. Thomas More School, hoping they could later be chosen into a college basketball team. St. Thomas More School offers a lot of perks, such as great gymnasiums, a beach, dock, and even a boathouse, aside from over 40 different academic courses, a tennis court, a track, and five athletic fields. If this school tuition is too high, the prices only go up as we continue with the list…
Linden Hall – $54,200
At Linden Hall, the tuition for a year (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania) is $54,200. The school was founded in 1746 and it is the oldest all-girls boarding school in the US that has been continuously operating. The school is known for the competitive equestrian team, but it also offers courses that let student obtain a pilot’s license.
The MacDuffie School – $55,450
The MacDuffie school is an “international community” that will charge its students $55,450 a year for tuition. They accept nearly half of their students from abroad. The cafeteria offers a high quality and wide range of food – think salad bar, soup bar, deli bar, rotating hot entrees and homemade sweets! The school spreads over 50 acres and has tennis courts, a crew team, a student center, dormitories for 50% of their students and more!
Grier School – $55,900
The tuition for a year at the all-girls boarding school from Pennsylvania is $55,900 a year. Girls can choose from various programs, such as a dance curriculum or a theater program. There are 50 other activities for those that are not interested in dancing or theater. For instance, the Grier equestrian team has over 40 horses!
Avenues: The World School – $56,400
At Avenues: The World School, parents will have to pay $56,400 per year to send their kids to this private school. The New York City school has seen a lot of celeb kids in their classrooms. The huge tuition fee includes a lot of perks. All students receive a MacBook and an iPad from the school, there’s a school cafeteria with amazing food, and all students that graduate from Avenues: The World School are going to be fluent in either Spanish or Mandarin.
Woodberry Forest School – $57,250
This private all-male boarding school in Virginia charges its students $57,250 a year. Only 395 students are at the school, but it is so huge, it could house thousands of students! The school has a lot of perks – there is a skeet-shooting range, a lake, a golf course, an outdoor swimming pool, a ropes course and so much more. The weekly dinner menu looks like it was taken from a fancy restaurant!
Kent School – $58,450
Parents that send their kids to Kent School are also very rich since a year of tuition is $58,450. The school offers not only indoor but also outdoor tennis courts, baseball and football fields, squash courts, and there’s even a rowing and boating house! Students get to choose from the 172 courses and 56 clubs. Plus, the cafeteria at Kent School has a pizza station, sandwich, pasta, salad, and dessert bars!
Midland School – $58,600
The half-school and half-working farm from the Central Coast of California costs $58,600 a year. The first day of school, students don’t need to bring books. They must have an axe, a knife and a lighter with them. Midland School has a 10-acre farm, where students have to do all the work – chop wood, tend to livestock, maintain the farm, plant and pick their food and clean up! There is no maintenance staff, nor a janitorial staff since the students do all the work between taking their high school-level courses. Students also don’t get to keep their cellphones while at school.
The Hill School – $59,050
For a $59,050 yearly tuition, the Hill School (Philadelphia) is one of the most elite boarding schools in the USA. Famous alumni such as the current Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, a secretary of state and a secretary of treasury, and plenty of senators are proof of how popular is the Hill School.
Northwood School – $59,920
This fancy private boarding school New York offers college-level courses to the students, for a $59,920 yearly tuition. There are also hiking trails, and the school has a yearly all-day hiking trip known as “Mountain Day”. The athletics program offers courses of rock climbing, snowboarding, whitewater kayaking, and alpine skiing.
Episcopal High School – $60,900
The Episcopal High School costs $60,900 a-year. The high school stretches over 130 acres and includes classrooms, huge gyms, squash centers, and an on-campus chapel. However, students also have 80-100 “Washington Program” experiences.
Salisbury School – $61,000
Students can become a Crimson Knight for a $61,000 tuition fee a year at Salisbury School (Connecticut). The all-boys private college-preparatory school stretches over 725 acres! There’s an Olympic-sized hockey rink, 110,000 square feet of gymnasium space, a wrestling room, two weight and fitness centers, eight squash courts and more. The menu looks incredible, and the academic program is very diverse (from digital media to building design).
The Storm King School – $61,700
The Storm King School is in the first 20 top boarding schools in North America, and only 195 students can attend the school. The yearly tuition is $61,700, and only an average of eight students can learn in one class. As for perks, there are fencing teams, tennis courts, private chefs and more.
St. Paul’s School – $62,000
The boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire is $62,000 a year. The schools live on a 2,000-acre campus, and it’s one of the Eight Schools Association – formed from eight most elite private schools in the US.
Trinity-Pawling School – $62,000
To attend Trinity-Pawling School, the yearly tuition is $62,000. The all-boys boarding school has 300 students on the campus, which also offers a 400-seat theater, a contemporary arts center, a greenhouse and more perks.
St. Andrew’s School – $62,280
The 300+ students that live at St. Andrew’s School pay $62,280 a year for their tuition. The school offers 2,200 acres which contains 14 tennis courts, 5 soccer fields, a six-lane crew course, a boathouse and way too many courts we’d be able to keep count!
Wasatch Academy – $62,300
“America’s boarding school for Generation Z,” as the Wasatch Academy calls itself, costs $62,300 a year. The Utah-based school offers programs like ski, indoor and outdoor rock climbing, mountain biking, and there’s also an equestrian club. Let’s not mention the theaters, art studios, state-of-the-art classrooms, and tons of various classes like sewing, video recording and more.
IMG Academy – $63,000
IMG Academy costs $63,000 tuition fee, but the private boarding school is not just a school, but also a sports training camp for its students. From weightlifting rooms to huge training facilities, the students at the IMG Academy are incredible athletes that can fit sports into their regular class schedule.
The Berkshire School – $64,200
It costs $64,200 a year to go to The Berkshire School (Sheffield, Massachusetts). According to the Boston Globe, the school is “one of the prettiest campuses in Massachusetts, or anywhere.” The school has a great athletic facility, which is why Nike chooses to host the annual Running Camp at the school.
The Lang School – $65,000
For a $65,000 yearly tuition, students at the Lang School (New York City) can choose a topic they love. For instance, they can even learn how to disassemble and assemble a Porsche! The school is for gifted students, who can “choose electives, develop a portfolio, acquire mentors, apply for competitive internships, and choose their college majors — generally by their junior year” – notes the school’s website.
The Oxford Academy – $67,000
It’s clear that to attend The Oxford Academy, students will have to shell out a lot of money for their payment – $67,000 a year, to be exact! The all-boys boarding school accepts 48 students that learn in “individualized one-on-one classes.” There’s also a yearly eight-day tour of Italy and other international trips offered by the school.
The Woodhall School – $74,500
The Woodhall School looks for “unconventional learners” that want to attend individualized classes and take advantage of all the school perks, including chefs in the cafeteria, or classes such as astronomy, music, a cappella, or social media clubs. There are only 42 students at the school, learning in classes with groups smaller than 5.
The Quad Preparatory School – $74,850
All the gifted learners with rich parents are welcomed to the Quad Preparatory School, which is $74,850 a year. There are plenty of various courses and electives as well – all the school wants is to prepare the students to get in the best colleges in the USA.
Forman School – $78,600
To become a student at the Forman School in Litchfield, Connecticut, parents must spend $78,600 for the yearly tuition. The school caters to ADD and ADHD students. There are tennis courts, an ingenuity lab, a robotics lab and the school offers many activities for its students.
Shortridge Academy – $85,000
The most expensive school in the USA is Shortridge Academy, which considers itself to be a therapeutic school. Every student has a personal counselor that works with the parents for an individualized therapeutic plan. Then, the extra activities such as weight training, hiking, jiu jitsu, music programs, and more. The yearly tuition is $85,000!
The Peddie School – $48,800
As a bonus, we’re taking a look at 5 private schools that took the 25-30 places in the list. For a $48,800 yearly tuition, The Peddie School offers an amazing art program. “In our community, everyone is known and valued. We are constantly seeking ways to improve ourselves, and support others in their own pursuits,” writes the school’s website.
Marymount School – $49,210
The New York City Catholic school has a 100% acceptance rate, as long as you can pay the $49,210 yearly tuition. The Marymount School was founded in 1926 and it is a beloved American school.
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School – $49,440
This school is focused on not only prepare its students to be bright, but also socially and emotionally able. The Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School yearly tuition fee is $49,440.
Trinity School – 49,795
The Trinity School was founded in 1709 and it is still operational. One of the fifth oldest school in the country and the oldest school in New York, the Trinity School has a 49,795 yearly tuition.
The Lawrenceville School – $53.290
Last but not least, The Lawrenceville School is known for having famous alumni such as Muhammed Ali, Mary Robinson, the president of Ireland, and Disney CEO Michael Eisner! The yearly tuition is $53.290, but since many of its students ended up doing well, it’s safe to say the fee was worth it.