Best private high schools in New Hampshire
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 New Hampshire 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.
#25. Mount Royal Academy
- Location: Sunapee, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 206 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#24. Mount Zion Christian Schools
- Location: Manchester, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 150 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#23. Holy Family Academy
- Location: Manchester, NH
- Grades: 7-12
- Enrollment: 95 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#22. St. Thomas Aquinas High School
- Location: Dover, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 355 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#21. Bishop Brady High School
- Location: Concord, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 301 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#20. Portsmouth Christian Academy
- Location: Dover, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 664 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#19. Trinity High School
- Location: Manchester, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 335 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#18. High Mowing School
- Location: Wilton, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 361 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#17. South Merrimack Christian Academy
- Location: Merrimack, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 276 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#16. Dublin Christian Academy
- Location: Dublin, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 161 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#15. Tabernacle Christian School
- Location: Litchfield, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 55 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#14. Bishop Guertin High School
- Location: Nashua, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 750 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#13. Tilton School
- Location: Tilton, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 200 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#12. Oliverian School
- Location: Pike, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 45 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#11. Waterville Valley Academy
- Location: Waterville Valley, NH
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 26 (2:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#10. Proctor Academy
- Location: Andover, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 376 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#9. The Derryfield School
- Location: Manchester, NH
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 389 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#8. Brewster Academy
- Location: Wolfeboro, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 339 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#7. 2nd Nature Academy (SNA)
- Location: Nashua, NH
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 111 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#6. New Hampton School
- Location: New Hampton, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 330 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#5. Dublin School
- Location: Dublin, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 169 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#4. Holderness School
- Location: Holderness, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 310 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#3. Kimball Union Academy
- Location: Meriden, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 345 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. St. Paul's School
- Location: Concord, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 535 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Phillips Exeter Academy
- Location: Exeter, NH
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 1,097 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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