Best Boarding Schools in USA

The United States is home to a large number of boarding schools, each as unique as the students who attend them. And it is due to America’s diversity in geography, curriculum, student life, and core values that students travel from all over the world to attend learning establishments here.

Why choosing one of the best Boarding Schools in the USA?

There are many reasons that parents consider American schools to be among the best schools in the world. Here are just a few examples of why:

Unparalleled academics are a gateway to top universities

Students that have the privilege of attending America’s foremost boarding and international schools can count on an education that prepares them for entry into the best colleges not only in the United States but around the world. Considered “feeder schools” to America’s most renowned universities, classes at these highly respected establishments are typically small, coeducational, and staffed by advanced degree holders. Additionally, students often have access to over 300 course offerings, ensuring they are engaging in coursework that is both personally fulfilling and viewed positively by college counselors. Many of these institutions approach their curriculums in innovative ways, utilizing pedagogies like the Harkness Method, multidisciplinary learning, and place- and project-based learning to educate their students, while others prefer to stick to tried-and-true curricula like the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement to prepare their students for the real world and university.

Beautiful campuses near historic and natural landmarks

Whether they’ve grown up skiing in the Swiss Alps or enjoying an urban lifestyle in modern cities like Paris and London, your child will likely find themselves in awe of American campuses. Many of America’s premier boarding schools are located on huge acreages surrounded by the beautiful foliage of the northeastern region of the country, often only a stone’s throw away from important historical sites and skyscraper-filled cities like Boston and New York. These stately campuses offer traditional boarding experiences and provide a diverse range of options the institutions can rely on for a range of field trips and extracurricular activities. The nation’s capital, Washington D.C., is also home to many academically prestigious boarding and international schools, giving students who have demonstrated natural leadership abilities and a thirst for politics a firsthand look at how America’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches work by engaging in fellowships through opportunities offered through the U.S. State Department. And for those students who prefer binary code to government code, schools in Pacific cities such as San Francisco and Seattle offer students a chance to hone their programming and robotics skills by learning a technology-themed curriculum, complete with life-changing opportunities to intern at some of the hottest tech startups and companies in Silicon Valley. There are also fantastic institutions spread across the entirety of the country, from the historic sites and beautiful palms of the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts in states such as Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, to the beautiful desert colors and majestic natural beauty of southwestern states such as New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. Other states such as Texas are growing rapidly and provide unique opportunities for families looking in top metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Houston, or Austin which are quickly becoming hubs for technology, engineering, and aerospace industries.

Athletics strengthen the body, mind, and spirit

For students who are athletically inclined, no country provides more opportunities to physically and mentally develop your body, spirit, and mind through sport than the United States. Dedicated athletes will find themselves at home here engaging in everything from crew to rugby to swimming to track. Popular American team sports like basketball, baseball, and American football are incredible ways to build a sense of self and camaraderie, all while working towards an athletic scholarship at an NCAA Division 1 school.

A great place to gain a new perspective and a global education

With thousands of high school students flocking to the United States from across the world each year, you can be sure to hear a variety of balanced viewpoints during conversations in American classrooms. Some of the best boarding schools in the USA have rooted their curriculum and core values in providing an education that prepares students to be global citizens. The value of a global education has never been more in demand, and parents looking to have their children experience the world firsthand will find many compelling options in the states. Families searching for schools in the USA often have their choice of many top internationally-recognized curricula including the American Advanced Placement (AP) system, the International Baccalaureate (IB) system, and many more. For non-native English speakers, studying in the USA is a perfect way to become fluent in the language of global business, science, and politics, and for those students coming from the many English-speaking countries, they benefit from learning a new culture and a new way of seeing the world, which can broaden their understanding of complex topics.

Service-learning benefits the student and community

One thing nearly all boarding and international schools in the USA share in common is their focus on improving things at the local level through service-learning. Service-learning refers to activities that use academics to address the authentic needs of the community. It can be performed by students of all ages and plays an important role in developing maturity alongside social and environmental awareness. Students applying to an International Baccalaureate school will be familiar with the Creativity, Activity, Service component of the IB Diploma Programme, which enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience.

Student life on US campuses is second to none

Students who find themselves a long way from home can take comfort in the safe and social settings of America’s boarding and international schools. Experienced residential life teams are in place to make sure that each student’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing are looked after, and a broad range of social activities and clubs ensure that little time exists for students to suffer from homesickness. Healthy, multicultural meals that cater to special dietary requests are also a staple at America’s boarding and international schools, so regardless of their appetite, your child will be studying and socializing on a full stomach.