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 Washington 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. West Sound Academy
- Location: Poulsbo, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 94 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#24. Seattle Classical Christian School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 201 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#23. Shoreline Christian School
- Location: Shoreline, WA
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 262 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#22. Holy Names Academy
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 570 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#21. Saint George's School
- Location: Spokane, WA
- Grades: K-12
- Enrollment: 354 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#20. Northwest Yeshiva High School
- Location: Mercer Island, WA
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 61 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#19. Brightmont Academy - Sammamish
- Location: Issaquah, WA
- Grades: 1-12
- Enrollment: 48 (1:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#18. Bishop Blanchet High School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 854 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#17. Eastside Catholic School
- Location: Sammamish, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 826 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#16. Willows Preparatory School
- Location: Redmond, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 276 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#15. Hyla School
- Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 109 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#14. Seattle Preparatory School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 720 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#13. Charles Wright Academy
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 566 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#12. Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
- Location: Bellevue, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 300 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#11. The Downtown School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 9-12
- Enrollment: 105 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#10. Seattle Academy
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 1,358 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#9. UPrep
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 781 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#8. The Bear Creek School
- Location: Redmond, WA
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 942 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#7. The Bush School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: K-12
- Enrollment: 775 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#6. The Northwest School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 342 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#5. Annie Wright Schools
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Grades: PK, K-12
- Enrollment: 912 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#4. Lakeside School
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 899 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#3. Eastside Preparatory School
- Location: Kirkland, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 540 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. The Overlake School
- Location: Redmond, WA
- Grades: 5-12
- Enrollment: 576 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Washington Preparatory School
- Location: Bothell, WA
- Grades: 6-12
- Enrollment: 105 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+