Top 8 All Girls Boarding Schools 2025

Emma Willard School 

Emma Willard is the best all-girls boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges. Emma Willard ties St. Andrew’s School and Loomis Chaffee in their matriculation to top colleges, 10% of students go on to attend Ivies, Stanford, or MIT in a given year. That is the 21st highest Ivy+ matriculation rate of any boarding school in the country. Emma Willard school has opportunities for their students to recruit for college sports. 

Emma Willard has a 55-acre campus in Troy, New York, a 5 minute drive from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Emma Willard has a challenging curriculum, so the school is best for bright, driven students who don’t mind a heavy workload. Classes are taught using the Harkness Method, the same conversation-based, student-led method used at Phillips Exeter Academy and Phillips Academy Andover. Classes are the average size for a top 30 boarding school (as assessed by admissions to Ivy+ colleges), with an average of 12 students per class. Emma Willard offers 15+ AP courses and numerous other Advanced Studies courses. A majority of their teachers (74% of faculty) hold an advanced degree, such as a Master’s or PhD. The school challenges students to hone their analytical thinking skills in preparation for the transition to college. Students say that their teachers educate the whole person, seeking to support their growth inside and outside of the classroom. 

Students describe the community as close-knit, passionate, and one-of-a kind. Outside of the classroom, students are active participants in extracurricular activities, whether that be sports, student government, or clubs. 

Hockaday School

Hockaday School is the second best all-girls boarding school in the United States based on admissions to top colleges, falling within the top 30-40 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. 

Hockaday has a 100-acre campus in Dallas, Texas. 

Hockaday offers 19+ AP courses, and numerous other honors and Enriched level courses. They also offer Social Impact courses, which are associated with the Institute for Social Impact and teach advocacy skills and problem-solving skills in a real-world context. The average class is 16 students, slightly larger than the average size for a top 30 boarding school. Approximately 70% of faculty have advanced degrees, such as a Master’s or PhD.

Hockaday is very academically challenging. Some even consider it more challenging than their colleges. Hockaday is best for students with excellent time management skills, as students need to manage their own time well in order to succeed academically. Students describe their teachers as engaging and caring. It is important that students take advantage of the many resources available to help them, including extra support from their teachers outside of the classroom. Students describe the community as “competitive,” in academics and extracurriculars. For very independent students, especially those who enjoy the personality of Phillips Exeter Academy and Phillips Academy Andover, this may be the right fit. For students who want a more balanced experience and/or a very warm and supportive community of students, this may not be the right fit. 

Santa Catalina School

Santa Catalina School is the third best all-girls boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges, falling within the top 30-40 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. In addition to sending students to top academic colleges, some students go on to specialized arts schools. Santa Catalina is also one of the best Catholic schools in the country.

Santa Catalina includes a lower school, middle school, and high school. Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade is 100% day school students. 50% of high school students are boarding school students.  Santa Catalina is a smaller school, with approximately 55 students per grade in the high school. 

While Santa Catalina does not offer AP courses, they do have many Advanced topic offerings, so students can choose their challenge level. The average class size is 12 students, the average class size for top 30 boarding schools. Santa Catalina offers college-style senior research seminars, in which students conduct independent research and collaborate with classmates under teacher guidance. All four years, students participate in the Veritas Journey Program, which includes weekly advising meetings, discussion groups, and college advising. Santa Catalina teaches a required Freshman Foundations course, which teaches students academic skills, such as digital literacy, note-taking, time management, and research skills. Students can put their research skills to good use in the Marine Ecology Research Program: a three year program from 9th grade - 11th grade, in which students conduct research through trips to the Pacific Ocean. Santa Catalina has a 36-acre campus in California, approximately a 5-minute drive from the ocean and an hour drive from Santa Cruz. 

If students need extra academic help, they can go to the Writing Lab and Math Tutoring Center and/or connect with their teachers for extra help.  77% of faculty hold advanced degrees, such as a Master’s or PhD. Students overwhelmingly express that their teachers care about them.

Santa Catalina students describe the community as Santa Catalina does a great job of identifying students that are the right fit for their community, as most students note that they feel happy and safe on campus. Approximately 70% of students participate in sports, but athletic skills are not necessary to participate. The arts programs are also strong and popular amongst students. 

If you are based in the US and need financial aid, Santa Catalina may be the school for you. 40% of students at Santa Catalina receive some amount of financial aid

Miss Porter’s School

Miss Porter’s School is the third best boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges. Miss Porter’s falls in the top 35-45 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.  The school has opportunities for their students to recruit for college sports. 

Miss Porter’s is a smaller school with approximately 80 students in each grade. Students frequently identify the community as their favorite part of Miss Porter’s experience. Teachers and the students alike are friendly and challenge students to do their best. Students tend to be open-minded, positive, quirky, and unpretentious. Students build community during their “community time” block for 40 minutes four days per week. 

Miss Porter’s has a more balanced workload, which enables students to more easily step up as leaders of clubs and participate in sports. Students have three long academic classes each day. On Wednesdays, students have a half day (without flex time, lunch, or community time built in), so that they can travel for sports games. Miss Porter’s offers 18+ AP courses. They also have a unique Global Studies Certificate Program, in which students learn to tackle real, global problems with cross-cultural knowledge and communication skills. The average class size is 11 students.

A free block is built into all students’ schedules when they can join their teachers for Office Hour for extra academic help. Students can also talk to their Junior Advisors within their dorm for help. 

Miss Porter’s School has a 55-acre campus near several beautiful trails, a 20 minute drive from Hartford.

34% of students receive financial aid.

Dana Hall School

Dana Hall is tied for the fourth best boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges. It falls in the top 40-50 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.

Dana Hall has a middle and high school. While 100% of middle school students are day students and only 33% of high school students are boarding students, the day and the boarding students are known to integrate well.  In the high school, Dana Hall has approximately 80 students per grade. 

Dana Hall has a 55-acre campus near several walking paths and a 20 minute drive from Boston.

Dana Hall is dedicated to teaching girls independence and leadership skills. They challenge students to step outside of their comfort zones (with support from their faculty and classmates) in order to grow. Dana Hall students describe the community as warm and the teachers as engaged and caring. 

The academics are balanced. Students receive 30-60 minutes of homework per class, but classes do not meet every day. Dana Hall offers 17+ AP courses and numerous other advanced and honors courses. The average class size is 14 students, slightly larger than the average class size at a top 30 boarding school. 60% of faculty hold advanced degrees, such as a Master’s or PhD. Students can participate in a Global Scholars Certificate program to learn about global perspective. The 9th grade Skill Workshop teaches learning strategies, like digital literacy, note taking, time management, and bibliographic citation.  Students who need personalized support can work with a Learning Specialist on campus. If students need extra help, they can work with a peer tutor or go to a teacher.

The Ethel Walker School

Ethel Walker is tied for the fourth best boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges. It falls in the top 40-50 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT. The school has opportunities for their students to recruit for college sports. 

Ethel Walker has a middle and high school on campus. The middle school is all day students, but the high school is 60% boarding. The high school is smaller with 55 students per grade. 

Students report feeling well-prepared for the transition into college. The average class size at Ethel Walker is 10 students, smaller than the average class size in a top 30 boarding school, and 62% of faculty hold advanced degrees, such as a Master’s or PhD. Teachers assign just over 30 minutes of homework per class, including a mix of independent reading, individual projects, and group projects. Ethel Walker is one of the only 5 high schools in the US to participate in the Tiny Earth Network, an innovative program created by Yale University which encourages students to pursue careers in science. The school also offers a Visiting Writing Seminar, in which students study one writer’s work and then meet that author in a campus visit. Students win local, national, and international writing competitions and successfully publish work in national publications.  

Students describe their teachers as supportive and engaging and their classmates as kind, social, passionate, diverse, and thoughtful. The school makes an effort to help teach students critical thinking skills and build students’ confidence, in order to prepare the changemakers of tomorrow. Many courses investigate structural, interpersonal, and social dimensions of inequality in the US.

In a mixed-grade Advisory, students learn academic and social skills. If they need help learning time management, organization, and study skills, students can also go to the Academic Support Center to learn. If students need extra help in an academic subject, they are encouraged to seek support from their teachers. They have the option to drop in to the Writing Center and Math Lab to meet with the faculty there. In addition, they have the option to sign up for additional professional tutoring with vetted tutors. 

Sports are a popular extracurricular activity and a valuable part of the culture at Ethel Walker. Ethel Walker offers a unique (and popular) equestrian program. The arts are also popular on campus.

Madeira School

Madeira School is tied for the fourth best boarding school in the United States for admissions to top colleges. It falls in the top 40-50 boarding schools in the US for admissions to Ivies, Stanford, and MIT.

Madeira has a 376-acre campus 40 minutes from Washington, DC. They make use of this with class trips and their unique four year internship program, which helps students develop their passion and skills in a real-world setting and develop their network. 

Madeira has approximately 85 students per grade. Madeira students describe their fellow students as creative, quirky, academics-focused, diverse, and inclusive. The average class size at Madeira is 12 students, the same as the average class size at a top 30 boarding school. 86% of faculty hold advanced degrees, as a Master’s or PhD. Madeira offers 10 AP courses.  Madeira uses an interdisciplinary approach to STEAM, connecting Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.  Students take classes in 5 week “modules”, which some students like and some find challenging to adapt to. This schedule allows students to do project-based problem-solving and daily labs. Classes are longer, approximately 80 minutes eachMadeira students note feeling well-prepared for the transition to college. 

Students view the sports program as a way to develop teamwork skills. The school trends more artistic than athletic.

Westover

Westover students go on to attend Ivies (including Princeton, Yale, and Cornell) and other top colleges (including Carnegie Mellon University, Duke University, Emory College, Johns Hopkins University, and UCLA).

Westover school is a smaller community, with approximately 40 students per year. They are known for their inclusivity. Students describe the community as tight-knit, globally-minded, thoughtful, and diverse. Westover has long had a larger international population. The Westover student community is currently 40% international.  The school is a great fit for introverted and extroverted students alike. 

Students have the ability to choose their challenge level with standard, honors, and AP offerings in subjects across the board.  Students who come in with curiosity and a willingness to take risks in order to grow do best here. . Westover focuses on helping their students learn how to navigate STEM as a young woman, gain confidence to be future global changemakers, and prepare for college. Their unique Financial Independence, Readiness, and Empowerment program teaches students personal finance and entrepreneurship. The average class size is 12 students, the same as the average class size at a top 30 boarding school. They have an Environmental Sustainability Program, which includes the opportunity to conduct environmental fieldwork as a junior intern for the Kenauk Institute in Canada. Westover students also partner with the Rasin Center to help students learn about local and global causes and become better advocates.

Teachers do an exceptional job of explaining complex concepts in different ways to match the learning style of their students. On Thursdays students can participate in Oxford Tutorials for extra support with teachers individually or in a group. Students can otherwise go to the Teaching and Learning Center for extra support.  Westover is also one of the schools on this list with an English Language Learner program. 

For more information about what might be the best all-girls school for your child, reach out to Crimson for a consultation here.