First, the school needs to have a history of academic excellence and passionate educators who care. A school’s capacity for college preparation and getting children ready for postsecondary education is crucial. However, there should also be plenty of opportunities for extracurriculars, such as clubs, activities, and athletics.
Another criterion parents should consider when deciding on schools is diversity. According to Drexel University, not only does having diversity in the classroom create multicultural awareness and inclusion to help students with different backgrounds succeed, but it encourages acceptance. Diversity helps prepare students to thrive in a world that is getting more diverse every day.
Finding the right school is not easy, but to help simplify matters on your end, here is a ranking of some of the best private schools in the Boston area (of which there are plenty of).
The schools on this list all rank highly for those six marks (academics, educators, clubs & activities, diversity, college prep, and athletics) on sites like Niche. To assist you in your research process, click on the names of the school to be sent to their homepage.
We hope that this guide will be a useful resource for you as you begin your search!
1. Milton Academy
170 Centre St, Milton, MA 02186
Milton Academy comes in atop this list thanks to an immense commitment to their students’ success that is rivaled by few—in fact, 99% of their students go on to attend a 4-year college after graduation. With a 7:1 student to teacher ratio and 89% of students and parents agreeing that teachers give engaging lessons, it’s no wonder why Milton Acadamy is one of the top private schools in the Boston Area.
2. Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
80 Gerrys Landing Rd, Cambridge, MA 02138
With the same student to teacher ratio as Milton Acadamy, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School is another intimate private school in the Boston Area where children get the attention that they deserve. With a 100% average graduation rate and average SAT and ACT scores of 1400 and 32, respectively, the results speak for themselves.
An “A” rating from Niche for clubs and activities illustrates the school’s commitment to offering high-quality extracurricular options for their students as well.
3. British International School of Boston
416 Pond Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
A small private school with only 450 students, the British International School of Boston still contends with the larger schools on this list—due in large part to their collaborations with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions (which includes MIT, The Juilliard School, and Unicef). While the British International School of Boston is further behind in diversity, the international opportunities available here are impressive—like their Global Campus initiative, which includes expeditions to Tanzania and Switzerland.
4. Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Rd, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
While Brimmer and May might lack the sporting prowess that other schools on this list have, they more than make up for it with excellent academics and a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. Brimmer and May has less than 400 students, meaning if you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate setting for your children, it is a great option.
5. Dexter Southfield School
20 Newton St, Brookline, MA 02445
Despite being nearly double the size of the previous school on this list, Dexter Southfield School also has a 5:1 teacher-student ratio. So, with this school, your child can get the experience of a bigger school with the hands-on attention that smaller schools offer. While the ACT and SAT scores are slightly lower for Dexter Southfield than some other schools on this list, they are still very impressive. “A” ratings on Niche in both clubs & activities and athletics should not be overlooked as well.
6. Maimonides School
34 Philbrick Rd, Brookline, MA 02445
What Maimonides lacks in diversity (rated as a “C” on Niche, in large part due to it being a private Jewish school), they make up for it with academics and college prep (both “A+”s). It’s also important to note that while the school is pretty small, the student to teacher ratio is 16:1. But, while that may be a larger ratio than the other schools on this list, it is still slightly better than the national average (17:1).
7. International School of Boston
45 Matignon Rd, Cambridge, MA 02140
Providing a rigorous bilingual education and inclusive cultural experiences, the International School of Boston (ISB) rounds out this list as another top private school in the Boston area. One unique aspect that ISB offers is that students not only graduate with an American high school diploma, but they also get to choose between two internationally renowned diplomas—the French or the International Baccalaureate. These diplomas help set up their students for success nationally and abroad.
How SolBe Learning Can Help Your Children Prepare For School
The continuation of innovation is crucial to our success. This includes how we are teaching our children and preparing them for life in the real world. Because innovation is being encouraged in the education sphere, new strategies and methods for making sure our children are in an environment that promotes a healthy relationship with learning are being formed.
SolBe Learning is one of those new methods, reimagining the traditional ideas of nursery school, child care, and preschool. At the heart of The SolBe Learning Center is a philosophy that learning centers should be attending to the needs of the parents as attentively as they attend to the needs of the children.
Through brilliant educators, award-winning spaces that foster creativity, and a cutting-edge educational philosophy rooted in the Reggio Emilia Approach and the Montessori Method, SolBe Learning truly is the first of its kind—a learning center that promotes growth and helps all parties involved thrive.
Reach out to us today to learn how SolBe can help prepare your little ones for their first day of kindergarten.
