The Thacher School
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.
Alumni Reviews Review School
- Review Description
- Pitzer College The tight knit community is a really rare quality at high schools in general but especially boarding schools. The relationships with teachers and students is so close and the fact that there is very few. . .
- University of Montana The horse department at Thacher is both unique and outstanding. Unique because the school strives to keep the cowboy culture alive with over 100 horses and a fully outfitted western riding center. It is outstanding. . .
- Yale I loved Thacher because of the deep, respectful, and genuine connections in the community. Students, faculty, and staff were all so supportive to ensure I was the happiest and most challenged I could be. During. . .
- Show more reviews (22 reviews)
Top 20 Placements
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The Thacher School is listed among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 306 schools) for:
- Category Attribute
- School Resources Large financial endowment
- School Resources Highest endowment/student
- Selectivity Low acceptance rates
- Student Test Scores High average SAT scores
| Definition of Terms | 2020 School Data | The Thacher School | Boarding School Avg. |
| School Focus | College Prep | College Preparatory |
| Grades Offered | 9-12 | 9-12 |
| School Type | Co-ed | Co-ed |
| Religious Affiliation | Non-denominational | Non-denominational |
| Year Founded | 1889 | 1907 |
| Campus Size | 427 acres | 125 acres |
Student Body
| Enrollment | 254 students | 302 students |
| % Students of Color | 44% | 25% |
| % International Students | 12% | 20% |
| % Students Boarding | 93% | 70% |
| Average SAT Score | 1450 | * National Avg. »View |
| SAT range (25th-75th percentile) | 1260 - 1510 | - |
| Offers Post-Grad Year | No | No |
Academics and Faculty
| Saturday Classes | No | No |
| Classroom Dress Code | Casual | Casual |
| Average Class Size | 11 students | 12 *National School Avg. » 20 |
| Student : Teacher Ratio | 6:1 | 7:1 |
| # of AP / Advanced Courses Offered | 18 | 18 |
| ESL Courses Offered | No | Yes |
| % Faculty with Advanced Degree | 83% | 70% |
| Summer Program Offered | No | Yes |
Finances
| Endowment Size | $170.6 million (June 2019) | $23 million |
| Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students) | $62,810 | $59,000 |
| Yearly Tuition (Day Students) | $43,850 | $32,900 |
| % Students on Financial Aid | 29% | 40% |
| Avg. Financial Aid Grant | $47,000 | $25,000 |
| Merit Scholarships Offered | No | No |
Admission
| Application Deadline | Jan. 15 | Jan. 15 |
| SSAT Required | Yes | Yes |
| Acceptance Rate | 11% | 57% |
| Director of Admissions | Bill McMahon | |
| Associate Director of Admissions | A.J. Yates | |
Course Listings
| List of Courses Offered | Link to List of Courses |
Sports
| # Interscholastic Sports Offered | 14 | 16 |
| Sports | Baseball, Basketball, Climbing, Cross Country, Dance, Equestrian, Football, Lacrosse, Rock Climbing, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Track and Field, Volleyball | |
Extracurriculars
| Total Extracurricular Organizations | 20 | 24 |
| Extracurriculars | Prefects, Quilting, Sir Winston Churchill Debating Society, Spanish Club Club or Organization: Amnesty International Club, Black Student Union, Cheese Club, Christian Fellowship Club, Indoor, Latinos Unidos, Literary Society, Multi-ethnic Student Union, Robotics Club, Spectrum, The Notes, United Cultures of Thacher Arts and Music Programs: Chamber, Thacher Masquers Recreational Athletic Programs: Fitness/Challenge Fitness, Thacher Pack & Spur Club | |
College Matriculation
| Year: 2012 - 2016 | 10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled) | |
| Stanford University | 16 | |
| New York University | 12 | |
| Colorado College | 11 | |
| USC | 11 | |
| Claremont McKenna College | 10 | |
| Columbia University | 8 | |
| Dartmouth College | 8 | |
| Tafts University | 8 | |
| Universtity of Richmond | 8 | |
| Duke University | 7 | |
| Link to Matriculation Data | ||
School Notes
- 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.
- The Thacher School accreditations: TABS, NAIS, WBSA, SSATB
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