How much does boarding school cost per year?

Across the boarding schools in the PrepFinder database, published boarding tuition clusters in the $60,000–$85,000 range, with a median near $79,366 across the boarding schools we track. That figure covers tuition, room, and board only — travel, books, sports equipment, and school-issued technology are usually billed separately.

How much financial aid can a family realistically expect?

At the boarding schools we track, the average school awards need-based aid to about 38% of its student body, and several award it to more than half. Aid is need-based at most schools, so awards depend on your family's finances rather than test scores.

When should we apply to boarding school?

Most boarding schools use a January 15 or February 1 application deadline for entry the following September, with decisions released on March 10. Campus visits and interviews typically happen the fall before that deadline, so the practical starting point is 12 to 18 months out.

Are these tuition figures verified?

Every figure comes from the school's own published materials where we could find them. School profiles link straight to that source and show when the figure was last checked, so you can verify it yourself instead of trusting our number.

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Best boarding schools in the US

100 boarding schools across 26 states, ranked on the figures that actually shape a family's decision: published boarding tuition, the share of students receiving financial aid, grade range, and enrollment. 100 of them link directly to the school's own published tuition page, so you can check the number yourself. PrepFinder is independent — no school pays to appear here, and there are no affiliate placements.

$79,366

Median boarding tuition

38%

Average aid rate

$39,900

Lowest tuition

100

Schools compared

Compare every boarding school

Sort by tuition, aid rate, enrollment, or name. Click a school for its full profile.

	Location			Grades
Fork Union Military Academy	Fork Union, VA	$39,900	70%	7-12, PG	430
Hargrave Military Academy	Chatham, VA	$45,100	50%	7-12, PG	300
Burr and Burton Academy	Manchester, VT	$48,000	30%	9-12	700
McDonogh School	Owings Mills, MD	$58,000	30%	K-12	1,400
St. Stephen's Episcopal School	Austin, TX	$58,000	22%	6-12	700
Hebron Academy	Hebron, ME	$59,750	38%	6-12, PG	214
The Webb School	Bell Buckle, TN	$60,600	35%	6-12	300
Darlington School	Rome, GA	$60,810	40%	PK-12	850
The Northwest School	Seattle, WA	$62,000	21%	6-12	490
Groton School	Groton, MA	$62,740	38%	8-12	385
Cranbrook Schools	Bloomfield Hills, MI	$63,000	36%	PK-12	1,650
St. Andrew's-Sewanee School	Sewanee, TN	$64,500	45%	9-12, PG	260
Shattuck-St. Mary's School	Faribault, MN	$65,000	50%	6-12, PG	450
Worcester Academy	Worcester, MA	$65,225	35%	9-12, PG	600
Miller School of Albemarle	Charlottesville, VA	$65,800	40%	8-12	190
The Hockaday School	Dallas, TX	$65,915	12%	PK-12	1,100
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School	Rabun Gap, GA	$67,000	55%	9-12	360
Cheshire Academy	Cheshire, CT	$69,400	36%	6-12, PG	380
Culver Academies	Culver, IN	$69,500	38%	9-12, PG	830
Virginia Episcopal School	Lynchburg, VA	$69,500	40%	9-12	270
Woodberry Forest School	Woodberry Forest, VA	$69,850	46%	9-12	400
Baylor School	Chattanooga, TN	$70,180	30%	6-12	1,050
Phillips Exeter Academy	Exeter, NH	$71,797	47%	9-12, PG	1,100
Blue Ridge School	St. George, VA	$71,900	38%	9-12	180
Chatham Hall	Chatham, VA	$73,000	52%	9-12	170
Berwick Academy	South Berwick, ME	$73,300	41%	PK-12	550
Choate Rosemary Hall	Wallingford, CT	$73,530	35%	9-12, PG	870
Christ School	Arden, NC	$73,650	50%	8-12	285
Wayland Academy	Beaver Dam, WI	$73,950	42%	9-12, PG	200
St. Johnsbury Academy	St. Johnsbury, VT	$74,155	35%	9-12, PG	900
St. Anne's-Belfield School	Charlottesville, VA	$74,400	30%	PK-12	770
McCallie School	Chattanooga, TN	$74,600	50%	6-12	999
Kents Hill School	Kents Hill, ME	$74,800	42%	9-12, PG	230
Noble and Greenough School	Dedham, MA	$74,800	33%	7-12	620
South Kent School	South Kent, CT	$75,000	38%	9-12, PG	155
Tilton School	Tilton, NH	$75,200	42%	9-12, PG	230
St. Paul's School	Concord, NH	$75,400	37%	9-12	535
Wasatch Academy	Mount Pleasant, UT	$75,700	40%	9-12, PG	300
Fountain Valley School of Colorado	Colorado Springs, CO	$75,900	40%	9-12	240
Solebury School	New Hope, PA	$76,980	45%	7-12	230
The Madeira School	McLean, VA	$77,100	30%	9-12	330
The Loomis Chaffee School	Windsor, CT	$77,340	32%	9-12, PG	740
New Hampton School	New Hampton, NH	$77,480	40%	9-12, PG	350
Gould Academy	Bethel, ME	$77,584	35%	9-12, PG	260
Episcopal High School	Alexandria, VA	$77,700	35%	9-12	460
Georgetown Preparatory School	North Bethesda, MD	$78,015	30%	9-12	500
Foxcroft School	Middleburg, VA	$78,200	62%	9-12, PG	161
St. Andrew's School	Middletown, DE	$78,500	50%	9-12	314
Asheville School	Asheville, NC	$78,950	33%	9-12	285
The Hotchkiss School	Lakeville, CT	$79,350	34%	9-12, PG	600
Northfield Mount Hermon School	Gill, MA	$79,382	38%	9-12, PG	630
Suffield Academy	Suffield, CT	$79,400	35%	9-12, PG	440
Idyllwild Arts Academy	Idyllwild, CA	$79,500	60%	9-12, PG	300
Pomfret School	Pomfret, CT	$79,500	37%	9-12	360
Vermont Academy	Saxtons River, VT	$79,500	40%	9-12, PG	230
Westtown School	West Chester, PA	$79,500	37%	9-12	580
Lake Forest Academy	Lake Forest, IL	$79,775	33%	9-12, PG	440
Phillips Academy (Andover)	Andover, MA	$79,800	47%	9-12, PG	1,150
George School	Newtown, PA	$79,900	50%	9-12	540
Milton Academy	Milton, MA	$79,900	37%	K-12	1,000
Miss Porter's School	Farmington, CT	$79,900	44%	9-12	330
St. George's School	Middletown, RI	$79,900	38%	9-12	380
The Ethel Walker School	Simsbury, CT	$79,900	36%	6-12	240
Deerfield Academy	Deerfield, MA	$79,940	38%	9-12, PG	670
Cushing Academy	Ashburnham, MA	$79,980	40%	9-12, PG	440
Western Reserve Academy	Hudson, OH	$80,000	43%	9-12	400
Westminster School	Simsbury, CT	$80,080	37%	9-12	410
Colorado Rocky Mountain School	Carbondale, CO	$80,600	45%	9-12	170
Brewster Academy	Wolfeboro, NH	$80,800	36%	9-12, PG	350
Lawrence Academy	Groton, MA	$80,900	30%	9-12, PG	420
Peddie School	Hightstown, NJ	$81,000	40%	9-12, PG	545
The Hill School	Pottstown, PA	$81,040	34%	9-12, PG	527
Avon Old Farms School	Avon, CT	$81,185	40%	9-12, PG	420
Interlochen Arts Academy	Interlochen, MI	$81,200	84%	9-12, PG	500
Portsmouth Abbey School	Portsmouth, RI	$81,330	34%	9-12	370
The Taft School	Watertown, CT	$81,400	38%	9-12, PG	600
Belmont Hill School	Belmont, MA	$81,500	28%	7-12	470
Mercersburg Academy	Mercersburg, PA	$81,600	50%	9-12, PG	439
Blair Academy	Blairstown, NJ	$81,950	36%	9-12, PG	470
Tabor Academy	Marion, MA	$82,100	36%	9-12, PG	540
Berkshire School	Sheffield, MA	$82,200	25%	9-12, PG	425
Dublin School	Dublin, NH	$82,200	35%	9-12	165
St. Mark's School	Southborough, MA	$82,300	40%	9-12	360
Holderness School	Plymouth, NH	$82,400	40%	9-12	300
Middlesex School	Concord, MA	$82,575	34%	9-12	415
Brooks School	North Andover, MA	$82,650	35%	9-12	365
Williston Northampton School	Easthampton, MA	$82,700	35%	7-12, PG	450
The Lawrenceville School	Lawrenceville, NJ	$82,710	30%	9-12, PG	830
The Governor's Academy	Byfield, MA	$82,800	33%	9-12	410
The Hun School of Princeton	Princeton, NJ	$83,200	32%	9-12, PG	675
Kimball Union Academy	Meriden, NH	$83,300	38%	9-12, PG	385
The Pennington School	Pennington, NJ	$83,433	30%	6-12	537
Proctor Academy	Andover, NH	$83,570	38%	9-12, PG	340
Kent School	Kent, CT	$83,700	36%	9-12, PG	570
The Thacher School	Ojai, CA	$84,000	31%	9-12	260
Concord Academy	Concord, MA	$84,410	26%	9-12	410
Millbrook School	Millbrook, NY	$84,500	30%	9-12	280
Cate School	Carpinteria, CA	$87,340	24%	9-12	285
The Webb Schools	Claremont, CA	$87,430	30%	9-12	400
Indian Mountain School	Lakeville, CT	$88,385	30%	K-9	300

Most generous financial aid

Share of students receiving need-based aid.

1.Interlochen Arts Academy84% receive aid
2.Fork Union Military Academy70% receive aid
3.Foxcroft School62% receive aid
4.Idyllwild Arts Academy60% receive aid
5.Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School55% receive aid
6.Chatham Hall52% receive aid
7.Christ School50% receive aid
8.George School50% receive aid

Most affordable boarding tuition

Published sticker price, before aid.

Largest campuses

Total enrollment.

1.Cranbrook Schools1,650 students
2.McDonogh School1,400 students
3.Phillips Academy (Andover)1,150 students
4.Phillips Exeter Academy1,100 students
5.The Hockaday School1,100 students
6.Baylor School1,050 students

Smallest campuses

Where a class of 10 is normal.

1.South Kent School155 students
2.Foxcroft School161 students
3.Dublin School165 students
4.Chatham Hall170 students
5.Colorado Rocky Mountain School170 students
6.Blue Ridge School180 students

Boarding school questions families ask first

How much does boarding school cost per year?: Across the boarding schools in the PrepFinder database, published boarding tuition clusters in the $60,000–$85,000 range, with a median near $79,366 across the boarding schools we track. That figure covers tuition, room, and board only — travel, books, sports equipment, and school-issued technology are usually billed separately.
How much financial aid can a family realistically expect?: At the boarding schools we track, the average school awards need-based aid to about 38% of its student body, and several award it to more than half. Aid is need-based at most schools, so awards depend on your family's finances rather than test scores.
When should we apply to boarding school?: Most boarding schools use a January 15 or February 1 application deadline for entry the following September, with decisions released on March 10. Campus visits and interviews typically happen the fall before that deadline, so the practical starting point is 12 to 18 months out.
Are these tuition figures verified?: Every figure comes from the school's own published materials where we could find them. School profiles link straight to that source and show when the figure was last checked, so you can verify it yourself instead of trusting our number.

Narrow 100 schools down to the handful that fit your child

This table sorts on the numbers. It doesn't know your kid. Tell Claire the strengths, the interests, the budget, and the vibe you're after, and she'll narrow this list down to the handful worth an actual visit.

Ask Claire which one fits →Browse all schools