Best private high schools in Hawaii
Private schools, in some form, existed long before the concept of free public education in America. Students were often educated through church-sponsored programs, private tutoring, and boarding schools. Public schools on a large scale were proposed by Horace Mann in the 1830s. The concept gained momentum, and by 1870, nearly 80% of kids aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. Today, according to the most recent enrollment data, about 4.7 million students—or 10% of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12—are enrolled in private schools.
Private schools are widely marketed as a better option when compared to public schools, and private school proponents will often point to standardized test scores to substantiate this claim. While private school students have consistently outperformed public school students on standardized tests, recent studies have shown private schools themselves are not the primary driver of success, nor are standardized tests the most accurate measure of student well-being.
Researchers have found that student success is more directly related to family attributes, like having parents who graduated from college, and higher incomes—more common amongst private school students than public school students—than simply whether the students attended a public or private school.
Still, private schools provide unique advantages and opportunities like smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, and greater curricular flexibility. To better understand how private school offerings vary across the country, Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in Hawaii using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students.
Editor's note: The original article had inaccuracies when multiple schools in Hawaii had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.
#30. Friendship Christian Schools
- District: Ewa Beach
- Enrollment: 65 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#29. Christian Liberty Academy
- District: Keaau
- Enrollment: 233 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#28. Hawaiian Mission Academy
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 96 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#27. Damien Memorial School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 704 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#26. Assets School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 340 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#25. St Anthony School
- District: Wailuku
- Enrollment: 143 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#24. Saint Louis School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 882 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#23. Maryknoll School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 876 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#22. Kauai Christian Academy
- District: Kilauea
- Enrollment: 107 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#21. Makua Lani Christian Academy
- District: Kailua-kona
- Enrollment: 215 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#20. Sacred Hearts Academy
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 713 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#19. Hanalani Schools
- District: Mililani
- Enrollment: 695 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#18. Trinity Christian School
- District: Kailua
- Enrollment: 285 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#17. La Pietra – Hawai'i School for Girls
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 100 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#16. St. Joseph School - Hilo
- District: Hilo
- Enrollment: 206 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#15. Island Pacific Academy
- District: Kapolei
- Enrollment: 585 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#14. Pacific Buddhist Academy
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 76 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#13. Kaimuki Christian School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 318 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#12. Hawaii Baptist Academy
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 1,117 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#11. Parker School
- District: Kamuela
- Enrollment: 338 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#10. Mid-Pacific Institute
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 1,401 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#9. Maui Preparatory Academy
- District: Lahaina
- Enrollment: 303 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#8. Island School
- District: Lihue
- Enrollment: 490 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#7. St. Andrew's Schools
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 310 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#6. Le Jardin Academy
- District: Kailua
- Enrollment: 795 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#5. Seabury Hall
- District: Makawao
- Enrollment: 438 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#4. Hawai'i Preparatory Academy
- District: Kamuela
- Enrollment: 572 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#3. Asia Pacific International School
- District: Hauula
- Enrollment: 150 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. Punahou School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 3,744 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Iolani School
- City: Honolulu
- Enrollment: 2,181 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
