Private schools, in some form, existed long before the concept of free public education in America. Students were often educated through church-sponsored programs, private tutoring, and boarding schools.
Public schools on a large scale were proposed by Horace Mann in the 1830s. The concept gained momentum, and by 1870, nearly 80% of kids aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. Today, according to the most recent enrollment data, about 4.7 million students—or 10% of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12—are enrolled in private schools.
Private schools are widely marketed as a better option when compared to public schools, and private school proponents will often point to standardized test scores to substantiate this claim. While private school students have consistently outperformed public school students on standardized tests, recent studies have shown private schools themselves are not the primary driver of success, nor are standardized tests the most accurate measure of student well-being.
Researchers have found that student success is more directly related to family attributes, like having parents who graduated from college, and higher incomes—more common amongst private school students than public school students—than simply whether the students attended a public or private school.
Still, private schools provide unique advantages and opportunities like smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, and greater curricular flexibility. To better understand how private school offerings vary across the country, Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in Missouri using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students.
30. Springfield Catholic High School
City: Springfield- Enrollment: 400 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
29. Westminster Christian Academy
District: Town And Country- Enrollment: 975 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
28. Missouri Military Academy
District: Mexico- Enrollment: 207 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
27. Christian Brothers College High School
District: Town & Country- Enrollment: 860 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
26. Whitefield Academy
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 255 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
25. De Smet Jesuit High School
City: St. Louis- Enrollment: 744 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
24. The Fulton School
District: Chesterfield- Enrollment: 161 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
23. Rosati-Kain High School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 265 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
22. Greenwood Laboratory School
City: Springfield- Enrollment: 397 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
21. St. Joseph’s Academy
City: St. Louis- Enrollment: 505 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
20. Nerinx Hall High School
District: St. Louis – Enrollment: 564 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A
19. St. Teresa’s Academy
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 596 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
18. Villa Duchesne
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 471 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
17. Cor Jesu Academy
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 626 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
16. Principia School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 433 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
15. Crossroads College Preparatory School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 115 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
14. Chaminade College Preparatory School
City: St. Louis- Enrollment: 834 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
13. Rockhurst High School
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 938 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
12. Visitation Academy
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 584 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
11. Notre Dame de Sion High School
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 285 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
10. Columbia Independent School
City: Columbia- Enrollment: 400 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
9. Whitfield School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 426 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
8. Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School
City: Joplin- Enrollment: 301 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
7. St. Louis University High School
City: St. Louis- Enrollment: 978 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
6. Saint Louis Priory School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 297 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
5. The Barstow School
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 750 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
4. The Pembroke Hill School
City: Kansas City- Enrollment: 1,177 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
3. MICDS – Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 1,250 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
2. Thomas Jefferson School
District: Saint Louis- Enrollment: 85 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+
1. John Burroughs School
City: St. Louis- Enrollment: 660 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)- Niche grade: A+