What is the most expensive private school in America?

The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT charges $69,800/year for boarding students in 2025–26, making it one of the most expensive private schools in the US. Groton School ($69,600) and Choate Rosemary Hall ($69,400) follow closely. All three are New England boarding schools with highly selective admissions and strong college placement records.

Why do boarding schools cost more than day schools?

Boarding school tuition covers room, board, and 24/7 supervision in addition to academics — effectively replacing all household expenses for the school year. The top boarding schools charge $65,000–$70,000/year, while comparable top day schools charge $50,000–$57,000. The $10,000–$15,000 gap reflects the cost of dormitories, dining halls, and residential staff.

Do the most expensive private schools offer financial aid?

Yes — and generously. Phillips Exeter, Andover, and Hotchkiss each give over $20M in annual financial aid. These schools are need-blind for US applicants, meaning admission decisions are made without consideration of ability to pay. Average grants cover 48–60% of tuition at the most selective schools. A family earning under $75,000/year may pay little or nothing at some of these schools.

What is the most expensive private day school?

The most expensive private day schools are concentrated in New York City. Trinity School charges $57,200/year, Dalton School $56,800/year, and Collegiate School $56,400/year — all for day students only. Outside New York, Sidwell Friends (DC) at $50,100 and Harvard-Westlake (LA) at $47,800 are among the most expensive day schools in their regions.

Most Expensive Private Schools in America 2026

The Hotchkiss School charges $69,800/year — and that's before fees, travel, or the $2,000–$7,000 in extras that boarding school families routinely pay. Groton ($69,600) and Choate ($69,400) are barely behind. These aren't outliers: the top 9 boarding schools on this list all exceed $65,000/year, and six of those are in Connecticut or Massachusetts.

New York day schools aren't far behind. Trinity charges $57,200 for a student who goes home at 3pm, Dalton $56,800, Collegiate $56,400. These schools cost more per year than most state university education costs for four years. What they offer in return: sub-10% acceptance rates at top colleges, class sizes under 15, and alumni networks that remain active across generations.

Most Expensive Boarding

$69,800/yr

The Hotchkiss School

Lakeville, CT — plus fees

Most Expensive Day

$57,200/yr

Trinity School

New York, NY (day students only)

Largest Endowment

$1.3B

Phillips Exeter Academy

Largest high school endowment in the world

15 Most Expensive Private Schools (2025–26 Tuition)

The Hotchkiss School

$69,800/yr

Lakeville, CT · Boarding · Est. 1891 · 600 students · Acceptance: 14%

One of the original New England boarding schools. Hotchkiss has a $400M+ endowment, 45 varsity sports, and sends graduates to selective colleges at a rate matched by only a handful of schools in the country.

Groton School

$69,600/yr

Groton, MA · Boarding · Est. 1884 · 390 students · Acceptance: 12%

Episcopal boarding school with one of the lowest enrollments and highest tuitions in the country. Small class sizes (average 12 students) and a tradition-heavy culture. 5 presidents have family ties to the school.

Choate Rosemary Hall

$69,400/yr

Wallingford, CT · Boarding · Est. 1890 · 900 students · Acceptance: 17%

One of the larger elite boarding schools. Known for Kennedy family alumni and the Paul Mellon Arts Center. Strong STEM programs with dedicated science and engineering facilities.

Deerfield Academy

$68,900/yr

Deerfield, MA · Boarding · Est. 1797 · 650 students · Acceptance: 13%

Founded before the Constitution, Deerfield has a $700M+ endowment — exceptional for a high school. Known for strong athletics, arts, and a 'Deerfield person' culture emphasizing character as much as academics.

Lawrenceville School

$68,400/yr

Lawrenceville, NJ · Boarding · Est. 1810 · 820 students · Acceptance: 16%

700-acre campus modeled on Eton's house system. Each of the 22 houses has its own identity and social culture. Strong Harkness-style teaching with 12-student seminar rooms.

Loomis Chaffee

$67,200/yr

Windsor, CT · Boarding · Est. 1874 · 750 students · Acceptance: 19%

Island campus on the Connecticut River. One of the more accessible elite boarding schools, with a 19% acceptance rate vs single digits at some peers. Strong STEM and innovation programs.

Phillips Academy Andover

$66,500/yr

Andover, MA · Boarding · Est. 1778 · 1,150 students · Acceptance: 11%

The oldest incorporated academy in the US. With 1,150 students, Andover is larger than most elite boarding schools. Its $1.3B endowment funds need-blind admissions for all US students — meaning financial aid can bring costs to zero.

Phillips Exeter Academy

$65,800/yr

Exeter, NH · Boarding · Est. 1781 · 1,100 students · Acceptance: 12%

The Harkness oval table is Exeter's signature: all classes are seminars, no lectures. Exeter has the largest endowment of any high school in the world at $1.3B. Need-blind for US students — families earning under $75K can attend for free.

St. Paul's School

$65,200/yr

Concord, NH · Boarding · Est. 1856 · 525 students · Acceptance: 14%

Episcopal boarding school on a 2,000-acre campus. Known for strong arts and music programs. One of the few boarding schools that takes students starting in 9th grade only, creating a more cohesive class culture.

#10

Trinity School

$57,200/yr

New York, NY · Day · Est. 1709 · 1,000 students · Acceptance: 9%

The oldest school in New York and one of the most academically rigorous K–12 schools in the US. On the Upper West Side, serving 1,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Acceptance rate rivals the Ivy League.

#11

Dalton School

$56,800/yr

New York, NY · Day · Est. 1919 · 1,300 students · Acceptance: 10%

Known for the Dalton Plan — individualized, project-based learning that was radical in 1919 and is still distinctive today. Upper East Side campus serving nursery through 12th grade. Notable alumni include Anderson Cooper and Claire Danes.

#12

Collegiate School

$56,400/yr

New York, NY · Day · Est. 1628 · 650 students · Acceptance: 8%

The oldest independent school in America, founded by the Dutch West India Company. All-boys K–12 on the Upper West Side. Collegiate produces consistent Ivy placement and maintains one of the most competitive admissions in Manhattan.

#13

Horace Mann School

$55,800/yr

Bronx, NY · Day · Est. 1887 · 1,800 students · Acceptance: 13%

The largest school on this list. 18-acre campus in Riverdale. Consistently ranked among the top 10 day schools nationally. Strong in college counseling — over 80% of graduates attend schools ranked in the top 50 nationally.

#14

Sidwell Friends School

$50,100/yr

Washington, DC · Day · Est. 1883 · 1,100 students · Acceptance: 11%

The school of choice for several US presidents' children (Obama, Clinton, Nixon). Quaker values emphasize service and ethics alongside academics. Two campuses in DC and Bethesda. Sustainable campus with a 6kW solar array and campus farm.

#15

Harvard-Westlake School

$47,800/yr

Los Angeles, CA · Day · Est. 1900 · 1,600 students · Acceptance: 16%

The most selective day school in Southern California, formed by the 1989 merger of Harvard School (1900) and Westlake School for Girls (1904). Strong in college placement and performing arts — alumni include Jake Gyllenhaal and Candace Bushnell.

Why New England Dominates the Most Expensive List

Eight of the top nine schools on this list are in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire. That's not coincidence — it's history. These schools were founded in the 18th and 19th centuries when elite families in the Northeast needed rigorous academic preparation for Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The physical infrastructure built over 150+ years (Georgian dormitories, 700-acre campuses, Olympic pools, professional theaters) drives costs that newer schools simply don't have.

New England boarding schools also compete heavily for faculty. A chemistry teacher with a PhD from MIT can earn $120,000–$160,000 at Andover or Exeter, including housing and meals. Matching that compensation structure while maintaining small class sizes of 12 students means each student is paying for a disproportionate share of that salary.

The result is a self-reinforcing cycle: high tuition funds high faculty salaries, which attracts exceptional teachers, which delivers college placement outcomes that justify continued high tuition. Phillips Exeter's $1.3B endowment could technically make the school free — but the board maintains tuition because financial aid goes directly to low-income students, and the school wants full-pay families to continue funding the institution.

Financial Aid: Most Expensive Schools Are Often Most Generous

A counterintuitive fact: the most expensive schools on this list often have the most generous financial aid. Phillips Exeter and Andover are both need-blind — they don't consider ability to pay when making admissions decisions — and both cap family contributions at 10% of income for households below $75,000. A family earning $60,000 might pay $6,000/year at a school that charges others $65,800.

This model is only possible because of large endowments. Exeter's $1.3B endowment generates roughly $52M in annual returns at a 4% draw — enough to cover financial aid for hundreds of students. Schools without endowments in the $200M+ range cannot offer the same aid, which means mid-tier schools charging $40,000–$50,000 may actually cost more out of pocket than Andover or Exeter for families who qualify for aid.

Practical takeaway: apply to the most selective schools you can get into, not the ones with lower sticker prices. The admissions process is grueling, but the net cost after aid is often lower at the most prestigious schools than at their less-selective peers.

NYC Day Schools vs New England Boarding: Which Costs More?

The sticker gap is clear: Hotchkiss at $69,800 vs Trinity at $57,200 — a $12,600 annual difference. But add in room and board for a boarding school student (included in that $69,800) and compare it to what a Manhattan family spends on housing and food, and the comparison becomes murkier.

New York City day schools also come with implicit costs: a 1-bedroom apartment in proximity to Trinity or Dalton costs $4,000–$6,000/month in 2026. Families who move to Manhattan specifically for school access are effectively paying a housing premium on top of tuition. In this lens, New England boarding school may actually be the more cost-contained option for some families.

The experience offered is meaningfully different. Day schools return students to family life each evening. Boarding schools develop independence, self-reliance, and peer networks that form the core of adult professional life. Neither is objectively better — but the $57,200 Trinity sticker represents a different value proposition than the $69,800 Hotchkiss sticker.

Common Questions

What does private school tuition include?

For day schools, tuition typically covers instruction, most activity fees, and basic supplies. It does not usually cover uniforms ($500–$2,000/year), lunch ($2,000–$3,500/year), after-school activities, or class trips. For boarding schools, tuition covers room, board, most activities, and laundry — but travel, personal supplies, and weekend activities add $3,000–$7,000/year on top of stated tuition. Always request a "total cost of attendance" figure before comparing schools by sticker price.

Are tuition costs different for international students?

Generally no — most elite boarding schools charge the same tuition for domestic and international students. However, financial aid policies differ significantly. Most of the schools on this list restrict need-based aid to US citizens and permanent residents. International students typically pay full tuition, which is why many elite boarding schools have high proportions of full-pay international students subsidizing domestic financial aid.

How much does private school cost for K–12 at these schools?

The boarding schools on this list typically take students starting in 9th grade (4 years), while the NYC day schools serve K–12 (13 years). For a student at Hotchkiss for 4 years at $69,800/year with a 3% annual increase: total boarding school cost is approximately $290,000. For a student at Trinity from kindergarten through 12th grade at $57,200 with 3% annual increases: total is approximately $960,000. The day school K–12 total is more than 3× the boarding school total — a comparison most families don't make when focusing on annual sticker prices.

Do these schools guarantee college admission to top universities?

No school can guarantee admission anywhere. But the outcome data is clear: Phillips Exeter, Andover, and Hotchkiss students attend Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT at rates that far exceed those from typical high schools. Roughly 25–35% of Andover and Exeter graduates attend an Ivy League school or MIT/Stanford. For comparison, the average acceptance rate at Harvard is 3.6% — for Andover applicants it's historically been 15–20%. The advantage is real but declining as elite universities increase access from under-resourced schools.

Explore More

Private School Cost by State

Statewide averages — $6,250 (SD) to $26,850 (DC)

Boarding School Cost Guide

Full breakdown: tuition, room, board, and extras

K–12 Total Cost Calculator

Project 13-year tuition with inflation

Financial Aid Guide

27% of students receive aid averaging 48% off tuition

Sources

Tuition figures sourced from school websites, 2025–26 published rates. Enrollment and acceptance data from school profiles and NAIS. Endowment figures from 2024 IRS Form 990 filings. Financial aid policies from individual school financial aid offices.

Data: NAIS Annual Tuition Survey, NCEA Catholic School Statistics, NCES Private School Universe Survey, College Board Independent School Aid Research

Last updated: September 2025

How we calculate this · Financial aid is not guaranteed. Contact each school's financial aid office for current aid availability and application deadlines.