Boarding School Review - Established 2003
Ojai Valley School
The Athenian School
The Webb Schools

Best California Boarding Schools (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 16 college-prep and junior boarding schools serving 4,982 students located throughout California.
You can also browse our full boarding school directory or specify additional search criteria.

Quick Facts (2026)

  • # Boarding Schools: 16
  • # Students Served: 4,982
  • Average Tuition: $76,270
  • Average Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Average Class Size: 12 students
  • % Students Boarding: 65%
  • % International Students: 23%
  • % Students of Color: 39%
  • % Students on Financial Aid: 34%
  • Average SAT Score: 1,286
  • % Faculty w/Advanced Degree: 73%
Ojai Valley School
The Athenian School
The Webb Schools
Santa Catalina School
San Domenico School
Idyllwild Arts Academy
EF Academy Pasadena
Stevenson School
Dunn School
Army and Navy Academy
Lake Tahoe Preparatory School
The Thacher School
Woodside Priory School (Priory)
Cate School
Besant Hill School

Quick Facts (2026)

  • # Boarding Schools: 16
  • # Students Served: 4,982
  • Average Tuition: $76,270
  • Average Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Average Class Size: 12 students
  • % Students Boarding: 65%
  • % International Students: 23%
  • % Students of Color: 39%
  • % Students on Financial Aid: 34%
  • Average SAT Score: 1,286
  • % Faculty w/Advanced Degree: 73%

Top California Boarding Schools (2026)

Army and Navy Academy Photo - Our 16-acre campus is bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the northern San Diego coastal town of Carlsbad, CA. State-of-the-art athletic facilities support ANA's 17 different sports teams, plus surfing, beach volleyball, and ice hockey.
Army and Navy Academy
Gr: 7-12 | 275 students
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
Avg. class size: 15 students
Acceptance rate: 73%
Tuition listed
All-boys (secular)
2605 Carlsbad Blvd.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(888) 762-2338
(4)
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The Athenian School Photo
The Athenian School
Gr: 9-12 | 6-12 (day) | 535 students
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
Avg. class size: 15 students
Tuition listed
2100 Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd.
Danville, CA 94506
(925) 362-7223
(1)
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Besant Hill School Photo - Besant Hill School is located in the Ojai Valley, on 500 acres of private land with beautiful vistas in every direction. Facilities include four dormitories, outdoor sports facilities including a new aquatic center, indoor theater, atelier, and classrooms nestled along winding paths and oak trees. We also have an eight acre organic farm.
Besant Hill School
Gr: 9-12, PG | 100 students
Student-teacher ratio: 4:1
Avg. class size: 8 students
Acceptance rate: 50%
Tuition listed
non-sectarian
8585 Ojai Santa Paula Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-4343
(1)
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Cate School Photo - Day Walk
Cate School
Gr: 9-12 | 311 students
Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
Avg. class size: 10 students
Acceptance rate: 17%
Tuition listed
1960 Cate Mesa Road, P.O. Box 5005
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 684-4127
(19)
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Dunn School Photo - In 2020 the new Leadership Center was completed. Overlooking the open space known as Munger Common, the center provides state of the art meeting rooms and learning facilities, is home to the student-run Earwig Cafe, and hosts our college counseling team. Students can be found gathering both indoors and outside the center for conversation and relaxation.
Dunn School
Gr: 9-12 | 6-12 (day) | 249 students
Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
Avg. class size: 10 students
Acceptance rate: 45%
Tuition listed
P.O. Box 98, 2555 W. Highway 154
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(800) 287-9197
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EF Academy Pasadena Photo - Hands-on learning encourages our students to make their own discoveries. Calculate velocity in the real world by measuring the speed of a baseball!
EF Academy Pasadena
Gr: 9-12 | 265 students
Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
Avg. class size: 13 students
Acceptance rate: 85%
Tuition listed
1505 E Howard St.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 507-9223
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Idyllwild Arts Academy Photo - Idyllwild Arts Academy is home to 280 students from over 30 countries and 27 US states, all devoted to intensive study of the arts. Named #1 High School for Arts in the nation by Niche in 2025.
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Gr: 9-12, PG | 320 students
Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
Avg. class size: 12 students
Acceptance rate: 65%
Tuition listed
52500 Temecula Road
Idyllwild, CA 92549
(951) 468-7223
(18)
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Lake Tahoe Preparatory School Photo - Lake Tahoe Preparatory School is a co-ed boarding school offering daily adventure, opportunities for winter sports at Palisades Tahoe, and college-prep academics in a supportive academic setting.
Lake Tahoe Preparatory School
Gr: 9-12, PG | 70 students
Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
Avg. class size: 7 students
Acceptance rate: 80%
Tuition listed
255 Olympic Valley Road | P.O. Box 2180
Olympic Valley, CA 96146
(245) 582-8690
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Los Olivos, CA
Midland School
Gr: 9-12 | 82 students
Student-teacher ratio: 4:1
Avg. class size: 10 students
Acceptance rate: 40%
Tuition listed
PO Box 8 / 5100 Figueroa Mountain Road
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-5114
(4)
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Ojai Valley School Photo - OVS offers an exceptional college-prep program. Recent college acceptances for our students include Stanford, Columbia, Northeastern, NYU, Boston College, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Pitzer College, Smith College, Vassar College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and many more.
Ojai Valley School
Gr: 3-12 | PK-12 (day) | 300 students
Student-teacher ratio: 4:1
Avg. class size: 12 students
Acceptance rate: 64%
Tuition listed
723 El Paseo Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-1423
(2)
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San Domenico School Photo
San Domenico School
Gr: 9-12 | K-12 (day) | 680 students
Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
Avg. class size: 18 students
Tuition listed
1500 Butterfield Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
(415) 258-1990
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Santa Catalina School Photo - Come visit our beautiful campus in Monterey, California! Call the admission office at 831.655.9356 or email admission@santacatalina.org to schedule your visit.
Santa Catalina School
Gr: 9-12 | 200 students
Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
Avg. class size: 11 students
Tuition listed
All-girls (Catholic)
1500 Mark Thomas Drive
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 655-9356
(1)
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Stevenson School Photo - Stevenson is a coeducational, grades 912 day and boarding school located in Pebble Beach, California, on the scenic Monterey Peninsula.
Stevenson School
Gr: 9-12 | PK-12 (day) | 510 students
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
Avg. class size: 12 students
Tuition listed
3152 Forest Lake Road
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
(831) 625-8309
(11)
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The Thacher School Photo - In courses designed for intellectual and creative expansion, students and teachers meet in seminar circles, studios, and laboratories to create a learning environment that is vigorous and supportive, galvanizing and nurturing.
The Thacher School
Gr: 9-12 | 255 students
Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
Avg. class size: 11 students
Acceptance rate: 16%
Tuition listed
5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 640-3210
(26)
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The Webb Schools Photo - Imagine learning from expert teachers, exploring paleontology in the Alf Museum, and heading to LA for concerts, sports, or museums-all while living near beaches, mountains, and desert. For more than 100 years, Webb has prepared and placed students at the nation's top colleges.
The Webb Schools
Gr: 9-12 | 405 students
Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
Avg. class size: 14 students
Acceptance rate: 17%
Tuition listed
1175 West Baseline Road
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 482-5214
(29)
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Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo - School spirit is huge at Priory. More than 30 club and activity choices are available to High School students. Clubs provide opportunities to discover passions, develop strengths, apply academic knowledge in a practical way, develop self-knowledge, and learn to make the choices necessary to manage a busy schedule independently.
Woodside Priory School (Priory)
Gr: 9-12 | 6-12 (day) | 425 students
Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
Avg. class size: 13 students
Acceptance rate: 30%
Tuition listed
Catholic
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
(650) 851-8223
(2)
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many boarding schools are located in California?
There are 16 college-preparatory boarding schools located in California.
What is the average tuition cost of boarding school in California?
The average California boarding school tuition cost is $76,270 per year.
What is the oldest boarding school in California?
San Domenico School, founded in 1850, is the oldest boarding school in California.
What boarding school in California has the lowest acceptance rates?
The Thacher School has the lowest boarding school acceptance rate (16%) in California.
What boarding school in California has the highest average SAT scores?
The Webb Schools has the highest average SAT scores (1510) in California.
Which boarding schools in California are often viewed compared to one another?
Popular comparisons of boarding schools in California include: The Thacher School vs. Cate School, Woodside Priory School (Priory) vs. Stevenson School, The Webb Schools vs. Cate School

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