Best private high schools in Michigan

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, education is key: 1.4 million students enrolled in private high schools in fall 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. There were about 3,600 private secondary schools nationwide as of 2020.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these private high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to send their kids to better schools. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in Michigan using 2027 rankings from Niche. Online schools were not included. Niche uses 10 weighted factors for its rankings, including: college enrollment, culture and diversity, parent/student surveys, top enrolled colleges, and student-teacher ratio. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#25. Auburn Hills Christian School

- Location: Auburn Hills, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 288 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#24. Hackett Catholic Prep

- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 215 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Grand Rapids Christian High School

- Location: Grand Rapids, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 761 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. Marian High School

- Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 465 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Bloomfield Christian School

- Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 158 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Saint Mary's Preparatory

- Location: Orchard Lake, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 863 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Notre Dame Preparatory School

- Location: Pontiac, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 1,044 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. Southfield Christian School

- Location: Southfield, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 600 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit

- Location: West Bloomfield, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 117 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. West Michigan Lutheran High School

- Location: Wyoming, MI
- Grades: 7-12
- Enrollment: 21 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. The Leelanau School

- Location: Glen Arbor, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 41 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. University Liggett School

- Location: Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 543 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. Mercy High School

- Location: Farmington Hills, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 450 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. Oakdale Academy

- Location: Waterford, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 112 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Steiner School of Ann Arbor

- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 80 (2:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. Brother Rice High School

- Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 643 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy

- Location: Detroit, MI
- Grades: 7-12
- Enrollment: 603 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Detroit Catholic Central High School

- Location: Novi, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 1,112 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Michigan Islamic Academy

- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 316 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Academy of the Sacred Heart

- Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 397 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. The Roeper School

- Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 402 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Interlochen Arts Academy

- Location: Interlochen, MI
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 581 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Detroit Country Day School

- Location: Beverly Hills, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 1,524 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Greenhills School

- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 816 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+