Fountain Valley School is a boarding and day high school located at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, offering a domestic and international boarding and day school program for students grades 9-12.
FVS offers a diverse, global community of students spanning over 20 countries and 20 states that's deeply committed to a world-class education in a world-class location. As a member of Round Squarea worldwide network of more than 230 schoolsFountain Valley's students can also participate in international exchanges around the globe.
Students are encouraged to take ownership of their education and are empowered to map their own paths to success at this college preparatory institution. The School's challenging academic programs promote independent thinking, globally-minded inquiry, problem-solving, experiential learning, and creative expression.
Fountain Valley School's 1,100-acre Prairie campus provides abundant opportunities for student-athletes to pursue a number of mountain sports inspired by a western lifestyle like equestrian (English and Western), climbing, mountain biking, and skiing, as well as traditional sports. Students also take advantage of FVS's Mountain Campus located just two hours west near Buena Vista, Colo. for recreational and experiential learning.
Quick Stats (2024-25)
- Top Ranked CO School
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 230 students
- Yearly Tuition: $39,000
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Average class size: 10 students
- Application Deadline: Dec. 15 / Feb. 1 / rolling
- Source: Verified school update
Upcoming Events and News
- Virtual Event - Tue., January 28, 2025 7:00pm (MST) - get more information!
- Virtual Event - Tue., February 18, 2025 7:00pm (MST) - get more information!
- Virtual Event - Thu., March 13, 2025 7:00pm (MDT) - get more information!
- Fountain Valley School’s “Decision 2024” Elective Prepares Students for Election Day and Beyond - 11/04/2024Fountain Valley School's "Decision 2024" elective educates high school students on the electoral process as well as the important role they will play as the youngest generation of voters.
- FVS Delegation Participates in Life-Changing Round Square International Conference in Bogota, Colombia - 10/24/2024In the fall of 2024, Fountain Valley the only Round Square partner school in Colorado sent a delegation of five students and two faculty to Bogot, Colombia for ...morean International Conference centered on reflecting on one's roots, learning from the past, and paving the path toward a better future. hide
- FVS Partners with Colorado League to Host First-Ever Mountain Bike Race on a School Campus in the Front Range - 09/18/2024Through a partnership with the Colorado High School Cycling League (Colorado League), Fountain Valley School (FVS) is pleased to host the inaugural Lazy B Ranch Rally high school mountain bike ...morerace from Friday, September 20, through Sunday, September 22, 2024. hide
- FVS Sophomore Shines on the International Stage Alongside Colorado Springs Youth Symphony - 07/15/2024In the summer of 2024, one Fountain Valley School (FVS) sophomore Mauricio V. '27 of Pueblo completed a weeks-long international tour alongside the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony, the ...moreflagship ensemble of The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association (CSYSA). hide
- Alpinist Jamie Logan '65 Celebrates Debut of Independent Documentary Film, "Jamie" - 07/01/2024In May of 2024, Fountain Valley School celebrated one of its notable alumni legendary alpinist Jamie Logan '65 on campus with an exclusive screening of the short film ...moreJamie. hide
- Rising Junior Earns Prestigious Silver Award from the Girl Scouts of the USA - 06/17/2024In spring of 2024, FVS's own Sofa D.D. '26 joined a very small percentage of Cadettes nationwide when she received the Girl Scouts' Silver Award in recognition of her outstanding ...moreleadership, dedication, and service to the community. hide
- Global Scholar Diploma Projects Delve Deep Into Students' Chosen Fields of Interest - 05/14/2024Eight seniors from the FVS Class of 2024 Ella B., Naomi E., Molly F., Kaleb G., Greta K., Grizz M., Trayee R., and Annie W. completed Global Scholar ...moreor STEM Diploma Projects during the 2023-24 school year. hide
- An Inside Look at 2024 Senior Capstone Presentations: Part 3 - 05/10/2024Riho K.'s Senior Capstone project on Game Design and Sound Engineering Through Everyday Objects consisted of designing the interactive narrative game, "A Yearlong Journey at Mountain Rally School of Ohio." ...moreSet in a high school setting, each player's decisions determine how their senior year will pan out. Riho's creativity stretched far as she added original details to the game, such as sound effects "made with the program called Specdrums, which can turn any color into sound," she explains. hide
- An Inside Look at 2024 Senior Capstone Presentations: Part 2 - 05/09/2024Throughout her Senior Capstone, COVID-19's Impact on Social-Emotional Development, Lauren C. explored the impact of external stressors, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, on the social-emotional development of infants and toddlers. "My ...morefindings revealed significant setbacks in language, social communication, fine motor skills, and social-emotional competencies among children born during the pandemic," said Lauren, who spent the semester examining disruptions to early childhood education, caregiver dynamics, and support service access due to COVID-19. hide
- An Inside Look at 2024 Senior Capstone Presentations: Part 1 - 05/08/2024Will G. and Tanner M. collaborated on the Senior Capstone titled Road to Rock Stardom: Making Modern Music, as both worked diligently throughout the semester to achieve milestone goals in ...morethe music world, including writing lyrics, composing guitar riffs, and recording original audio. hide
- FVS Celebrates National Poetry Month with City-Wide "Athenaea" Poetry Competition for High School Students - 04/22/2024Parents, students, teachers, and the 6th Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius gathered in the Hacienda living room at Fountain Valley School on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, for an ...moreintimate poetry reading meant to celebrate not only National Poetry Month but also the hard work of each contributor in this year's city-wide "Athenaea" poetry competition. hide
- FVS Thespians Present Winter Musical, "Matilda" - 02/28/2024The cast and crew of Fountain Valley School's 2024 winter musical, "Matilda," performed before a packed house in the Performing Arts Center each evening from Thursday, February 22 through Saturday, ...moreFebruary 24, 2024. This outstanding performance had FVS critics raving, "This was a fabulous production! Bravo FVS students and faculty for your talent, energy, skill, and passion. I was deeply impressed!" hide
- Living Off the Land: Sustainability in Academics at FVS - 02/20/2024Since 1930, Fountain Valley School has utilized its sprawling campus as a "living laboratory." Through a partnership between the School's faculty and in-house land management and grounds crews, FVS's new ...morefreshman curriculum aims to foster one-of-a-kind learning experiences for ninth-grade students at home on its 1,100-acre Prairie. hide
- Grant Monies Take Students Lightyears From Campus - 01/22/2024Thanks to a generous grant from the Lightner Sams Foundation, science classes at Fountain Valley School have gotten a whole lot brighter over the past several months! Using funds from ...morethe grant, the School purchased two telescopes and a portable 5" Newtonian reflector, along with soft cases, a solar filter, and a Wi-Fi module, for detailed viewing of planets, asteroids, and comets in our solar system, and deep-sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. hide
- Food Rescue Program Promotes Community Partnership and Environmental Sustainability - 01/04/2024Founded by a graduating senior as part of a Capstone project in 2020, Fountain Valley Schools Food Rescue Program promotes sustainability among students and faculty while also benefiting the local ...morenonprofit organization known as Connections 4 Life. Students grades 9 through 12 gather after lunch once weekly to package, label, and deliver leftovers from the School Dining Hall to Connection 4 Life volunteers and employees, without whom the organization's Thursday Fresh Food Pantry would cease to exist. hide
- Malia S. '24 Commits to the LIU Women's Equestrian Team - 11/11/2023After securing a remarkable high school record in English Riding throughout her four years at Fountain Valley School (FVS) in Colorado Springs, Colo., Malia S. '24, a young and accomplished ...morerider, has committed to joining the Division 1 Equestrian Team at Long Island University (LIU). hide
- Nuin-Tara Key ’99: A Visionary Pioneer at the Forefront of Climate Change - 11/10/2023Her mother named her after a character in the book, "A Far Off Place," a young woman with exceptional strength and selflessness. While Nuin-Tara Key '99 would be too modest ...moreto acknowledge that the name suits her, her professional accomplishments creating and implementing public policies that impact the climate crisis affirm her mother's prescience. "I am optimistic that it is fully within our capacities to do what we need to do to address the climate crisis and to really drive the change that we need," says Nuin-Tara. hide
- Jeffrey Brabec, Ph.D. '14: Carving His Own Destiny - 11/10/2023In his application to FVS, Jeffrey Brabec '14 said he wanted to be a writer and college professor, and his mom wrote that his academic weakness was in math. Could ...morethe then 13-year-old Jeff who struggled in math have ever imagined his future self as a Ph.D. neuroscientist? In his junior year at FVS, Jeff began to enjoy science. "I think college and grad school would have worked themselves out," says Jeff, "but I [underwent] a lot of educational and emotional growth at Fountain Valley. I had experiences there that I still talk about to this day and rely on in times of uncertainty. I truly think I would not be where I am today if I hadn't had the opportunity to attend Fountain Valley." hide
- FVS Celebrates 23rd Annual Unity Day: A School-wide Event Focused on Inclusion, Listening, and Diversity - 10/30/2023Each year, Fountain Valley School, which is home to students representing approximately 24 countries and 29 states along with a diverse array of backgrounds, hosts a Unity Day to celebrate ...moreits community's various cultures and customs and to help students gain a deeper understanding of differences in race, class and gender. hide
- FVS's Western Immersion Program: Inspiring A Deeper Connection to the Land and Community - 10/15/2023In the fall of 2023, Fountain Valley's Western Immersion Program celebrated its 27th anniversary. A true demonstration of learning beyond the classroom, the program takes place at FVS's remote Mountain ...moreCampus located at the foot of Colorad's Collegiate Peaks and includes three days of hands-on learning in the sciences, history, art and literature, as well as community-building activities. All lessons are designed to help students explore the intricate connections between the land and its people. hide
- Author Dave Philipps '96 Presents at All-School - 02/01/2023While assigned summer reading may be a familiar-though perhaps begrudgingly necessary-summertime activity, it also serves as an anchor into classroom concepts that often drift away across the leisurely months of ...moresummer vacation. In the spirit of creating a sense of solidarity within our broader community, this year FVS instituted its first-ever community-wide summer read. All members of the faculty and student body read "Wild Horse Country" a non-fiction publication written by FVS alumnus, Dave Philipps `96. hide
- Major Accolades for FVS Science Student - 05/02/2022Fountain Valley School congratulates Tony T. `23 on his outstanding performance at the Pikes Peak Regional Science and Engineering Fair held on February 26, 2022 and the Colorado State Science ...moreand Engineering Fair held on April 7-8, 2022. hide
- ...read more
Top Rankings
Fountain Valley School of Colorado ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Colorado for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
Student Body
AP Courses
Sports offered
Extracurriculars
School History
School Resources
School Overview
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades 9-12
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
Academic Skills Center
Year Founded
1930
School Calendar
Student Body
Total Students
230 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
25%
State avg.: 25%
Students by Grade
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
36 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
63%
Average Class Size
10 students
Number of AP Courses
20 courses
List of Courses Offered
Advanced Courses
Advanced Biology, Advanced Calculus AB, Advanced Calculus BC, Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Chinese Language and Culture, Advanced English Language and Composition, Advanced English Literature and Composition, Advanced Environmental Science, Advanced French Language and Culture, Advanced Physics C: Mechanics, Advanced Precalculus, Advanced Spanish Language and Culture, Advanced Spanish Literature and Culture, Advanced Statistics, Advanced Studio Art: 2D, Advanced Studio Art: 3D, Advanced U.S. Government and Politics, Advanced United States History, Advanced World History, Differential Equations
Average SAT score
1280
(Out of 1600)
Average ACT score
27
(Out of 36)
Matriculation DataMatric. Data
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Admission Deadline
Dec. 15 / Feb. 1 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
$39,000
Tuition Notes
Tuition for domestic boarding is $72,700; for day students it is $39,000; and for international students it is $76,000. Interim Expeditions, books and fees, and equestrian and athletic programs are extra.
% on Financial Aid
45%
Acceptance Rate
70%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Alex Winnicker
Admissions Associate
Jake Morris
Endowment Size
$50 million
Sports
Total Sports Offered
17 sports
Extracurriculars
Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
25 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Club or Organization:
Admission Ambassadors, Chess Club, Chinese Club, Coffee House, Community Council, Environmental Club, French Club, Gay Straight Alliance, Global Affairs Forum, Green Team, Hispanic Honor Society, International Students Club, Jazz Band, Matchwits, Round Square, Spanish Club, Student Cultural Organization, The Athenaea, The Owl, Varsity Club
Arts and Music Programs:
Chamber Strings, Concert Choir, Theater, Wind Ensemble/Concert Band
Recreational Athletic Programs:
Ski/Snowboard
Admission Ambassadors, Chess Club, Chinese Club, Coffee House, Community Council, Environmental Club, French Club, Gay Straight Alliance, Global Affairs Forum, Green Team, Hispanic Honor Society, International Students Club, Jazz Band, Matchwits, Round Square, Spanish Club, Student Cultural Organization, The Athenaea, The Owl, Varsity Club
Arts and Music Programs:
Chamber Strings, Concert Choir, Theater, Wind Ensemble/Concert Band
Recreational Athletic Programs:
Ski/Snowboard
School Notes
- Fountain Valley School's 40-acre Mountain Campus located approximately two hours from Colorado Springs is used by students and faculty for several signature programs, including the Western Immersion Program, Interim Expeditions, skiing expeditions, outdoor education and more. FVS is proud of its Western roots and location, and encourages students to embrace the many opportunities associated with living in the West.
- The School's state-of-the-art facilities include but are not limited to the Julie & Spencer Penrose Athletic Center with the largest indoor climbing facility of any high school in the nation and an eight-lane swimming and diving pool; an indoor riding arena and three outdoor riding arenas (one covered); an outdoor track; a performing arts center; a newly renovated Dining Hall with views of Pikes Peak; 10 residence halls; and a three-story Art Barn.
- All students are required to participate in the afternoon program, which includes interscholastic sports, outdoor education, climbing, equestrian training (English and Western), fitness, community service, and the creative arts.
- Residence halls are based on a family-like house system, where groups of 16-20 students and one or two faculty families live in a residential unit. Spacious double and triple dorm rooms, common rooms, a kitchen, dining area, bathrooms, laundry facilities and a computer lab are laid out in floor plans unique to each house.
- Planned weekend activities include exploration of the beauty of Colorado, skiing, shopping trips to Denver, and even "spontaneity" trips where students decide at the last minute where to go. Popular on-campus activities include Cupid and Stupid Weekends, which are creative and fun-filled seasonal celebrations; Club Frautschi; the Danesapalooza music festival; an End-of-Summer BBQ; winter formal; "make your own pizza, or burrito, or sundae nights;" and special events put on by individual dorms.
Source: Verified school update
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Fountain Valley School of Colorado cost?
Fountain Valley School of Colorado's tuition is approximately $39,000 for private students.
What is the acceptance rate of Fountain Valley School of Colorado?
The acceptance rate of Fountain Valley School of Colorado is 70%, which is lower than the national average of 91%. Fountain Valley School of Colorado's acceptance rate is ranked among the top private schools in Colorado with low acceptance rates.
What sports does Fountain Valley School of Colorado offer?
Fountain Valley School of Colorado offers 17 interscholastic sports: Basketball, Climbing, Cross Country, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Lacrosse, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, Nordic Skiing, Rock Climbing, Snowboarding, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Weightlifting. Fountain Valley School of Colorado is ranked as one of the top 20% of private schools in Colorado for most sports offered.
What is Fountain Valley School of Colorado's ranking?
Fountain Valley School of Colorado ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Colorado for: Lowest average acceptance rates, Largest student body, Most AP courses offered, Most sports offered, Most extracurriculars offered, Oldest founding date and Largest endowments.
When is the application deadline for Fountain Valley School of Colorado?
The application deadline for Fountain Valley School of Colorado is Dec. 15 / Feb. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Dec. 15 / Feb. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).
In what neighborhood is Fountain Valley School of Colorado located?
Fountain Valley School of Colorado is located in the Fountain Valley neighborhood of Colorado Springs, CO.
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The nearest high school and elementary school to Fountain Valley School of Colorado is Heritage Christian Academy (2.7 miles away)
The nearest preschool is Valley Christian Academy (3.4 miles away)
Show me:
Show me:
School
Location
Miles
Grades
Students
Grades: PK-12 | 228 students 11.1 miles 2713 W Cucharras St
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 302-3751
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 302-3751
11.1
PK-12
228
Grades: 6-12 | 768 students 63 miles 4000 East Quincy Avenue
Englewood, CO 80113
(303) 770-7660
Englewood, CO 80113
(303) 770-7660
63
6-12
768
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