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Boarding Schools in the US

Find the top boarding schools in the US

Here’s the OUR KIDS guide to boarding schools in the United States—your starting point for exploring residential education opportunities south of the border. U.S. boarding schools are known for their strong academics, wide-ranging extracurriculars, and vibrant campus communities that prepare students for success in university and beyond.

On this page, we cover boarding schools and outline the steps involved in applying to study in the U.S. Families considering this option will find insights into the admissions process, application requirements, and the unique benefits of pursuing a boarding education in the United States.

For more than 30 years, OUR KIDS has helped families navigate private and independent education, offering trusted insights into what makes each program unique. On OurKids.net, you’ll find detailed profiles, verified reviews, comparison tools, and expert resources to support your decision. For a complete guide to boarding, including admissions information, please guide to boarding schools.

2. Choosing a boarding school in the US

Our boarding school guide has advice specific to finding boarding schools. For insights that are more general (on how to evaluate school options) we recommend you review our hub on choosing a school. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.

Private school expos

Private school expos are ideal launching pads for your school-finding journey. All expos are held in the fall at a number of centres across Canada. There are three expos hosted in Ontario, one in Toronto, one in Halton-Peel, and one in Ottawa. Expos are also held each fall in Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. All are opportunities to speak with administrators from leading boarding schools within the regions in which the expos are held.

Upcoming open house events

Attending open houses is obviously a great way to learn more about a school and get a feel for the environment. For some advice on open house visits, go here. For questions to ask that are specific to boarding programs, refer to our main boarding school hub.

3. What is the tuition at boarding schools in the United States?

Broadly speaking, the cost of boarding reflects the cost of private school tuition in general, with premiums added to cover housing and meals.

Many schools offer financial aid, including scholarships and bursaries. Financial aid is needs-based, while scholarships are awarded for merit. These programs are designed to broaden the student base and attract learners who will contribute to the school community. Larger and more expensive schools often provide the most aid.

For more details, see our guide to financial aid and scholarships.

Below you'll find the range of costs at United States boarding schools:

Institutional metrics

Academics

Special needs support

Course pedagogies

Extracurricular clubs

Extracurricular sports (competitive)

The United States is home to some of the oldest and most respected boarding schools on the continent, as well as some of the most progressive schools in the world. All participate in a robust, world-class academic tradition that is second to none.

The US also offers a greater variety of quality boarding options than you’ll find in any other part of the world. These include leading schools in the arts, athletics, and military training, as well as schools known for academic development and special needs support. If you can’t find it here, it may not exist anywhere.

Graduation requirements and degrees vary by school, depending on focus, curriculum, and affiliation. Many international students who board in the US work toward the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

The International Baccalaureate is a two-year advanced secondary school program founded in 1968. It is now taught in schools in more than 140 countries, including many in Canada.

The IB program is designed for students aged 16 to 19. It provides a high-quality, rigorous course of study that covers core subjects while encouraging collaboration, discussion, and independent inquiry. To earn an IB diploma, students complete courses in six subject areas (language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, and the arts), write a 4,000-word essay, and sit standardized external exams. They must also complete two formal projects and at least 50 hours of community service.

University recognition of the IB Diploma varies. Each Canadian university sets its own admissions criteria, since there is no national entrance exam or central admissions body. Students must contact universities directly for requirements and deadlines, and provide transcripts as part of their application.

While details differ between universities—and sometimes even between faculties—the IB Diploma is widely recognized for admission if students meet score thresholds. In many cases, IB courses and exams can also be used for transfer credits, degree requirements, or prerequisite fulfillment.

Visa requirements

NOTE: This is not a legal document, and is intended only to provide a very general overview of the process required of Canadians when applying to study in the United States. For up-to-date information, please refer to the US Department of Homeland Security “Study in the States” guidelines.

Canadians attending high school in the US, including boarding schools, need to enter the country with an F-1 student visa. The visa can be obtained by following these steps:

1. apply to and be accepted by a school that has been approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). (If you would like to check if the school you are applying to is SEVP approved, click here.)
2. complete the Form I-20, "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Status." The school will give you this form along with your acceptance notification. If you are applying to more than one school, each school will send a separate I-20 form. Use only the form for the school you will be attending. The I-20 is proof that you have been registered with the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
3. Check your I-20 form against your passport to confirm that your name is spelled correctly, and that it shows your correct date of birth. If not, contact the school and ask that they send you a corrected I-20.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee and keep a copy of the receipt. You can pay it online. Print out a copy of the receipt as you’ll need to be able to show that the fee has been paid when you appear for your visa interview.
5. Complete form DS 160, the online nonimmigrant visa application.  
6. Make an appointment for a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate. To find the nearest office to you, click here. At the interview you’ll be asked to demonstrate that you:
   1. 1. have been accepted by a school in the US
      2. are able to pay the tuition and travel costs,
      3. are prepared for the program you’ve been accepted to
      4. don’t intend to remain permanently in the US
7. Be sure to take the following with you when you attend your visa pplication interview:  
   1. 1. Form I–20
      2. I–901 SEVIS fee payment receipt
      3. printout of your DS-160 confirmation page
      4. visa application fee payment receipt
      5. passport valid for at least 6 months after you plan to enter the US
      6. a Two-inch by two-inch photo of yourself
8. Receive your F-1 visa and get ready to go! You can enter the US up to 30 days before the first day of school. When you enter you’ll be asked to show all your documentation, at which point you’ll be given a Form I-94, your arrival/departure record.