Best private high schools in Connecticut

·Stacker

Mircea Moira // Shutterstock
Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

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 Connecticut 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. Kingswood Oxford School

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#25. Kingswood Oxford School

- Location: West Hartford, CT
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 507 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#24. Brunswick School

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#24. Brunswick School

- Location: Greenwich, CT
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 1,087 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#23. Cheshire Academy

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#23. Cheshire Academy

- Location: Cheshire, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 378 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#22. The Ethel Walker School

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#22. The Ethel Walker School

- Location: Simsbury, CT
- Grades: 7-12
- Enrollment: 225 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#21. King School

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#21. King School

- Location: Stamford, CT
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 732 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

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#20. St. Luke's School

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#20. St. Luke's School

- Location: New Canaan, CT
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 611 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#19. Greenwich Academy

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#19. Greenwich Academy

- Location: Greenwich, CT
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 832 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#18. Salisbury School

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#18. Salisbury School

- Location: Salisbury, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 310 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#17. Greens Farms Academy

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#17. Greens Farms Academy

- Location: Westport, CT
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 750 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#15. Westover School

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#15. Westover School

- Location: Middlebury, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 194 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#14. Avon Old Farms School

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#14. Avon Old Farms School

- Location: Avon, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 406 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#13. Sacred Heart Greenwich

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#13. Sacred Heart Greenwich

- Location: Greenwich, CT
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 617 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#12. Westminster School

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#12. Westminster School

- Location: Simsbury, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 434 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#10. Pomfret School

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#10. Pomfret School

- Location: Pomfret, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 350 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#9. Suffield Academy

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#9. Suffield Academy

- Location: Suffield, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 415 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#8. The Frederick Gunn School

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#8. The Frederick Gunn School

- Location: Washington, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 345 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#7. Miss Porter's School

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#7. Miss Porter's School

- Location: Farmington, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 350 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#5. The Taft School

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#5. The Taft School

- Location: Watertown, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 592 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#4. Hopkins School

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#4. Hopkins School

- Location: New Haven, CT
- Grades: 7-12
- Enrollment: 717 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#3. The Loomis Chaffee School

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#3. The Loomis Chaffee School

- Location: Windsor, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 748 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

 

#2. The Hotchkiss School

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#2. The Hotchkiss School

- Location: Lakeville, CT
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 636 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+