One common thing parents strive to achieve nowadays is to ensure they give their children the best and exceptional education starting from scratch.
This is why in choosing the school best for them, they dip their eyes in water to ensure they select the best. This task has been a daunting task for many especially for those who want their children to study in a state or county with many options like Westchester.
Westchester is one of the most populated counties, New York. The county because of its high record of academic activities has become a study destination for many. This is because a high ranking shows that the county contains great schools with exceptional teachers, sufficient resources, and a diverse set of high-achieving students who highly rate their experiences.
Now considering the fact the county has many schools for students in preparatory, high school, and elementary level, making the right becomes a challenge,
It’s on this note that we made extensive research on the best schools in Westchester for any child to attend this 2024. Considering some factors like the number of enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate, and acceptance rate, I came up with a comprehensive list.
In this article, you’ll learn about the best private and public schools in Westchester. I implore you carefully read!
Table of contents
About Westchester
Westchester County is found within the U.S. state of New York. It’s the seventh most populated county in New York and therefore the most populated north of latest York City.
Consistent with the 2010 U.S. census, the county had a population of 949,113, estimated to possess increase to 967,506 by 2019. Situated within the Hudson Valley, Westchester covers a neighborhood of 450 square miles (1,200 km2), consisting of six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages.
Established in 1683, Westchester was named after the town of Chester, England. The county courthouse is that the city of White Plains, while the foremost populous municipality within the county is that the city of Yonkers, with an estimated 199,663 residents in 2018.
The state is home to a multitude of acclaimed colleges and universities, therefore an ideal location for higher education. Whatever you want to go into; business or academic excellent, Westchester got you covered.
With close proximity to the city, you’ll have the unique opportunity to enhance your education and work experience right in the Big Apple, while still enjoying the quieter atmosphere of a suburb.
In addition, staying at the Stanton House Inn in Westchester will be just a short drive from the best colleges in Westchester, NY, and can spend a day touring the campuses to find your perfect home-away-from-home!
Read: 15 Best Boarding Schools in New York
About Westchester Schools
Westchester County is home to 48 public school districts, almost 120 private college prep and parochial schools, and 15 colleges and institutions. Many public and private high schools in New York State and the United States are consistently ranked among the best in the country. Local property taxes pay the majority of the county’s public schools.
In 2013, the median annual property-tax bill for Westchester County residents was $13,842, the highest in the country. According to the 2018 rankings released by the education website Niche, which took into consideration public comments, Westchester County was home to 28 of the top 100 school districts in the state of New York.
Read: Best Boarding Schools in Illinois | 2024 Ranking
Best Private Schools in Westchester
Out of the 120 private schools located in Westchester below is a list of some of them that are top-notch in the academic activities they offer:
- Westchester Hebrew High School
- Thornton-Donovan School
- The Harvey School
- Rye Country Day School
- Hackely School
- Iona Preparatory School
- EF Academy New York
- Andalusia School
Note some of them are co-educational schools.
1. Westchester Hebrew High School
Location: 865 Orienta Ave Mamaroneck, New York
Founded in 1971, Westchester Hebrew High School is a private Jewish high school located in Mamaroneck, New York. It is Westchester County’s only co-educational Modern Orthodox Jewish high school. Students attend the institution from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. Students come from Westchester and Rockland counties, as well as New York City, in New York State.
This school in Westchester enrolls students from grades 9-12. In terms of population, it has only 120 students with an average class size of 12.
Furthermore, it has a student-teacher ratio of 6:1 and an acceptance rate of 85% which is very high. To learn more about this private school in Westchester visit the official website.
2. Thornton-Donovan School
Location: 100 Overlook Cir New Rochelle, NY 10804
The Thornton-Donovan School is one of the best private schools located in New Rochelle, New York. It was established on the premise that a school must adapt to the changing requirements of its students, community, and society.
Its philosophy and curriculum directly contribute to the growth of pupils who are able to use their unique abilities to confront life’s problems. The school admits students who have the capacity to succeed academically but whose record does not show it.
They also accept competent students of any race, color, creed, or national origin. New students are welcome in all grade levels.
Currently, the school has over 144 students, a student-teacher ratio of 6:1. Note, it is opened for pupils from kindergarten to grade 12.
To learn more about this private school in Westchester visit the official website.
3. Rye Country Day School
Location: 3 Cedar St Rye, New York
Rye Country Day School is a co-educational independent college preparatory school in Rye, New York founded in 1869.
RCDS is committed to offering a good education via both traditional and new ways. It offers a demanding program that encourages students to reach their full potential in academic, athletic, creative, and social efforts.
Note, on its 26-acre campus, its Upper School (grades 9–12), Middle School (5–8), and Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten–4) enroll a total of 930 pupils. On the other hand, the school draws students from over 40 school districts in the tri-state area. Furthermore, this Westchester school has a student: teacher ratio of 7:1, an acceptance rate of 24%, and offers a total of 22 AP courses.
To learn more about this private school in Westchester visit the official website.
4. Hackley School
Location: 260 Jay St Katonah, New York
Next on our list of the best private Schools In Westchester founded in 1916 is Hackley School. This Westchester school is a private college preparatory school located in New York.
Currently, the school, which is a Co-educational school has three schools: the Lower School, the Middle School, and the Upper School.
Moreso, it has a total of 355 students, a student-teacher ratio of 5:1, an average class size of 10 students, and an acceptance rate of 45% which makes it highly competitive. Even with that, the small class size encourages academic achievement and personal growth.
Note, students who are enrolled in this school pay a yearly tuition fee of about $43,000.
To learn more about this private school in Westchester visit the official website.
5. Iona Preparatory School
Location: 255 Wilmot Road New Rochelle, New York
Another top private school worth studying in Westchester is Iona Preparation School. The school is an independent, Roman Catholic, all-male college preparatory school in New Rochelle, New York founded in 1916.
Iona Prep is divided into two parts: the Upper School (Grades 9–12) and the Lower School (previously Iona Grammar School) (Kindergarten–8th Grade).
Iona Prep currently has 979 students enrolled, with 901 in the Upper School and 182 in the Lower School. The Iona Prep Upper School has a dress code that requires students to wear a dress shirt and tie with a blazer and dress slacks.
Furthermore, it has a student-teacher ratio of 11:1, offers 16 AP Courses, and accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
It is also important to note that graduates of this prestigious Westchester school are been accepted in top-notch universities like Harvard, Boston College, Georgetown, University of Chicago, MIT, and Princeton.
6. EF Academy New York
Location: 582 Columbus Avenue Thornwood, New York
EF Academy is another top private school for grades 9-12 students located in Westchester, New York. The Academy is an international school that focuses on preparing students to take national exams in the country where they choose to continue their studies at the university level.
To help achieve that, they employ only highly competent specialists with doctorates or master’s degrees in different areas to teach. Their extensive teaching expertise is surely the key to achieving the desired outcome. These expertises handle recognized academic programs that develop communication, critical thinking, and other future-proof skills that prepare students to excel at university, in their career, and in life.
However, EF Academy provides a revolutionary high school curriculum as well as boarding programs that prepare students to succeed. Study with peers from over 75 countries and prepare for a world without borders.
Graduates of this private school have the chance to enroll in the most prominent institutions in England and the United States after getting an internationally recognized credential proving completion of secondary education. This can include Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, Harvard University, or UCLA.
And currently, the EF Academy day school has an average class size of 13 students, an acceptance rate of 85%, and 650 students. On the flip side, its boarding school has an average size of 12, an acceptance rate of 57%, a student-teacher ratio of 7:1, and 302 students.
To learn more about this private school in Westchester visit the official website.
Read: 10 Best Middle School Boarding Schools For Boys & Girls | 2024
7. Andalusia School
Location: 380 Walnut St Yonkers, New York
Andalusia School is a fully accredited, full-time, Islamic, Pre-K to 12th religious and co-educational institution established in 1996. The school aims to guarantee that pupils gain the information and skills necessary to fulfill their full potential and contribute to society.
They achieve this by delivering a student-engaged curriculum in a safe, caring atmosphere with high academic standards taught by staff committed to continual improvement. Currently, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 and a total number of 324 students.
Best Public Schools In Westchester
Aside from the private schools, Westchester houses over 48 public schools as I mentioned earlier.
As a way of saving you the stress of trying to make a pick from the hundreds of options available, I have put down some top schools located in Westchester that are public schools. Note some of them are co-educational schools.
- Scarsdale Senior High School
- Bronxville High School
- John Jay High School
- Eastchester High School
- Briarcliff High School
- Walter Panas High School
- Rye High School
- Horace Greeley High School
8. Byram Hills High School
Location: 12 Tripp Ln Armonk, New York
One of the best public schools in Westchester is Byram Hills High School. Byram Hills High School is a four-year co-educational public secondary school in Armonk, New York. It is the district’s lone secondary school, serving students from North Castle, Bedford, Mount Pleasant, and New Castle.
Currently, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 which is lower than the New York state level of 13:1 and over 800 pupils in grades 9-12. According to ranking, Byram Hills is ranked #22 in the state of New York as of 2020.
Note, this Westchester public school has a Minority student enrollment of 10% (majority Asian and Hispanic), which is lower than the New York state average of 57% (majority Hispanic). To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
9. Eastchester High School
Location: 2 Stewart Pl Eastchester, NY
The next top school Is Eastchester High School which is in Westchester County, New York in the town of Eastchester. Eastchester is a part of the Eastchester Union Free School District, which is known as a former U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon school.
This school which is placed in the top 1% of all schools in New York for overall test scores is opened for students in grades 9-12. Currently, the school has over 1009 students enrolled, a student/teacher ratio of 14:1, minority enrollment 255, and a graduation rate of 94%.
Students who graduate from this school easily get accepted in most of the top-notch universities and colleges such as Bucknell University, The Johns Hopkins University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, Cornell University, Notre Dame, the University of Virginia, the University of Miami, Tulane, Haverford College, and Stanford.
10. Horace Greeley High School
Location: 70 Roaring Brook Rd Chappaqua, NY
Horace Greeley High School is a public four-year secondary school in Chappaqua, New York, educating students in grades 9–12 with over 1,301 students.
It is consistently regarded as one of the top high schools in the United States. Best Colleges named it the No. 1 best public high school in the United States in 2015, and the No. 17 Smartest Public High School in the United States by Business Insider.
Presently, this Westchester school has a student/teacher ratio of 12:1 which is lower than the New York state level of 13:1, a minority enrollment of 22%, and a graduation rate of 98%.
To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
11. Briarcliff High School
Location: 444 Pleasantville Rd Briarcliff Manor, NY
Briarcliff High School (BHS) is a public secondary school serving students in grades 9–12 in Briarcliff Manor, New York. Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District’s lone high school, sharing a campus with Briarcliff Middle School. Debora French is the principal as of 2014, and Daniel Goldberg and Diana Blank are the assistant principals.
Briarcliff is well-known for its remarkable student achievement, test scores, and accomplishments, as well as its highly recognized scientific research, foreign language, and performing arts programs.
Currently, the school has over 551 students, a graduation rate of 95% which is high, and an overall testing rank of top 5%. And offers courses in five languages: Spanish, Latin, French, Conversational Italian, and Mandarin Chinese.
Also, the student-teacher ratio at the school is 11:1, and nearly every student has at least grade-level ability in mathematics and English.
To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
12. John Jay High School
Location: 60 N Salem Road Katonah, New York
John Jay High School is one of the best public high schools in Westchester established in 1956. The school is placed in the top 1% of all schools in New York for overall test scores.
Currently, John Jay has a total student enrollment of 1,059 students, a student/ teacher ratio of 12:1, a graduation rate of 99%, and a minority enrollment of 17%. To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
Also read: 10 Best Boarding Schools In Boston In The USA | 2024
13. Scarsdale School
Location; 1057 Post Rd Scarsdale, NY
Scarsdale High School (SHS) is a grade 9-12 student public high school in Scarsdale, New York, a town and municipality in Westchester County, New York.
Scarsdale High School has a national reputation as one of the best high schools in the country. The breadth of their curriculum, the abilities of their professors, and the accomplishments of their students all point to a pattern of excellence.
Currently, Scarsdale has over 1,517 students in grades 9-12, a student/teacher ratio of 11:1, minority enrollment of 31%, a graduation rate of 99%, and an overall testing rank of top 1%.
To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
14. Rye High School
Location: Parsons St Rye, New York
Rye High School is a public high school with around 1,020 pupils and a Student: Teacher Ratio of 14:1. Over 95% of our alumni go on to attend universities or colleges. They provide Honors and Regents level coursework to fulfill the needs of all of their students. In addition, they provide 21 College Board Advanced Placement courses.
Last year, more than half of their students participated in the AP program, taking an average of 2.1 AP courses. Rye High School has consistently been recognized for its academic excellence, ranking among the top 100 high schools in the nation in national rankings published by The Washington Post and Newsweek Magazine.
However, the Academy at Rye High School is a School of Creative Learning that provides challenging multidisciplinary training grounded in real-life applications through a mostly project-based learning paradigm.
Further, they have a robust extracurricular program that includes performing and fine arts, instrumental and vocal music, service-oriented clubs, fund-raising clubs, student publications, and a wide range of interest clubs from which each student can choose activities that suit his or her talents and interests. Please see the “Families, For Students” web page for a list of groups.
To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
15. Walter Panas High School
Location: 300 Croton Avenue Cortlandt Manor, New York
Finally on our list is Walter Panas High School. Walter Panas High School is a four-year comprehensive and co-educational public high school founded in 1972 in New York. The school which serves over 918 students that are in grades 9-12 focuses on educating and leading them into becoming exceptional leaders through their rigorous curriculum.
Currently, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 14:1, which is higher than the New York state level of 13:1, a graduation rate of 96%, top 5% in overall testing ranking, and a minority enrollment of 34%.
To learn more about this public school in Westchester visit the official website.
Reference
- https://www.privateschoolreview.com/
- www.publicschoolreview.com/new-york/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
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