Faith in America's public education system is fading in many parts of the country. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 28% of Americans have a high level of confidence in public schools, down from over 60% in the mid-1970s. While much of this distrust has been fueled in recent years by culture war issues, many public schools also face deeper, structural problems related to funding, staffing, and academic outcomes.
Partially as a result, millions of American parents opt to send their children to a private school. Though private schools charge tuition, they also tend to offer distinct advantages over a public education. (Here is a look at states where public schools are losing the most students.)
Private schools often have smaller class sizes, allowing for more individualized instruction and closer student-teacher and parent-teacher relationships. Many private schools also have more rigorous curriculums than public schools and emphasize a well-rounded education that extends beyond the classroom. Private school students tend to perform better on standardized tests and are more likely to later attend top-tier colleges and universities than public school students. Additionally, unlike public schools, private institutions can have a religious affiliation or a single-sex student body, which may be important to some parents.
According to Niche, an education research platform, Casady School, located in The Village, ranks as the best private high school in Oklahoma. Casady School enrolls a total of 993 students, and its student-teacher ratio is 8:1.
The school's annual tuition is $22,120. According to self-reported standardized test results, the average SAT score among students at Casady School is 1410 out of a possible 1600 and the average ACT score is 29 out of 36. The school also has a graduation rate of 100%.
All data in this story was provided by Niche. Niche's ranking is based on a weighted index of six measures, including class size, self-reported standardized test scores, post-graduate college enrollment, and parent and student surveys. A full description of each measure and its weighting is available here.
StateBest private high schoolTotal enrollmentStudents per teacherAvg. graduation rate (%)Annual tuition ($)AlabamaIndian Springs School327810027,300AlaskaHoly Rosary Academy162101008,750ArizonaPhoenix Country Day School750710028,200ArkansasThaden School31769027,600CaliforniaHarvard-Westlake School1,620810042,600ColoradoKent Denver School749910034,648ConnecticutChoate Rosemary Hall868710050,910DelawareSt. Andrew's School310710055,500FloridaRansom Everglades School1,141710045,810GeorgiaThe Westminster Schools1,900610034,106Hawaii'Iolani School2,1811010027,175IdahoRiverstone International School416910021,970IllinoisUniversity of Chicago Laboratory Schools2,05189833,558IndianaCulver Academies832610057,000IowaMaharishi School165310019,500KansasWichita Collegiate School875810020,360KentuckyKentucky Country Day School81799925,900LouisianaIsidore Newman School917810024,029MaineWaynflete596410035,465MarylandHolton-Arms School665810048,250MassachusettsPhillips Academy Andover1,18759951,380MichiganCranbrook Schools1,659710038,600MinnesotaThe International School of Minnesota310810023,250MississippiSt. Andrew's Episcopal School1,097810021,240MissouriJohn Burroughs School660610032,800MontanaBillings Central Catholic High School33010988,640NebraskaBrownell Talbot School441910019,950NevadaThe Meadows School940810030,380New HampshirePhillips Exeter Academy1,085510038,740New JerseyPrinceton International School of Math and Science120510043,000New MexicoAlbuquerque Academy1,183710026,176New YorkTrinity School1,001610047,965North CarolinaCary Academy787810028,495North DakotaOak Grove Lutheran School45510908,480OhioWestern Reserve Academy441610040,975OklahomaCasady School993810022,120OregonCatlin Gabel School783910038,800PennsylvaniaGermantown Friends School1,129510041,500Rhode IslandThe Wheeler School811610041,830South CarolinaChrist Church Episcopal School1,2011010023,125South DakotaFreeman Academy756908,905TennesseeUniversity School of Nashville1,071910027,550TexasSt. Mark's School of Texas863910029,496UtahThe Waterford School1,025710027,530VermontThe Putney School23539642,400VirginiaBASIS Independent McLean522710033,000WashingtonLakeside School838910032,000West VirginiaThe Linsly School465910019,850WisconsinBrookfield Academy842810022,950WyomingJackson Hole Community School8349725,100
via Oklahoma's Center Square News