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Santa Catalina School Photo - Volleyball in the Gym
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Best California Boarding Schools (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 14 college-prep and junior boarding schools serving 4,319 students located throughout California.
You can also browse our full boarding school directory or specify additional search criteria.

Top California Boarding Schools (2026)

School
Location
Quick Facts
Army and Navy Academy
Army and Navy Academy Photo - Our 16-acre campus is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the northern San Diego coastal town of Carlsbad, CA. State-of-the-art athletic facilities support ANA's 17 different sports teams, plus surfing, beach volleyball, and ice hockey.
(4)
2605 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(888) 762-2338
Gr: 7-12 | 285 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Avg. class size: 13 students Acceptance rate: 73% Tuition listed
Besant Hill School
Besant Hill School Photo - Besant Hill School is located in the Ojai Valley, on 500 acres of private land with beautiful vistas in every direction. Facilities include four dormitories, outdoor sports facilities including a new aquatic center, indoor theater, atelier, and classrooms nestled along winding paths and oak trees. We also have an eight acre organic farm.
(1)
8585 Ojai Santa Paula Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-4343
Gr: 9-12, PG | 100 students Student-teacher ratio: 4:1 Avg. class size: 8 students Acceptance rate: 50% Tuition listed
Cate School
Cate School Photo - Day Walk
(20)
1960 Cate Mesa Road, P.O. Box 5005
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 684-4127
Gr: 9-12 | 300 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1 Avg. class size: 10 students Acceptance rate: 17% Tuition listed
Dunn School
Dunn School Photo - In 2020 the new Leadership Center was completed. Overlooking the open space known as Munger Common, the center provides state of the art meeting rooms and learning facilities, is home to the student-run Earwig Cafe, and hosts our college counseling team. Students can be found gathering both indoors and outside the center for conversation and relaxation.
P.O. Box 98, 2555 W. Highway 154
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 686-0650
Gr: 9-12 | 6-12 (day) | 249 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1 Avg. class size: 10 students Acceptance rate: 45% Tuition listed
EF Academy Pasadena
EF Academy Pasadena Photo - Hands-on learning encourages our students to make their own discoveries. Calculate velocity in the real world by measuring the speed of a baseball!
1505 E Howard St.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 507-9223
Gr: 9-12 | 265 students Student-teacher ratio: 7:1 Avg. class size: 18 students Tuition listed
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Idyllwild Arts Academy Photo - Idyllwild Arts Academy is home to 280 students from over 30 countries and 27 US states, all devoted to intensive study of the arts. Named #1 High School for Arts in the nation by Niche in 2025.
(23)
52500 Temecula Road
Idyllwild, CA 92549
(951) 659-2171
Gr: 9-12, PG | 280 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1 Avg. class size: 12 students Acceptance rate: 65% Tuition listed
Lake Tahoe Preparatory School
Lake Tahoe Preparatory School Photo - Lake Tahoe Preparatory School is a co-ed boarding school offering daily adventure, opportunities for winter sports at Palisades Tahoe, and college-prep academics in a supportive academic setting.
255 Olympic Valley Road | P.O. Box 2180
Olympic Valley, CA 96146
(801) 336-0753
Gr: 9-12 | 35 students Student-teacher ratio: 7:1 Avg. class size: 7 students Acceptance rate: 80% Tuition listed
Ojai Valley School
Ojai Valley School Photo - OVS offers an exceptional college-prep program. Recent college acceptances for our students include Stanford, Columbia, Northeastern, NYU, Boston College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Pitzer College, Smith College, Vassar College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and many more.
(2)
723 El Paseo Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-1423
Gr: 3-12 | PK-12 (day) | 323 students Student-teacher ratio: 6:1 Avg. class size: 12 students Acceptance rate: 64% Tuition listed
San Domenico School
San Domenico School Photo
1500 Butterfield Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
(415) 258-1990
Gr: 9-12 | K-12 (day) | 680 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Avg. class size: 18 students Tuition listed
Santa Catalina School
Santa Catalina School Photo - Come visit our beautiful campus in Monterey, California! Call the admission office at 831.655.9356 or email admission@santacatalina.org to schedule your visit.
(Catholic)
(1)
1500 Mark Thomas Drive
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 655-9356
Gr: 9-12 | 215 students Student-teacher ratio: 8:1 Avg. class size: 12 students Tuition listed
Stevenson School
Stevenson School Photo - Stevenson is a coeducational, grades 912 day and boarding school located in Pebble Beach, California, on the scenic Monterey Peninsula.
(11)
3152 Forest Lake Road
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
(831) 625-8309
Gr: 9-12 | PK-12 (day) | 507 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Avg. class size: 12 students Tuition listed
The Thacher School
The Thacher School Photo - In courses designed for intellectual and creative expansion, students and teachers meet in seminar circles, studios, and laboratories to create a learning environment that is vigorous and supportive, galvanizing and nurturing.
(26)
5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 640-3210
Gr: 9-12 | 255 students Student-teacher ratio: 6:1 Avg. class size: 11 students Acceptance rate: 15% Tuition listed
The Webb Schools
The Webb Schools Photo - Imagine learning from expert teachers, exploring paleontology in the Alf Museum, and heading to LA for concerts, sports, or museums-all while living near beaches, mountains, and desert. For more than 100 years, Webb has prepared and placed students at the nation's top colleges.
(29)
1175 West Baseline Road
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 482-5214
Gr: 9-12 | 400 students Student-teacher ratio: 6:1 Avg. class size: 12 students Acceptance rate: 14% Tuition listed
Woodside Priory School (Priory)
Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo - School spirit is huge at Priory. More than 30 club and activity choices are available to High School students. Clubs provide opportunities to discover passions, develop strengths, apply academic knowledge in a practical way, develop self-knowledge, and learn to make the choices necessary to manage a busy schedule independently.
(Catholic)
(2)
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
(650) 851-8223
Gr: 9-12 | 6-12 (day) | 425 students Student-teacher ratio: 7:1 Avg. class size: 13 students Acceptance rate: 30% Tuition listed

Frequently Asked Questions

How many boarding schools are located in California?
There are 14 college-preparatory boarding schools located in California.
What is the average tuition cost of boarding school in California?
The average California boarding school tuition cost is $75,532 per year.
What is the oldest boarding school in California?
San Domenico School, founded in 1850, is the oldest boarding school in California.
What boarding school in California has the lowest acceptance rates?
The Webb Schools has the lowest boarding school acceptance rate (14%) in California.
What boarding school in California has the highest average SAT scores?
The Webb Schools has the highest average SAT scores (1520) in California.
Which boarding schools in California are often viewed compared to one another?
Popular comparisons of boarding schools in California include: San Domenico School vs. Stevenson School, The Thacher School vs. Cate School, Woodside Priory School (Priory) vs. Stevenson School

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