This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
If you are just beginning to explore boarding schools, this article will give you a bird's-eye view of the options available. I suggest that you scan the article, and then drill down into anything that interests you. Our site has a wealth of information to guide your search process. And, if you don't find the answers you want, you probably will be able to find them on our sister site, Private School Review. Finally, if you have more questions, tweet me. I will be happy to help.
Size
Boarding schools range in size from rather small (100 students) to rather large (1200 students). Most boarding school populations are somewhere in the middle with 300-400 students. Compare these numbers to most public schools, and you will begin to see why size is so important in my opinion. I wanted my daughters to be visible when they went to boarding school. When the school community is a manageable size, teachers and administrative staff get to know their students quickly. More importantly, they will usually know what their young charges are up to. Boarding schools take their role as your substitute very seriously. The legal term is in loco parentis. Your child will not be invisible or able to hide when she attends boarding school.
Chatham Hall is an example of a small school. Everybody knows everybody in a school like this one.
Numbers
How many boarding schools are there? Approximately 300 boarding schools in the U.S. and Canada have historically been associated with The Association of Boarding Schools. Contrast this with approximately 30,000 schools that are classified as private, as opposed to public schools, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and you can begin to see what a tiny niche boarding schools occupy in the K-12 educational spectrum. Most boarding schools are coeducational, although there still are single-sex schools if you decide to go that route.
Types of Schools
Boarding schools offer many different experiences.
Do you want the discipline and leadership training a military school offers? You can choose from schools in that genre.
Want your child to experience a progressive education? Several dozen schools will fill the bill.
Want a mainstream college preparatory school? There are many schools with the faculty and courses to achieve that aim.
Are special needs a requirement? There are several boarding schools that have highly qualified, skilled teachers who can help your child remediate his learning differences.
In fact, there are so many different types of boarding schools that you will need to visit the schools in which you are interested to make your final selection.
Cost
A handful of boarding schools are free. Girard College and Milton Hershey School provide free education to eligible students thanks to the generosity of their founders. However, most boarding schools charge tuition and fees for room and board. The costs range from approximately $15,000 to over $75,000 per academic year in 2026, depending on the school and its programs.
Financial Aid
Most boarding schools offer generous financial aid. As a rule, they are also proactive in attracting students from all across the economic spectrum. If your child can do the academic work, but you cannot afford to pay the cost of a boarding school education, please apply anyway. If you have all the other things the school is looking for, money will not necessarily be a deal-breaker.
Discuss financial aid when you visit the schools on your shortlist. Submit your financial aid application as soon as you can. Each school has its own pool of money allocated for financial aid. Consequently, the dollar amount that they offer you will vary from school to school.
This video explains the financial aid process.
Admissions
In line with financial aid, most private schools seek to enroll students who have the ability to do the academic work demanded by the school's curriculum. Why does this matter? Because each private school sets its own curriculum and standards. These metrics meet or, in most cases, exceed state requirements. As a result, schools will carefully review your academic achievements via transcripts and teacher recommendations. They may also require you to take a standardized admissions test such as the SSAT or ISEE. Most schools will want to interview you as well.
In 2026, some boarding schools offer test-optional admissions, so check each school's current requirements. The admissions checklist for boarding school applicants explains the steps involved.
Academics
What is taught in a boarding school and how it is taught goes to the heart of the matter. This, after all, should be the main reason you are considering sending your child to boarding school. Most boarding schools will offer extensive courses in the core subjects of English, math, and sciences. That's a given. What will amaze you is the depth and breadth of courses in all the other subjects public schools tend to consider as frills. Foreign languages and the arts are an integral part of most schools' academic work.
Teachers at most boarding schools have first degrees in their subjects. They are hired in the first place because they are passionate about their subject and love teaching it to young people. A high percentage of boarding school teachers also have advanced degrees or terminal degrees.
Locations
The northeastern states have the most boarding schools. The international airports in Boston and New York make these schools fairly accessible from just about anywhere in the nation. Most boarding schools are located in rural areas where they have plenty of room to spread out and offer the physical plants and facilities necessary to carry out their programs.
Competitive Schools
Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, and Choate are examples of famous old boarding schools. These schools are certainly fine schools with excellent faculty as well as all the academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities you could imagine. Unfortunately, these and several other boarding schools are extremely competitive. Don't be discouraged, because there are dozens of less famous boarding schools which can provide a superb residential school experience for your child.
Develop a shortlist of schools comprised of a safe school that you know you can get into, another one that is a bit more of a reach, and another school that is a definite reach. This will allow you to hedge your bets and ensure that your daughter will get into at least one of the schools on your list.
For additional guidance, comparing boarding schools in 2026 can help families evaluate their options.
Why Boarding School?
Boarding school offers many tangible benefits such as excellent academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. But boarding school also offers certain intangible benefits that you have to experience in order to appreciate. For example, the growth and confidence that come from living in a community away from home. Or the close bonds and network of friends you will make, which will last a lifetime. You will think of other considerations yourself as you explore these excellent schools.
