This article has been updated to reflect 2026 data and recent developments.
"I can't find any rankings!" "Which is the best boarding school in Massachusetts?" Hardly a day goes by without somebody asking about the rankings of boarding schools. I know that you are trying to figure out how one boarding school compares with another so that you can choose the one that is best for your child. You probably have even tried looking for a site that ranks schools. Well, good luck! You will find several websites offering lists and rankings, but there is no single official ranking system for boarding schools.
Try it yourself. Google "boarding school rankings" or "ranking boarding schools" and review the results. Yes, you will find several lists of "the best schools." However, what are the criteria used to select those schools? Maybe some of them are a good fit for your requirements. Maybe not. So, let's look at the reasons why this is the case.
1. Boarding schools are unique
This is the main reason why it is difficult to rank boarding schools. Each school is unique. Each school does its own thing. Schools are overseen and managed by trustees and faculty who have a particular point of view. For example, a Jesuit boarding school such as Georgetown Prep has a somewhat different approach to curriculum and teaching than The Putney School. Yes, as you look at schools, you can compare basic criteria such as the number of students, what they teach, and the sports programs they offer. Georgetown Prep remains a Jesuit boarding and day school in 2026, while Putney describes itself as a progressive college preparatory school.
The broad strokes of the program may be similar on the surface. Most schools will offer courses in core subjects such as English, science and math, sports, and extracurricular activities. But what courses and levels they offer, what teams are fielded, and how many extracurricular activities are offered vary widely from school to school.
So, how do you find the best school for your child? You start by deciding what is important to you. Do you want her to attend a small school, a large school, or something in between? A school with a student population of 250 students in grades 9-12 has a different vibe than a school with 1,000 students in high school. Is location important, or can it be anywhere? Think about how you will feel if you fly across the country to get to your child in an emergency. What about religion? Do you want her to attend a school that will allow her to continue to practice her beliefs? Does she learn differently or have special needs? Do you prefer a traditional college prep education for her? Or would a progressive school be preferable? What about financial aid? Answer these questions as honestly as you can. Those answers will help you determine the best school for your child. Read Choosing a School: DO's and DON'TS for guidance on choosing schools.
2. Boarding schools do not divulge all data.
The second reason you cannot rely entirely on rankings of boarding schools is that boarding schools do not have to participate in ranking surveys or other tools that the media and websites use to rank schools. The National Association of Independent Schools has long been an important organization in independent education. That's why there is no universally accepted ranking system for boarding schools such as the major ranking systems used for colleges. Things like where graduates matriculated, standardized test scores when schools publish them, and so on must often be discovered by checking individual school websites or asking the admissions staff. The data may be readily available. It's just not gathered and neatly packaged in one convenient place.
3. The best school is the one which works best for you.
The third reason rankings don't matter is that choosing a boarding school is similar to choosing a college. You are looking for the best fit. The fit matters most. So, how do you determine the best fit? You need to discuss exactly what you desire in a school seriously. Let that determine which schools end up on your shortlist.
Put another way, we all know that Exeter and Andover are top boarding schools. But there are hundreds of other boarding schools out there. They have great academic programs, superb facilities, dedicated, highly credentialed teachers, and all manner of athletics and enrichment activities. Most do an excellent job of preparing your child for college. Exeter's current 2026-27 profile, for example, shows a broad academic program and a faculty with a high percentage of advanced degrees, while Phillips Academy Andover describes a broad liberal education with more than 200 classroom teachers.
How do you find these schools? It takes doing a lot of research. Hire an educational consultant if you can afford it. Consultants have forgotten more about boarding schools than you, and I could ever know. The fee you will pay a consultant can help you identify schools that may be a good fit. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but you get the idea. In 2026, educational consultants continue to help families identify schools that match a student's particular needs and develop a school application plan.
In this video, you can explore Harkness Learning at Lawrenceville School.
One of the things that boarding school admissions departments look at very carefully is your child's ability to handle academic work. They assess that ability by reviewing the results of admissions testing, where required, and scrutinizing your child's transcripts from her previous schools. Testing requirements vary by school in 2026, so families should check the requirements of each school on their shortlist. Boarding School Review's current admissions guidance confirms that standardized testing requirements depend on the individual school.
The Lawrenceville School continues to use Harkness Learning, a collaborative approach based on discussion, experimentation, and critical review.
As you can see, there are several steps to finding the right school for your child. Allow yourself plenty of time to research schools. Develop lists of those that generally meet your requirements. Then visit and evaluate a short list of 3 to 5 schools. Choosing the right boarding school will take time. It is not something which you can do in 2 or 3 weeks. I always recommend allowing plenty of time for the school search process. Boarding School Review's current guidance also recommends developing a preliminary list and then refining it to a shortlist of 3 to 5 schools before visiting them.
In the end, ranks don't matter. Only the fit does. Get the fit right, and you will have a happy child and a great learning experience.
