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Overview of the Niche Private High Schools Ranking in America
In its 2025 K-12 school rankings, Niche has made a notable shift by removing standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, from its evaluation criteria. This decision reflects broader changes within the U.S. education landscape, where the emphasis on standardized testing has steadily declined. According to Niche, the exclusion of these factors comes in response to significant developments in the education sector in 2023 and growing uncertainty about the role of such exams in the future. As a result, the rankings now focus on other important aspects of school performance, aiming to provide a more comprehensive view of educational quality.
Data Sources and Metrics for the Best Private High Schools
The 2025 Niche Best Private High Schools ranking continues to utilize the same data sources and metrics as the 2024 edition, ensuring consistency in its evaluation approach. The rankings are based on a thorough analysis of U.S. Department of Education data, including test scores, college readiness, and feedback from millions of Niche users. Since private schools are not mandated to report data to the Department of Education, Niche also accepts data directly from these schools to maintain an objective and fair assessment. For 2025, the primary evaluation metrics include academic performance, college outcomes, teacher quality, and student and parent reviews.
For the 2025 Best Private High Schools ranking, Niche’s main evaluation metrics are as follows:
Metric | Weight |
Top Colleges Score | 32.6% |
College Enrollment | 21.2% |
Culture & Diversity Grade | 15.4% |
Parent/Student Surveys on Overall Experience | 15.4% |
Student-Teacher Ratio | 15.4% |
- Top Colleges Score: This metric is based on the average score of colleges that students are most interested in or continue to attend, according to Niche’s college rankings.
- College Enrollment: This metric is the percentage of graduating students who enroll in four-year colleges.
- Culture & Diversity Grade: This metric is based on racial and economic diversity as well as survey feedback from students and parents regarding school culture and diversity.
- Parent/Student Surveys on Overall Experience: This metric is sourced from extensive user survey data on the overall experience students and parents have at the school.
- Student-Teacher Ratio: This metric refers to the ratio of students to full-time teachers at the school.
Top 50 Private High Schools in the Niche 2025 Rankings
In the Top 10 Private High Schools rankings:
- Groton School: jumped from 10th place in 2024 to 1st place this year!
- Phillips Academy Andover: rose two spots from 4th place in 2024 to 2nd.
- Phillips Exeter Academy: dropped from 1st place in 2024 to 3rd.
- Choate Rosemary Hall: ranked 4th, down one spot from 2024.
- Commonwealth School: climbed from 8th place in 2024 to 5th.
Additionally, The Hotchkiss School, The College Preparatory School, Riverdale Country School, and Saint Paul’s School also made it into the top ten this year.
Meanwhile, Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science, Harvard-Westlake School, Nueva School, and The Brealey School fell out of the top ten.
| 2025 Niche ranking | School | State |
| 1 | Groton School | Massachusetts |
| 2 | Phillips Academy Andover | Massachusetts |
| 3 | Phillips Exeter Academy | New Hampshire |
| 4 | Choate Rosemary Hall | Connecticut |
| 5 | Commonwealth School | Massachusetts |
| 6 | The Hotchkiss School | Connecticut |
| 7 | The College Preparatory School | California |
| 8 | Riverdale Country School | New York |
| 9 | St. Paul’s School | New Hampshire |
| 10 | Stanford Online High School | / |
| 11 | Harvard-Westlake School | California |
| 12 | The Pingry School | New Jersey |
| 13 | The Brearley School | New York |
| 14 | The Nueva School | California |
| 15 | St. John’s School | Texas |
| 16 | The Lawrenceville School | New Jersey |
| 17 | Regis High School | New York |
| 18 | The Chapin School | New York |
| 19 | Dwight Global Online School | / |
| 20 | The Bishop’s School | California |
| 21 | Flintridge Preparatory School | California |
| 22 | Elite Preparatory Academy | New Jersey |
| 23 | Noble and Greenough School | Massachusetts |
| 24 | Rye Country Day School | New York |
| 25 | The Loomis Chaffee School | Connecticut |
| 26 | Windward School | California |
| 27 | Horace Mann School | New York |
| 28 | Trinity School | New York |
| 29 | Princeton International School of Math and Science | New Jersey |
| 30 | Sage Hill School | California |
| 31 | St. Mark’s School of Texas | Texas |
| 32 | Sidwell Friends School | Washington, D.C. |
| 33 | American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus | Florida |
| 34 | Lake Forest Academy | Illinois |
| 35 | The Dalton School | New York |
| 36 | The Spence School | New York |
| 37 | The Quarry Lane School | California |
| 38 | Crystal Springs Uplands School | California |
| 39 | Deerfield Academy | Massachusetts |
| 40 | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | New York |
| 41 | St. Andrew’s School | Delaware |
| 42 | Cate School | California |
| 43 | BASIS Independent McLean | Virginia |
| 44 | Middlesex School | Massachusetts |
| 45 | Avenues The World School | New York |
| 46 | The Thacher School | California |
| 47 | Boston University Academy | Massachusetts |
| 48 | Aquinas International Academy | California |
| 49 | The Village School | Texas |
| 50 | The Madeira School | Virginia |
We hope this information provides clarity on the rankings of private high schools in the U.S. However, Aralia would like to remind everyone that while rankings can offer valuable insights, they should only be one of many factors considered by students and parents. When choosing a school, it’s essential to assess your individual needs and evaluate from multiple perspectives to find the best fit. Beyond the data and quantitative metrics, the right school for you depends on a variety of personal factors. All information is sourced from the Niche website; for any discrepancies, please refer to the official site.
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