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 Vermont 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.
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#25. Trinity Baptist Schools
– Enrollment: 60 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-11
– City: Williston
– Niche grade: B-
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#24. Rutland Area Christian School
– Enrollment: 53 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Rutland
– Niche grade: A-
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#23. The Compass School
– Enrollment: 75 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Westminster
– Niche grade: B
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#22. Thetford Academy
– Enrollment: 313 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Thetford Center
– Niche grade: B+
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#21. Mid Vermont Christian School
– Enrollment: 94 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: White River Junction
– Niche grade: B+
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#20. Grace Christian School
– Enrollment: 134 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Bennington
– Niche grade: B+
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#19. Websterville Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 119 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Websterville
– Niche grade: B+
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#18. Lyndon Institute
– Enrollment: 444 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Lyndon Center
– Niche grade: B+
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#17. The Sharon Academy
– Enrollment: 150 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Sharon
– Niche grade: A-
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#16. Vermont Academy of Science & Technology
– Enrollment: 41 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 12
– City: Randolph Center
– Niche grade: A-
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#15. Burr & Burton Academy
– Enrollment: 711 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Manchester
– Niche grade: A-
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#14. Rock Point School
– Enrollment: 27 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 10-12
– City: Burlington
– Niche grade: A-
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#13. Killington Mountain School
– Enrollment: 28 (1:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Killington
– Niche grade: A-
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#12. Mount St. Joseph Academy
– Enrollment: 64 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Rutland
– Niche grade: A-
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#11. Lake Champlain Waldorf School
– Enrollment: 265 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Shelburne
– Niche grade: A-
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#10. United Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 80 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Newport
– Niche grade: A-
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#9. Rice Memorial High School
– Enrollment: 410 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: South Burlington
– Niche grade: A
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#8. Burke Mountain Academy
– Enrollment: 60 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 8-12
– City: East Burke
– Niche grade: A
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#7. St. Johnsbury Academy
– Enrollment: 907 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: St. Johnsbury
– Niche grade: A
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#6. Long Trail School
– Enrollment: 222 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Dorset
– Niche grade: A
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#5. Vermont Academy
– Enrollment: 205 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Saxtons River
– Niche grade: A+
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#4. Stratton Mountain School
– Enrollment: 135 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Stratton Mountain
– Niche grade: A+
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#3. Vermont Commons School
– Enrollment: 113 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: So. Burlington
– Niche grade: A+
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#2. Green Mountain Valley School
– Enrollment: 106 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 8-12
– City: Waitsfield
– Niche grade: A+
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#1. The Putney School
– Enrollment: 235 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Putney
– Niche grade: A+
This story was written by Stacker and has been re-published pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.