Maharishi School
Maharishi School, located in Fairfield, Iowa, has the mission of preparing students for college and developing their consciousness.
Maharishi School provides a Preschool-12th grade day and boarding option for 8th-12th grades, to experience in a safe and healthy environment which develops students' ability to know themselves, think deeply, unleash their creativity, and succeed.
Maharishi School is a non-sectarian, co-ed school with students from over 30 countries.
Students start and end their day with meditation (Transcendental Meditation) and yoga.
Alumni Reviews Review School
- Review Description
- Iowa State University Maharishi School gave me more than an education, it gave me tools to help live a balanced life, and a community of people who I still interact with 15 years after graduating. The consciousness-based education. . .
- Maharishi University of Management I went to a lot of other schools before Maharishi School, and what stood out the most for me at Maharishi School was the emphasis on personal development. Instead of just filling up my brain. . .
Top 20 Rankings
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Maharishi School ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 304 schools) for:
- Category Attribute
- Affordability High percentage of students on financial aid
| Definition of Terms | 2020 School Data | Maharishi School | Boarding School Avg. |
| School Focus | College Prep | College Preparatory |
| Grades Offered (Boarding) | 9-12 | 9-12 |
| Grades Offered (Day) | Pre-K-12 | 9-12 |
| School Type | Co-ed | Co-ed |
| Religious Affiliation | Non-denominational | Non-denominational |
| Year Founded | 1972 | 1907 |
| Campus Size | 262 acres | 125 acres |
Student Body
| Enrollment | 184 students | 302 students |
| % Students of Color | 43% | 25% |
| % International Students | 23% | 20% |
| % Students Boarding | 16% | 70% |
| Average SAT Score | 1290 | * National Avg. »View |
| Offers Post-Grad Year | No | No |
Academics and Faculty
| Saturday Classes | No | No |
| Classroom Dress Code | Casual (Khaki or blue pants, white shirt, or plaid skirt and white blouse) | Casual |
| Average Class Size | 12 students | 12 *National School Avg. » 20 |
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 5:1 | 7:1 |
| # of AP / Advanced Courses Offered | 14 | 18 |
| ESL Courses Offered | Yes | Yes |
| % Faculty with Advanced Degree | 69% | 70% |
| Summer Program Offered | Yes | Yes |
| Summer Program Cost | $1,500 (2-week boarding camp: $1200) | |
| Summer Program Details | Link to Summer Program Details | |
Tuition Cost
| Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students) | $39,000 (Covers tuition, room, board and books) | $59,000 |
| Yearly Tuition (Day Students) | $19,500 | $33,250 |
| Tuition international students | $44,000 | $53,975 |
| % Students on Financial Aid | 75% | 40% |
| Avg. Financial Aid Grant | $12,000 (Domestic students can receive up to $15000 in aid.) | $25,000 |
| Merit Scholarships Offered | No | No |
Acceptance Rate
| Application Deadline | None / Rolling | Jan. 15 |
| SSAT Required | No | Yes |
| Acceptance Rate | 70% | 57% |
| Director of Admissions | Springli Johnson | |
AP / Advanced Courses
| # of AP / Advanced Courses Offered | 14 | 18 |
| Courses | AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science, AP English Language Arts, AP English Literature, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Statistics, AP U.S. History, AP US Government | |
Sports
| # Interscholastic Sports Offered | 8 | 16 |
| Sports | Badminton, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball | |
Extracurriculars
| Total Extracurricular Organizations | 10 | 23 |
| Extracurriculars | Club or Organization: Boy Scouts, Destination Imagination, Environment Club, Interact Club, Robotics Team, Rocketry Team, Student Ambassador Program, Student Council Arts and Music Programs: Ceramics/Pottery, Speech Club | |
School Notes
- Maharishi School's innovative programs expand students' alertness and learning capacity. As a result 100% of our graduates accepted at accredited colleges and universities.
- Our student body is comprised of students from all over the world, including China, India, Vietnam, Korea, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and Switzerland. Boarding students live in our on-campus dorm.
- We are located in a thriving town in southeast Iowa. Fairfield was selected by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the top 20 small towns to visit in the United States.
- All students start and end the day with meditation and yoga. The Transcendental Meditation program is a simple, natural, effortless technique practiced worldwide by people of all religions and cultures. The benefits for students include reduction of stress and anxiety, increased intelligence, and enhanced creativity.
- AP/Honors Courses: We offer 8 AP courses. The Honors program provides students with an opportunity to experience greater depth of study and cultivate a deeper level of thinking. Honors courses can be offered upon request in each core subject (Science, Math, History, and English). Students pursuing an Honors track are required to demonstrate scholarly initiative, problem-solving skills and the ability to delve into the fine details of their chosen topic. With an emphasis on depth of understanding, students gain critical and creative thinking skills that set them apart from their peers.
- Our school's Project-Based Learning allows for more time to pursue passions and build a portfolio by having a 70-minute project period 3 days a week. Students can select pre-designed projects such as play production, rocketry, application prototyping, earth-to-table (ceramics and cooking), performing arts, entrepreneurship, sustainable fashion game show production, songwriting, music production, film production, and food blog. Students are also encouraged to propose their own projects.
- 100% of graduates are admitted to accredited colleges and universities, including Princeton, Grinnell, University of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Art and Design, and Georgetown.
- Accredited by Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). The Iowa Department of Education has awarded grades 7-12 college preparatory status in recognition of the high percentage of graduates accepted at four-year colleges and universities.
- Classes consistently score in the top one percent on national standardized tests.
- 18 National Merit Scholars and 34 National Merit Semi-Finalists during our 30-year history.
- Day program preschool through 12th grade. Boarding option 9th through 12th grade.
- Maharishi School accreditations: Small Boarding School Association; Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS)
- Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- Heather Hartnett - CEO, Founding Partner: Human Ventures
- Ari Berman - Author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America and Herding Donkeys. Writer for The Nation magazine
- Jennie Rothenberg Gritz - Senior Editor of Smithsonian Magazine
- Wells Butler - co-founder of Ice Cream Castles (children's contemporary clothing)
- Jonathan Jarvis - Co-Founder & CEO at Token
- Zachary Sluser - director/filmmaker of short films and music videos featured worldwide
- Jonathan Sherr - actor; star of My Darling is a Foreigner, Love in Tokyo, and the web series English Teachers.
- Heather Chase - author; founder of Models with Conscience, an international group promoting cruelty-free, eco-conscious causes
- Geoff Boothby - award-winning director/filmmaker (Wormtooth Nation 2008)
- Cullen Thomas - award-winning film editor and lighting designer (Wormtooth Nation, 2008)
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