Best Private Schools in Connecticut (CT) – 2023

February 16, 2023

Whether you are a parent residing in New Haven, Greenwich, Stamford, Hartford, Fairfield or even outside the state of Connecticut, you may be eying some of the elite private day and boarding schools that are spread throughout the Constitution State. Without a doubt, many CT private schools are among the finest in the country. As parents, there are a multitude of considerations guiding your decision of which private schools in Connecticut will be best for your child. Ultimately, your decision will need to balance your teen’s academic, emotional, and social needs with financial and logistical considerations. However, College Transitions’ list of the Best Private Schools in CT will focus primarily on our area of expertise—college admissions. As such, we will highlight the job that each of the schools do at sending their graduates on to the region/nation’s premier 4-year schools.

Please note that inclusion on our Best Private Schools in Connecticut list is a selective and criteria-based process. However, the order in which the schools appear is not representative of any further ranking; the numbering is solely intended to enhance the ease of navigating this resource. All of the schools profiled below have a history of sending graduates to the top colleges in the country. For each of our best private schools in Connecticut, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—the school’s:

Location
Tuition (9-12)
Enrollment (9-12)
Average SAT Score
Average ACT Score
Senior Class Size
College Admissions Highlights
Academic Highlights

Now, let’s dive in and examine the best private schools in Connecticut.

#1 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

The Hotchkiss School – Connecticut

11 Interlaken Rd, Lakeville, CT 06039

College Admissions Highlights: Over the last four years, the greatest number of grads have matriculated into UChicago (45), Georgetown (29), Cornell (26), Penn (22), Columbia (20), Middlebury (17), NYU (16), Wesleyan (15), Harvard (14), Yale (14), Brown (13), Dartmouth (13), BU (12), Bucknell (12), Colby (12), and WashU(12).

Academic Highlights: The acceptance rate at Hotchkiss was 11% last year. 41% are students of color. 29 countries and 37 states are represented. The GPA is on a 12-point scale and the average GPA is 10.27. Specialty programs include a Classics Diploma, Stan-X Program, Hersey Scholars Program, and the MacLeish Scholars Program.

Tuition (9-12): $66,940 (Boarding); $56,910 (Day)
Enrollment (seniors): 164
Average SAT Score: 1425
Average ACT Score: 31

#2 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Choate Rosemary Hall – Connecticut

333 Christian St, Wallingford, CT 06492

College Admissions Highlights: From 2018-2022, the highest number of students matriculated into NYU (51), Yale (49), UChicago (47), Columbia (46), Penn (32), Georgetown (30), Brown (29), Northeastern (28), Boston College (25), Cornell (24), Harvard (21), the University of St. Andrews (19), BU (18), Amherst (17), Tufts (16), and Dartmouth (16).

Academic Highlights: In the Class of 2022, there were 4 National Merit Finalists, 5 Semifinalists, and 36 Commended Scholars. 71% of AP test-takers scored a 4 or 5. An astounding 300 courses are offered. 62% earned an unweighted GPA of 3.75 or better. Students come from 40 states and 42 countries.

Tuition (9-12): $68,380 (Boarding); $52,880 (Day)
Enrollment (seniors): 256
Average SAT Score: 1428
Average ACT Score: 31.9

#3 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Greenwich Academy – Connecticut

200 N Maple Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830

College Admissions Highlights: In the last five years, more than 10 students have enrolled at each of the following colleges: Boston College (19), Colgate (16), Dartmouth (11), Harvard (12), Princeton (12), UChicago (14), UMich (11), Penn (15), USC (10), UVA (17), Wake Forest (10), WashU (10), and Yale (10).

Academic Highlights: Greenwich is an all-girls school. Offers signature programs in STEM, the arts, global learning, communications, and civic leadership. Languages taught are: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin, and Greek. Some resources are combined with the nearby all-boys Brunswick school (also on our list). 83 AP and honors courses are offered.

Tuition (9-12): $50,400
Enrollment (seniors): 91
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

#4 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Hopkins School – Connecticut

986 Forest Rd, New Haven, CT 06515

College Admissions Highlights: Over the past four years, five or more students have matriculated into Barnard College, Bates, Boston College, Brown, Bucknell, University of Chicago, Colby, Colgate, Columbia, University of Connecticut, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Hamilton, Harvard, University of Miami, University of Michigan, New York University, Northeastern, Northwestern, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond, University of Rochester, Tufts, University of Vermont, Wake Forest, Washington University in St Louis, Wesleyan, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: 199 courses are available. 82% of faculty possess an advanced degree. The average class size is 12 students. 22 AP courses are offered. 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio.

Tuition (9-12): $48,650
Enrollment (seniors): 140
Mid-50% SAT Score: 1340-1520
Mid-50% ACT Score: 31-34

#5 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

The Loomis Chaffee School – Connecticut

4 Batchelder Rd, Windsor, CT 06095

College Admissions Highlights: The Class of 2022 entered a number of prestigious institutions including: Amherst, Bates, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Claremont McKenna, Colby, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Hamilton, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Middlebury, Pomona, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Tufts, UCLA, UChicago, Penn, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Williams, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: In the past five years, the school has produced 9 National Merit Semifinalists and 81 Commended Scholars. 55 year-long College Level (CL) courses and 19 advanced courses are offered. Loomis Chaffee does not rank students or provide a GPA. Encourages the completion of guided research projects. 20% of students earn a Global and Environmental Studies Certificate.

Tuition (9-12): $68,420 (Boarding); $52,100 (Day)
Enrollment (seniors): 210
Mid-50% SAT Score: 1240-1520
Mid-50% ACT Score: 27-33

#6 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Kent School – Connecticut

1 Macedonia Rd, Kent, CT 06757

College Admissions Highlights:

In the last three years, large numbers of students enrolled at the following highly-selective institutions: Hamilton (9), BU (13), BC (8), Carnegie Mellon (5), Columbia (12), Cornell (11), Colby (6), Emory (6), Georgetown (6), NYU 913), Northeastern (13), Wesleyan (6), US Naval Academy (5), University of Toronto (6), and Tufts (8).

Academic Highlights: In 2021-22, Kent replaced the AP Program with the Advanced Studies Program (21 total courses). 75 students in the Class of 2022 took the most demanding course load available. 90% are boarding students who come from 32 states and 32 countries. 40% of students receive financial aid. 70% of faculty members hold advanced degrees.

Tuition (9-12): $69,950 (Boarding); $52,000 (Day)
Enrollment (seniors): 150
Average SAT Score: 1312
Average ACT Score: 26

#7 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Miss Porter’s School – Connecticut

60 Main St, Farmington, CT 06032

College Admissions Highlights: Recent graduates have gone on to enroll in every Ivy League school, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Smith, Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams, Wellesley, UMich, UChicago, Pomona, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Vanderbilt, and UNC Chapel Hill.

Academic Highlights: This is an all-girls school. There are three full-time college counselors that engage with each student beginning in 9^th.43% identify as students of color. 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio. One of the best private schools in CT, Miss Porter’s was founded in 1843.

Tuition (9-12): $68,725 (Boarding); $55,340 (Day)
Enrollment (seniors): 81
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

#8 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Pomfret School – Connecticut

398 Pomfret St, Pomfret Center, CT 06259

College Admissions Highlights: From 2020 to 2022 multiple students enrolled in colleges such as BU (12), Cornell (2), Dartmouth (2), Hamilton (3), Middlebury (2), NYU (4), Trinity (9), Tufts (4), Tulane (4), UMiami (2), UMich (3), University of Richmond (3), USC (2), UVA (3), Villanova (2), Williams (2), Wesleyan (4), and Washington University in St. Louis (5).

Academic Highlights: 85% are boarding students. Students come from 29 states and 29 countries. There are 50 electives and 25 clubs and affinity groups. 40% of students receive financial aid. 55 honors and AP courses are available.

Tuition (9-12): $69,250 (Boarding); $45,000 (Day).
Enrollment (9-12): 365
Mid-50% SAT Score: Not Reported
Mid-50% ACT Score: Not Reported

#9 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

The Taft School – Connecticut

110 Woodbury Rd, Watertown, CT 06795

College Admissions Highlights: Between 2018-2022, large numbers of students have gone on to attend Georgetown (29), Penn (23), NYU (20), Brown (19), Bucknell (19), University of Richmond (18), SMU (17), Wake Forest (17), Tufts (16), Northeastern (16), Middlebury (15), UVA (12), Duke (11), Notre Dame (11), Harvard (10).

Academic Highlights: 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students come from 51 countries and 34 states. 200 academic courses are offered. The faculty are an average age of 48 and possess 104 advanced degrees (among 138 teachers). The average class size is 11 students.

Tuition (9-12): $69,600 (Boarding); $51,700 (Day)
Enrollment (Upper School): 182
Average SAT Score: 1370 (most recent available)
Average ACT Score: 30 (most recent available)

#10 Best Private Schools in Connecticut

Brunswick School – Connecticut

100 Maher Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830

College Admissions Highlights: In 2022 alone, Brunswick sent the greatest number of students to the following colleges: Boston College (8), Georgetown (8), Dartmouth (4), Middlebury (4), UChicago (4), Notre Dame (4), University of Wisconsin (4), Villanova (4), Yale (4), Princeton (3), UMich (3), Penn (3), UVA (3), and Wake Forest (3).

Academic Highlights: One of the best private schools in CT, Brunswick is an all-boys institution. 29 AP courses are offered. 77% of 181 full-time teachers possess advanced degrees. 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The average class size is 11 students.

Tuition (9-12): $49,750
Enrollment (seniors): 108
Average SAT Score: Not Reported
Average ACT Score: Not Reported

Best Private Schools in Connecticut – Additional Resources

We hope you found our blog on private schools in CT to be helpful. All high school students and families may wish to explore further information regarding the college search and admissions process at our Dataverse, Blog, and List-Building Tool.

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Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).