Educating the young has been a mission of the Roman Catholic Church for as long as anybody can remember. While curricula and teaching methods have changed dramatically over the years, one thing is immutable: these schools do a great job educating their students as evidenced by the very high percentage of their graduates who go on to colleges and universities all over the country, indeed, around the world. With many other boarding schools charging $55,000-65,000 for their services, these boarding schools offer good value as such things go. A couple of schools are single sex schools. The rest are co-educational institutions.
Roman Catholic orders such as the Jesuits or Salesians which specialize in teaching run many of these schools. The standards are high. Most schools have uniform or dress codes. Core values are also taught together with plenty of instruction in the Catholic faith. These Catholic schools produce graduates whose solid spiritual and academic foundations anchor them for advancement in later life.
Check out the profiles of these schools. Many of them also take day students, so if you live in the area, you can have the best of both worlds.
Canterbury School, New Milford, CT
Grades 9-12
350 students
Coed
"The Canterbury experience is a rich one for both boarding and day students, and the community is made more diverse by students from around the globe. Through an active community service program our students and faculty are constantly involved in serving others outside the Canterbury community."
Chaminade College Preparatory School, St. Louis, MO
Grade 6-12
Students 815
Boys
"Chaminade College Preparatory School is a Catholic school in the Marianist tradition for boys grades 6-12. Chaminade's excellent academic program begins with our Pre-AP curriculum in our Middle School. "
Convent Of The Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT
Grades Nursery-12
731 students
Girls
"With a beautiful view of Long Island Sound from Convent of the Sacred Heart’s 118.4-acre campus in Greenwich, Connecticut, the 740 students carry on the Sacred Heart tradition of academic excellence and development of the mind, body and spirit. "
Cotter Schools, Winona, MN
Grades 7-12
352 students
Coed
"As an international learning community, serving grades 7-12, we hold our students to the highest academic standards and challenge each of them to develop their full potential academically, physically, spiritually and socially."
Flint Ridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Canada-Flintridge, CA
Grades 9-12
385 students
Girls
"Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic, Dominican, college-preparatory school, educates young women for a life of faith, integrity and truth."
Georgetown Preparatory, Bethesda, MD
Grades 9-12
497 students
Boys
"As a Catholic school, Prep helps young men to grow in their faith and understanding of the teachings of the Church and to learn to put their faith into action in the service of others. We welcome students of all faiths, believing that conscious reflection on one’s faith, whatever it may be, leads to spiritual maturity and a commitment to serve others."
Justin-Siena High School, Napa, CA
Grades 9-12
Students 670
Coed
"Justin-Siena is a Catholic high school in the Lasallian tradition called to provide educational excellence in a loving, Christ-centered community that prepares students to serve and to lead in an ever-changing world."
La Lumiere School, Portage, IN
Grades 9-12
Students 202
Coed
"The benefits of a La Lumiere education are many and comprise the foundation of our students’ future success. While the value of the La Lumiere experience is clear, affording an independent school tuition can sometimes be a financial challenge. As such, we diligently work to help qualified families close the gap between what they can afford and the cost of a La Lumiere education. "
Marianapolis Preparatory School, Thompson, CT
Grade 9-12, PG
400 students
Girls
"Marianapolis Preparatory School, an independent, Catholic day and boarding school for grades 9-12, offers a wide range of honors and advanced placement courses for students of all faiths."
Portsmouth Abbey School, Portsmouth, RI
Grades 9-12
352 students
Coed
"Portsmouth Abbey School continues to flourish as the nation's leading coeducational Catholic Benedictine boarding school for 350 students in grades 9 through 12. Unique in its English Benedictine tradition, the School offers a challenging academic curriculum rich in mathematics and science and built upon a signature humanities program."
St. John's Preparatory School, Collegeville, MN
Grades 9-12
1200 students
Boys
"St. John's Prep, a Catholic, Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School for young men in grades 6 through 12, is committed to educating the whole person. Our rigorous academic and extensive co-curricular program encourages students to develop their spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical, and creative potential, and inspires them to honor the diversity that enriches both our school community and the world beyond St. John's. We challenge our young men to grow in faith and wisdom, to promote human dignity, to act with compassion and integrity, to pursue justice and peace, and to live lives of service to society."
Subiaco Academy, Subiaco, AR
Grades 7-12
193 Students
Boys
"Subiaco Academy, a Catholic, Benedictine boarding and day college preparatory school, is located in the beautiful Ozark mountains at the edge of the Arkansas River valley. The Academy was established by the Benedictine Monks of Subiaco Abbey in 1887. It is dedicated to providing young men with the opportunity for a college preparatory education in a stable and structured environment nourished by Christian values."
Woodlands Academy Of The Sacred Heart, Lake Forest, IL
Grades 9-12
171 students
Girls
"Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1858, is an independent, Catholic, boarding and day, college preparatory school for young women, grades 9-12, who wish to pursue a course of study committed to academic excellence within the context of a faith-based community."
Woodside Priory School, Portola, CA
Grades 6-12
369 students
Coed
"Founded in 1957, the Priory is a coeducational day and boarding school located in Portola Valley, California, 40 minutes south of San Francisco near Stanford University and Silicon Valley. The Priory is an independent, Catholic, college preparatory school in the Benedictine tradition with an enrollment of 368 students in middle school and high school."
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