Woodside Priory School (Priory) vs. The Thacher School
Should you attend Woodside Priory School (Priory) or The Thacher School? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
School Overview
School
Definition of Terms | 2025 School Data
Woodside Priory School (Priory)
(2)
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028, United States of America
Portola Valley, CA 94028, United States of America
Top Rankings
Woodside Priory School (Priory) ranks among the top 10 schools with > 400 students (out of 96 schools) for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
The Thacher School ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 274 schools) for:
Category
Attribute
School Resources
School Resources
Selectivity
Student Test Scores
Student Test Scores
Student Test Scores
Overview
Woodside Priory is the only boarding school in Silicon Valley.
Located within 40 minutes of San Francisco and 10 minutes of Stanford University, the Priory is a coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 as well as a coeducational day school for grades 6 through 8.
Situated on a 50-acre campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, Priory offers a 7:1 student/teacher ratio, a strong college and university preparatory curriculum, a vast performing arts program, and a competitive athletics program. Priory strives to create a balanced experience for students where they can explore interests, develop passions, and discover themselves.
Founded in 1889, The Thacher School is a coeducational boarding high school located 85 miles north of Los Angeles, California.
The School serves academically talented students who will benefit from a rigorous college preparatory experience.
The faculty and students live and work closely together in a community in which cooperation, trust, honesty, and respect are the cornerstones of school life.
Together, we commit to the belief that demands in the academic classroom, when combined with those of mountains and horses, of sports and the arts, produce independent minds, strong bodies, and powerful character.
School Focus
College Preparatory
College Preparatory
Grades Offered
9-12
9-12
School Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
ADD/ADHD Support
No
No
Supports Learning Differences (LD)
No
No
Year Founded
1957
1889
Campus Size
50 acres
427 acres
Students Body
Enrollment
425
255
% Students of Color
63%
55%
% International Students
15%
12%
% Students Boarding
20%
93%
Average SAT Score
n/a
1358
SAT range (25th-75th percentile)
n/a
1260 - 1510
Average ACT score
n/a
31
Offers Post-Grad Year
No
No
Academics and Faculty
Saturday Classes
No
No
Frequency of Saturday Classes
Weekly
weekly
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Casual
Average Class Size
13
11
Student-Teacher Ratio
7:1
6:1
# of AP/Advanced Courses Offered
22
n/a
ESL Courses Offered
No
No
% Faculty with Advanced Degree
80%
72%
Summer Program Offered
No
No
Finances
Endowment Size
$15 million
$206 million
Tuition (Boarding Students)
$93,490
$77,880
Tuition (Day Students)
$64,460
n/a
Avg. Financial Aid Grant
n/a
$65,750
Admission
Application Deadline
Jan. 8
Jan. 15
Accepts Standardized Application
No
No
SSAT Required
No
Yes
Average Percentile SSAT
n/a
94
Acceptance Rate
30%
15%
Director of Admissions
Kirk Gossman
Bill McMahon
Associate Director of Admissions
Stella Kailahi
n/a
# of AP/Advanced Courses Offered
22
n/a
Sport
Total Sports Offered
12
19
Sports
BaseballBasketball
Cross CountryFootball
GolfLacrosse
SoccerSwimming
TennisTrack and Field
VolleyballWater Polo
BaseballBasketball
ClimbingCross Country
CyclingDance
EquestrianFootball
LacrosseMountain Biking
MountaineeringRiding
Rock ClimbingSoccer
Surf TeamTennis
TrackTrack and Field
Volleyball
Extracurricular
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
23
30
Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
Club or Organization:
Arts and Music Programs:
Admissions AssistantsArt in Public Spaces
Associated Student BodyAthletic Therapy Assistants
Campus MinistryCommunity Ensemble
Daraja ClubGay/ Straight Alliance
Green Campus Action TeamInternational Club
School ReachSocial Justice Club
VEX RoboticsWeb Design
WomentorsYearbook
Arts and Music Programs:
Chamber ChoirConcert Choir
Fashion ShowImprov Club
Jazz BandMiddlesex Art Association
San Domenico Singers
PrefectsQuilting
Sir Winston Churchill Debating SocietySpanish Club
Club or Organization:
Amnesty International ClubAstronomy Club
Black Student UnionCheese Club
Christian Fellowship ClubCommunity Service Club
Crochet ClubEmotional Health Task Force
Environmental Action CommitteeIndoor
International Students at ThacherJewish Student Union
Latinos UnidosLiterary Society
Multi-ethnic Student UnionPeer Tutoring
Robotics ClubSpectrum
Thacher Asian Students SocietyThe Notes
United Cultures of Thacher
Arts and Music Programs:
ChamberThacher Masquers
Recreational Athletic Programs:
Fitness/Challenge FitnessSki Club
Thacher Pack & Spur Club