Alot Education > Schools & Programs
When most of us were growing up, our parents worried about how they would pay for college. Some saved all of their money so they could make a better life for us through a college education, while others couldn’t offer to pay for school and we knew we had to work hard to be able to get that college degree and come out on the other side more successful.
These days, the average tuition for a public college in the United States is about $20,000 per year, equaling about $60,000 after four years. However, what if we told you that this $60,000 for public university education would not even be able to pay for one year at the most expensive high school in the United States?
The majority of high school students in the United States go to public high schools where they do not have to pay for their studies, aside from the occasional art supplies or field trips. Private schools can be ridiculously priced, and in this list, we have named the most expensive private high school in each state based on the tuition for the 2020-2021 school year. Yes, these numbers are from only one year of school, not the entire four years of high school.
Did you know private schools could be this expensive?
This all-boys catholic high school in Arkansas only has less than 200 students and costs over $25,000 per year. Subiaco Academy’s mission is to guide boys into becoming Christian men by helping them grow and discover their talents. They have a 7:1 student to teacher ratio and have seven varsity sports teams.
Midland School in California prides itself in being a “live your education” experience where students not only go to class, but they also have jobs around campus, which just so happens to be a working ranch. They value their students being connected to nature and disconnected from technology, so they do have limited access to technology and Wi-Fi to teach a healthy balance. If you’re willing to pay more than normal university tuition for only one year of high school, then this could be the place for your kid.
Colorado Rocky Mountain School puts importance on academics and mentoring their students to find what it is they are good at. The teachers mentor the students to help them become independent adults after they graduate so they will be able to go above and beyond with their lives. For annual tuition of $58,600, we hope they have the best program!
The Pinnacle School in Connecticut is the most expensive private school in the United States for the 2020-2021 school year. The tuition is $96,200 for this school year, which would be able to get you through four years at a public university that is on the most expensive side of a college education. They specialize in helping students that don’t thrive in the typical learning environment, and they help them transform into excellent students that are ready for college.
Tower Hill School takes a holistic, student-lead approach where they encourage their students to challenge their boundaries and have personal growth. This is a fancy way to say that this school prides itself in not being like “other” schools. They have 326 high school students, and all of the typical high school sports, including Lacrosse, arts and STEM programs. A large bill for a fancy school.
This school combines a private school, military academy, and all-boys boarding school experience - all into one. They pride themselves in bettering their students personally and professionally through this combination. Students come from 30 countries and 30 states. It must be really good, too, for that high of a price!
What makes this private school so unique is its closeness to some pretty cool landscapes and advanced research that is happening in Hawaii. This school is diverse and offers opportunities that you wouldn’t be able to find in other schools in the mainland United States. That’s why it’s $55,000 per year - basically what an entire college education costs!
Culver Academies was founded in 1894 and could 100% be the set of a TV show or movie that takes place at a private school. They take pride in their school not being only a school, but also a tradition. A legacy. That’s really all they have over any other high school: the prestige of saying you went to Culver. For $52,135 per year, you too can have that honor.
This school was founded by Quakers under their principles of simplicity, peace, and integrity. What is special about this school is that it has its own organic garden, livestock, and fields which the students help out on and grow their own fruits and vegetables to eat in the dining hall. They also have lots of opportunities for cool trips. If your school has organic gardens, livestock and cool trips, it would have to cost you thousands of dollars a year!
Horizon Academy is another private school that specializes in helping students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Instead of being a school where people with learning disabilities go, this school helps them transition into being able to succeed in a traditional high school environment. This helps a little bit because you won’t have to pay $27,000 for every year of high school, but you are still going to need to use their scholarship program to pay for this school!
This military academy is more on the “affordable” side but it’s still $25,000 per year! It is a co-ed military high school where boys and girls can train to become stronger: mentally, physically and personally. The school boasts small class sizes, so the students and teachers can really get to know each other. Students, faculty, and parents have also given it 4.7 out of 5 stars on Facebook.
McGehee School in Louisiana is a prestigious and historic all-girls school. It prides itself in student involvement and the empowerment of the women that are educated there. They hold really high standards for their students and 100% of their graduates go to college. $20,000 is actually on the cheaper side of this list, so McGehee School might be a good option for your daughter if you are looking for this type of prestige.
This high ticket school values the connection that its students have to each other, their surroundings, and their faculty and mentors on campus. They want a family-like atmosphere with the people that live, study, and work there, and they do that by prioritizing not only academics, but also personal growth. The founder of L.L.Bean is an alum, and maybe this school’s emphasis on the outdoors influenced that company. The $63,250 per year tuition is pretty influential no matter how you spin it.
Oldfields School is another all girls private school. This one is about three times more than the one in Louisiana, though. At almost $61,000 per year, your daughter can attend this school that strives for engaged students, and fosters personal well-being, in addition to academic success. They have been open and operating for over 150 years and offer a five to one student-teacher ratio. They have all of the classic athletics and arts, and they even offer a horse riding program. Talk about fancy!
This price is really up there! Valley View School in Massachusetts has a yearly tuition of $71,500 and offers not only academics, athletics, and the arts, but also therapy for the students of this all-boys school. They don’t want their students to feel the burden of labels and strive to help them grow to be bright, gentle and resilient. If there were ever a school to take down toxic masculinity, it would be this one.
The Leelanau School in Michigan takes a unique spin on the classroom and takes everything that it can outdoors for the students to see what they are learning with real-life applications. They emphasize a strong student-teacher connection as well with very small class sizes, so the teachers can tailor what they are learning to each student, so they learn the subject better. It seems almost like a learning utopia, and you can be a part of it for $64,950 each year!
Agape Boarding School is another boarding school that takes a Christian-centered approach. This school, however, places its focus on rebellious boys that need rehabilitation. They only accept boys who are struggling, and they help in “turning uncaring, self-centered boys into responsible and mature young men.” If your Christian son is having trouble on the straight and narrow, you can turn to this Missouri school for $41,000 per year.
One of the great benefits of this school is how close it is to Yellowstone National Park! Because of this awesome location, they have many of their classes meet outside to get the experience and inspiration of being in such a beautiful place. If you really love Yellowstone and being in nature, this school is not a bad option for the price, but it is still the most expensive high school in Montana!
This school is one of the only Montessori based high schools on our list! Montessori is mainly targeted for younger kids and development, but The Roberts Academy claims its importance for older kids as well. One thing that is central to their curriculum is intergenerational learning, where their students pair up with people from older generations to learn new things. This is one of the cheaper schools on our list, but could still fund a large portion of a college education!
The way this school describes itself, makes it sound like a real-life Hogwarts. They follow a house system where students are divided into houses and mingle largely among themselves, but also form friendships and are peers with students from other houses as well. The school also has a tight schedule that everyone follows to make sure they are getting the max out of their experience at this boarding school. If you want prestige in New Jersey, this looks like the place to be, and it’s only $69, 420 each year!
“The Academy,” as students and faculty call it, offers an interdisciplinary education to their students and requires them to take classes in a wide variety of subjects like science, performance arts and world languages until they reach ninth grade, where they have more freedom to choose exactly where they would like to focus their studies. This school sounds like it has a really solid setup, and we would argue that it better for the price of $25,390 per year!
Oh dang. Did you see that price?! This is one of the most expensive high schools on this list and in the United States as a whole. This high school is a global school because, throughout your four years of high school, you travel to and study in four different countries. That sounds like such a cool program, but dang, you could buy a really nice house with the money that you spend on that high school education.
Saint Mary’s is an all girls Episcopal school that challenges their students to examine new ideas to prepare them to be a well-rounded person in the workforce and in college. They provide them with a cross-cultural education where they value critical thinking and collaboration. The school is in the middle of Raleigh, but say that the campus is a “peaceful oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle.” For a staggering $58,900 each year, your daughter can experience all there is to offer as a Saint Mary’s student.
This most expensive school in North Dakota is a Seventh Day Adventist Christian school that focuses their education around this denomination of Christianity. They not only want their students to succeed academically, but they also encourage them to learn more about this religion and grow to have a faith of their own within the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Last time we checked, church was free, but if you want your child to learn about being a Seventh Day Adventist for $15,750 each year, go right ahead.
Western Reserve Academy is no doubt one of the top high schools in Ohio. Just by browsing their website, you will be able to see that they have been honored for best architectural design in Ohio, best boarding school in Ohio, and even for their test scores, nationwide. They also have interesting programs like dance, robotics, and different scientific labs, so people of any interest will be satisfied there. With a tuition of $60,850 each year, we hope they are the best in Ohio!
Although Casady School is a Christian Episcopal school, they accept any student that wants to attend there and do not discriminate against any gender, race, religion, etc., because they want their students to represent the world. They provide a strong academic foundation and value athletics. Your child can attend all the way from Pre-K to a senior in high school, but if you are also saving for their college, you might run into a financial dilemma.
Canyonville is a private Christian boarding school in Oregon, and it has a very large percentage of students from different countries. They have many students from Korea and Eastern Europe. This blending of cultures provides students with many different points of view, even in just one small classroom. The lessons these students will learn is invaluable, but they definitely have the highest price in Oregon at almost $50,000 each year!
St. George’s is yet another Episcopal boarding and day school. Why so expensive? They offer a very comprehensive education and seem to really want the best for each of their students. Their courses are varied and have many different opportunities for their students to really come into their own while they study there. Although, it is located on the ominously named Purgatory Road.
Trident Academy is a school specifically for students ages K-12 who have been diagnosed with a learning disability. They help the students gain confidence in their ability to learn so they feel capable of succeeding beyond high school and in the world. They take an individualized approach to each student so they get the most out of their education. It’s kind of sad that some of the most expensive high schools in each state are also the schools that could help a student in need out the most. These schools usually do offer scholarships, but they are still not as accessible as they should be.
Sunshine Bible Academy is a Christian private school that is very proud about teaching their Christian perspective to their students. They place the Bible at the center of their curriculum and pledge to never let their school stray away from this way of thinking. Since the United States does not have an official religion, private schools are a way that people can get a religious education, if that is what they want for their child, although they usually come at a high price.
At San Marcos Academy, they want to challenge their students to be the best that they can be, so they can be change-makers of the future. They are a Baptist high school and offer both boarding and day school options. They also have athletics and are a partner with an international student exchange program, so students from all over the world can attend their campus. Everything’s bigger in Texas, including their high school tuition!
Wasatch Academy knows that the world is more connected than ever and wants their students to be prepared to work in a global environment by including diversity and inclusivity into their studies. They challenge their students to be innovators, to take ownership of their actions, and to understand the value of community. For being the most expensive in Utah, we sure hope that they have the best education in Utah!
The Greenwood School in Vermont is a boarding and day school for teenage boys that have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. It is located in a very rural setting in the middle of nature trails so that the students are able to disconnect more easily from the chaos of everyday life with technology. This is, again, another really expensive school option for students with disabilities, located in the Northeast. These schools are expensive!
The Northwest School places a heavy emphasis on interdisciplinary studies. They want their students to understand how all of their studies are connected and how they relate to the real world, no matter how messy it gets. They value the arts, diversity and creativity, and they boast a highly educated faculty because they believe the best teachers make the best students. The best comes at a high price!
The Highland School in West Virginia does things a little differently than most other schools. They organize their school on a highly democratic system with a constitution and bill of rights to make sure that every person in their school, no matter how young or old, understands that they have the same rights as everyone else. They believe this will teach even their youngest students personal responsibility. For $30,725 per year, you are definitely getting something out of the ordinary!
This school looks like a castle, so you know that it poses a high price-point without even knowing any more! St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy is a boarding and day school that also has a Leadership Academy to teach leadership, which helps them succeed in college and beyond. They value the confidence that structure can bring to a student’s world and encourage their students to forge their own path in life.
Last but not least, on our list is Jackson Hole Community School. This school prioritizes its students’ sense of integrity, independence, and moral purpose. They want their students to be change-makers and to think for themselves, with ethics to make the best possible future for themselves. They also value community and critical thinking. Their tuition will definitely have the parents of potential students thinking critically about the benefits of this school.