List of the oldest private schools in the United States

Last updated

The following are the oldest private schools in the United States that are still in operation. The list does not include schools that have closed or consolidated with another school to form a new institution. The list is ordered by date of creation, and currently includes schools founded before 1800.

Current School NameFounding YearCity/LocationStateStudent BodyGrades ServedResidential TypeReligious AffiliationNotesReferences
Collegiate School 1628New York CityNew YorkBoys OnlyK-12DayNon-SectarianChartered in 1638 [1]
Roxbury Latin School 1645West RoxburyMassachusettsBoys Only7-12DayNon-Sectarian [2]
Hopkins School 1660New HavenConnecticutCoeducational7-12DayNon-Sectarian [3]
Friends Select School 1833PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [4]
William Penn Charter School 1689PhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [5]
Abington Friends School 1697JenkintownPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [6]
Trinity School 1709New York CityNew YorkCoeducationalK-12DayNon-Sectarian [7]
Ursuline Academy 1727New OrleansLouisianaGirls OnlyPK-12DayCatholic [8]
Norfolk Academy 1728NorfolkVirginiaCoeducational1-12DayNon-Sectarian [9]
Moravian Academy 1742BethlehemPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayMoravian Church [10]
St. Francis Academy1743BallyPennsylvaniaCoeducationalK-8DayCatholic [11]
West Nottingham Academy 1744ColoraMarylandCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [12]
Linden Hall 1746LititzPennsylvaniaGirls Only6-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [13]
Wilmington Friends School 1748WilmingtonDelawareCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [14]
Germantown Academy 1759Fort WashingtonPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayNon-Sectarian [15]
The Governor's Academy 1763ByfieldMassachusettsCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [16]
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School 1764New York CityNew YorkCoeducationalPK-12DayNon-Sectarian [17]
Rutgers Preparatory School 1766SomersetNew JerseyCoeducationalPK-12DayNon-Sectarian [18]
Salem Academy 1772Winston-SalemNorth CarolinaGirls Only9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [19]
Newark Academy 1774LivingstonNew JerseyCoeducational6-12DayNon-Sectarian [20]
Phillips Academy Andover 1778AndoverMassachusettsCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [21]
Plymouth Meeting Friends School1780Plymouth MeetingPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-6DayQuaker [22]
Phillips Exeter Academy 1781ExeterNew HampshireCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [23]
Derby Academy 1784HinghamMassachusettsCoeducationalPK-8DayNon-Sectarian [24]
Friends School of Baltimore 1784BaltimoreMarylandCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [25]
Harrisburg Academy 1784WormleysburgPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayNon-Sectarian [26]
Moses Brown School 1784ProvidenceRhode IslandCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [27]
Moorestown Friends School 1785MoorestownNew JerseyCoeducationalPK-12DayQuaker [28]
Episcopal Academy 1785Newtown SquarePennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12DayEpiscopal Church [29]
Haddonfield Friends School 1786HaddonfieldNew JerseyCoeducationalPK-8DayQuaker [30]
Friends Seminary 1786New York CityNew YorkCoeducationalK-12DayQuaker [31]
Westfield Friends School 1788CinnaminsonNew JerseyCoeducationalPK-8DayQuaker [32]
Georgetown Preparatory School 1789North BethesdaMarylandBoys Only9-12Boarding/DayCatholic [33]
Alexander Robertson School1789New York CityNew YorkCoeducationalPK-5DayNon-Sectarian [34]
Berwick Academy 1791South BerwickMaineCoeducationalPK-12DayNon-Sectarian [35]
Fryeburg Academy 1792FryeburgMaineCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [36]
Washington Academy 1792East MachiasMaineCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [37]
Lawrence Academy 1793GrotonMassachusettsCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [38]
Cheshire Academy 1794CheshireConnecticutCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [39]
Buckingham Friends School 1794LahaskaPennsylvaniaCoeducationalK-8DayQuaker [40]
Oakwood Friends School 1796PoughkeepsieNew YorkCoeducational6-12DayQuaker [41]
Deerfield Academy 1797DeerfieldMassachusettsCoeducational9-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [42]
Milton Academy 1798MiltonMassachusettsCoeducationalK-12Boarding/DayNon-Sectarian [43]
Westtown School 1799West ChesterPennsylvaniaCoeducationalPK-12Boarding/DayQuaker [44]
Georgetown Visitation 1799WashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaGirls Only9-12DayCatholic [45]

See also

References

  1. "Collegiate School in NY - The Oldest Independent School in the US". Collegiateschool.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  2. "RL Fact Sheet". Roxburylatin.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  3. "Mission & History - Hopkins School". Hopkins.edu. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  4. "Mission and History - Friends Select School". Friends-select.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  5. "History - Penn Charter". Penncharter.com. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  6. "History - Abington Friends School". Abingtonfriends.net. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  7. "All About Trinity/History". Trinityschoolnyc.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  8. "Mission & Values - Ursuline Academy". Uanola.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  9. "The History of Norfolk Academy". Norfolkacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  10. "Moravian Academy - Our History". Moravianacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  11. "History - St. Francis Academy". Sfabally.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  12. "West Nottingham Academy - Then and Now". Wna.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  13. "History of Linden Hall - Linden Hall School For Girls". Lindenhall.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  14. "Wilmington Friends - Wilmington Friends I PS- 12 Quaker School in Wilmington, DE". Wilmingtonfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  15. "History & Traditions of Germantown Academy - Pennsylvania". Germantownacademy.net. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  16. "The Governor's Academy: History". Thegovernorsacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  17. "History - Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School". Cgps.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  18. "RPS History - Rutgers Prep School". Rutgersprep.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  19. "History - Salem Academy and College". Salemacademyandcollege.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  20. "Newark Academy - Quick Facts". Newarka.edu. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  21. "History - Phillips Academy". Phillips Academy. October 17, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  22. "Our History - Plymouth Meeting Friends School". Pmfs1780.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  23. "About Us". Phillips Exeter Academy. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  24. "History - Derby Academy". Derbyacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  25. "Friends School - Our Mission". Friendsbalt.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  26. "Then and Now - Harrisburg Academy". Harrisburgacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  27. "About MB - Moses Brown School". Mosesbrown.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  28. "History - Moorestown Friends School". Mfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  29. "Our History - Episcopal Academy, The". Episcopalacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  30. "Haddonfield Friends School -- History". Haddonfieldfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  31. "Friends By The Numbers". Friendsseminary.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  32. "Then and Now – About Us – Westfield Friends School". Westfieldfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  33. "Fast Facts - Georgetown Preparatory School". Gprep.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  34. "ABOUT - Alexander Robertson School". Alexanderrobertson.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  35. "The History of Berwick Academy - Oldest Private School In Maine". Berwickacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  36. "Mission & History - Fryeburg Academy". Fryeburgacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  37. "About - Washington Academy". Washingtonacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  38. "Boarding School in Groton, Mass. - Boston Area Day School". Lawrence Academy. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  39. "AT A GLANCE - Cheshire Academy". Cheshireacademy.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  40. "About Buckingham Friends School - Private School - Buckingham Friends School". Bfs.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  41. "History". Oakwoodfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  42. "Fast Facts". Oakwoodfriends.org. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  43. "History - Milton Academy". Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  44. "Westtown School: Fast Facts". Westtown.edu. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  45. "Georgetown Visitation: History". visi.org. Retrieved November 14, 2021.