Most parents have realized that the best gift they can give to their children at an early stage is the gift of a secure education. Without being far from the truth, boarding schools in North Carolina don’t only assure your child of a secure education, they also assure you of an all-around formation for your child.
Not only do the schools in NC provide quality all-round education, but they also provide financial aid. The National Association of Boarding Schools states that nearly 37% of boarding school students get yearly aid. With support from the school’s financial aid packages and merit-based and foundation scholarships, the determined student almost always has options for diminishing the actual cost.
Carefully read through to see the list of boarding schools in NC below.
See the table of contents below for a quick overview of the article.
Table of contents
- Is Boarding School Good For A Child?
- Benefits Of Attending A Boarding School In North Carolina
- What is the perfect age to enter boarding school in North Carolina?
- What is the average cost of boarding school in NC?
- Do Boarding Schools In North Carolina Offer Students Financial Aid Opportunities?
- Are Boarding Schools In NC Open to International Students?
- Best Boarding Schools In North Carolina
- Conclusion
- References
Is Boarding School Good For A Child?
Ideally, boarding schools provide children a secure environment to exercise greater control and freedom over their life and activities. This is because the idea of leaving home early is to help the child develop a sense of independence, create new friendships, and concentrate more on all-round learning.
Benefits Of Attending A Boarding School In North Carolina
Boarding schools in North Carolina offer excellent academics, compulsory athletics, and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Moreso, boarding schools take your child’s safety and well-being very seriously. While your child is at school, 24/7 guidance is what you can expect to find at a boarding school in NC. During the holidays, the school safely brings your child back home to you.
Here are strong reasons why a boarding school in NC is good for your child…
1. Closer supervision and support
In boarding schools, teachers and staff monitor and support the students under their care in any way they can. In addition, attending a boarding school gives children full access to school facilities. This helps create a learning environment where students can easily access libraries, computers, and teachers.
2. Full participation in the school’s activities
In the same way, children also engage entirely in the extracurricular activities of the school such as; drama, athletics, singing competitions, art exhibition, and much more.
Many specialized interests, such as ballet, soccer, or music require training from a young age. Boarding schools instill such activities in their curriculum to allow children to achieve excellence with like-minded peers. Additionally, boarding schools reduce distraction to children’s academic work by lessening the need for extended travel/time off school to reach them.
3. It encourages cohabitation and tolerance
Attending a boarding school in North Carolina opens children to live with their peers from different backgrounds and origins. This helps them rapport easily without compromise. Furthermore, children see the need to be accomodating and tolerable. With this exposure and orientation, slapping the head is more fun than pain.
In fact, many boarding schools in NC embrace diversity as foreign students with diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds frequently make up a large minority of the student body.
4. It is highly accomodating and flexible
As well as allowing for flexibility in curriculum choice, boarding schools may also consider a variety of specific family or lifestyle considerations. Children with specific learning or emotional needs will benefit from specialized help as noted above. Particularly important is the way in which boarding school can provide parents with relief from the day to day strains of dealing with children’s problems, making time spent together more pleasant.
On a merely practical level, parents whose job requires them to travel extensively, live in remote areas or abroad may consider boarding school a useful way of ensuring consistency and continuity in their child’s education.
5. Have Fun And Make New Friends
The boarding schools in NC can also be a lot of fun just like your home where you get nasty with your siblings. In boarding schools, it is ideal for your dorm mates to become your closest friends and supporters. The friendships you make in boarding schools go a long way.
6. It helps develop a child’s character and self reliance
Attending a boarding school in North Carolina helps strengthen a child’s character for good. Under strict supervision, children set out to bid for the top spot with their peers. This helps bring out excellent character and attitude like; hard work, truth, self-discipline, punctuality, tolerance, etc.
Furthermore, the child gets to value independence as much as teamwork. Boarding school students in NC quickly learn to carry out domestic chores and complete school assignments independently. They also learn how to regulate their time, money, and resources.
What is the perfect age to enter boarding school in North Carolina?
Boarding schools in NC provide children with their first taste of boarding life. In the United States, boarding schools for students below the age of 13 are called junior boarding schools and are relatively rare. Other boarding schools are intended for high school age students, usually of ages 14–18.
What is the average cost of boarding school in NC?
The average private school tuition in North Carolina is approximately $9,736 per year (2024). The private elementary school average is $8,454 per year and the private high school average is $10,304 per year. The private boarding school in NC with the highest tuition is Asheville School, with a tuition of $57,650.
Do Boarding Schools In North Carolina Offer Students Financial Aid Opportunities?
Boarding school education provides an excellent advantage for young students. Still, the decision to attend a boarding school in NC comes with a cost. There are several established avenues through which families can finance a private boarding school education.
For some, the yearly cost may sound like too much of a roadblock even to consider a boarding school in the first place. After all, with an average cost of $48,050 a year, a boarding school education wears the look of a college.
So how do other families make it work? The National Association of Boarding Schools states that nearly 37% of boarding school students get yearly aid. With support from the school’s financial aid packages, along with merit-based and foundation scholarships, the determined student almost always has options for diminishing the actual cost.
There are several main categories of boarding school financial aid:
Need-Based Financial Aid
Need-based financial aid is provided as a grant and does not have to be repaid. The money comes from the school’s budget and students’ families are to explain in detail why they need it. The majority of TABS member schools use the Parents’ Financial Statement from the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS), administered by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Learn more at www.nais.org.
Merit Scholarships
Ideally, some schools offer scholarships to exceptional students. These scholarships are typically highly competitive but do not require repayment.
Tuition Loan and Financing Program
Tuition loans are provided by a few schools, banks, or other lending agencies. Such loans are collateral-based, which means the loans are subject to credit checks and must be repaid-with interest over time. Payments are spread over a pre-determined period. However, interest rates for boarding school loans are typically more favorable than rates for most consumer loans.
Tuition Payment Programs
A good number of financial agencies offer tuition payment programs to help families accomplish boarding school costs. These programs are not technically considered loans. Essentially, tuition payment programs allow installment payments of tuition fees over an academic year. The installments are interest-free, but there may be some entry fees. Check with the financial aid office at the school you are applying to for more information.
Are Boarding Schools In NC Open to International Students?
With over 8 boarding schools in North Carolina, international students make up about 15% of the population of their member schools.
Boarding schools in NC provides exceptional opportunities that help to deepen cultural understanding and build global friendships. They provide a conducive environment where international students fit in well. Furthermore, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes taught in boarding schools also help international students learn English more quickly. ESL courses are meant to improve an international student’s speaking, reading, and writing ability.
In a nutshell, boarding schools in North Carolina don’t just avail international students learning opportunities, they make expose them to people of different religious, geographic, and linguistic backgrounds.
Best Boarding Schools In North Carolina
The Northwestern state in the United States has a good number of boarding schools that groom children. Here’s a list of boarding schools in NC.
These schools were selected based on the following ranking factors;
The student to teacher ratio represents the number of students assigned to a teacher. It is agreed that a smaller class size enhances learning.
Accreditation – A school’s accreditation status ensures that the school is authorized to function.
Acceptance rate – The acceptance rate of a boarding school in NC shows the percentage of students the school admits yearly.
1. Asheville School
Asheville School is a private coed school in Asheville, North Carolina. It does more than equip kids for that next step into college. It really challenges and qualifies them to be members of their communities and seek out adventures and increase opportunities that will equip them to succeed in whatever roles they choose.
With 295 students from 18 countries and 16 states, Asheville School accepts students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally granted or made accessible to students at the school.
The academic school years last 185 calendar days and each day students spend 9 hours in class. In 2011, 100% of the graduating senior class went on to 4-year colleges.
36.8 full-time equivalent teachers are on staff to educate the student body of 275 students in grades 9-12. That’s a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
2. Christ School
Situated in the mountains of beautiful western North Carolina, Christ School is a private school that grants opportunities for boys in the classroom and on our 500-acre wooded campus complete with streams, a lake, and trails for hiking or mountain biking.
Their curriculum is intended to challenge and inspire all students to improve their thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills. Each student is inspired to seek the most accurate course of study suitable for him, including opportunities for study further in all disciplines.
The academic school years last 175 calendar days, and each day, students contribute 6 hours in class. In 2011, 99% of the graduating senior class went on to 4-year colleges.
36.6 full-time equivalent teachers are on staff to educate the student body of 246 students in grades 8-12. The school has a 75% acceptance rate, 6.1 student-teacher ratios, and a 100% graduation rate.
3. St. Mary’s School
Situated in Raleigh, North Carolina, St. Mary’s School is an independent, college preparatory school that is committed to helping girls reach their full potential. They do this by exposing them to unceasing opportunities and providing a community they can thrive in.
With a mix of academics and extracurricular activities, every student is challenged to conquer their fears and seize every opportunity that comes their way. This, in turn, will help students build a strong academic and personal foundation. Some programs include school activities, community service projects, athletics, performance opportunities, and weekend outings.
Furthermore, Saint Mary’s school NC engages girls in a dynamic learning environment offering both hands-on classroom learning and opportunities for real-world experiences.
Therefore, if you want to apply to St. Mary’s School, please do so as early as possible.
The school has a 100% graduation rate, 84% acceptance rate and 8:1 student-teacher ratio.
4. Salem Academy
With a 100% graduation rate, Salem Academy has helped girls build the skills and confidence to achieve independently and together. Ranked among the best private high schools in North Carolina, Salem offers inspiring academics, holistic leadership development, and comprehensive college preparation. Furthermore, girls discover their voices at Salem Academy and explore where it can lead them.
With small class size, girls receive more individualized attention, more personalized academic experiences, and more leadership opportunities. Furthermore, they receive high written and oral communication standards, preparing them for college and career.
The academic school years last 171 calendar days with students spending 8 hours in class. In 2011, 100% of the graduating senior class went to 4-year colleges.
22.6 full-time equivalent teachers are on staff to educate the student body of 167 students in grades 9-12. With a 7:1 student-teacher ratio, Salem academy helps transform girls into wonderful women.
5. Wolf Creek Academy
Wolf Creek is a therapeutic boarding school and Christian boarding school in North Carolina, NC that assists adolescents (ages 14-17) who are encountering behavioral complexities, anger, depression, academic failure, or attachment disorders. It is situated in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Furthermore, it grants an accredited school program, including college preparatory education. With a focus to turn lives around for struggling teens and their families, WCA’s therapy is intended for teenage boys and girls with a history of behavior challenges, strained family relationships, or other emotional problems.
Wolf Creek Academy concentrates on Academics, Anger Management, Social Development, and working with difficult teens or those fighting with Depression, Drug Abuse, ODD, ADD, and ADHD. They also work with students who are on designated medication under the direction of their physicians.
Wolf Creek offers to counsel for adolescents and teens struggling with various behavioral issues or rebellion. Some of those issues may include:
- Teen Anger
- Lack of Motivation
- Depression
- Failing Grades
- Running away
- Substance Abuse
- Eating Disorders
- Anti-social behavior
- Learning disabilities
Wolf Creek Academy helps students to find or rekindle their love for learning.
6. The Academy at Soar
The Academy at SOAR is a Grade 7–12 adventure-based boarding school for grades 7–12 that provides a rare mix of academics and life skills learning to prepare students for adulthood academically, socially, and emotionally. Their student-centered model fosters active learning through Academic instruction, Self-Advocacy, Independent Living Skills, project-based learning, Field Studies, Community, and Empowerment.
The Academy at SOAR runs on a 4-week cycle: two weeks on campus and two weeks on expedition field study. This unique blend affords an alternative learning environment that helps to engage students in the learning experience. Additionally, students on the expedition will participate in high adventure activities such as canoeing the Florida Everglades, hiking the Grand Canyon area, rock climbing in Seneca Rocks of West Virginia and snorkeling among the tropical reefs of Belize.
The Academy at SOAR is an accredited boarding school in North Carolina in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
7. Emerson Waldorf School
Emerson Waldorf boarding School presents a balanced, challenging curriculum grounded in the classics and interested in the modern world. Their students go on to become active learners and creative, flexible thinkers with the confidence to face the complex challenges of our interconnected world.
Children come to first grade full of curiosity and meet teachers who foster the skills required to learn, work, and play in an atmosphere of warmth and reverence.
Emerson Waldorf School is a highly rated, private, boarding school in Chapel Hill, NC. It has 250 students in grades PK, K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 8 to 1. After graduation, 95% of students from this school attend a 4-year college.
8. Mount Pisgah Academy
Mount Pisgah Academy is a Seventh-day Adventist boarding high school in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. It boasts five varsity sports teams playing local area teams from other private schools. In addition, they have a STEM program where students study about the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math through 3-D printing, robotics, and coding.
Furthermore, they offer an excellent academic program that combines the latest technology, using hands-on teaching with 9:1 student-teacher ratios.
Students can choose from three diploma tracks to satisfy graduation requirements. MPA is accredited by the Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges and Universities, MSA CESS (Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools), and by the National Council for Private Schools.
Conclusion
Boarding schools in North Carolina offer excellent academics, compulsory athletics, and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Moreso, boarding schools take your child’s safety and well-being very seriously. While your child is at school, 24/7 guidance is what you can expect to find at a boarding school in NC.
References
- https://usboardingschools.com/north-carolina/
- https://www.boardingschoolreview.com/north-carolina
- https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-boarding-high-schools/s/north-carolina/
- http://www.boardingschools.com/how-to-apply/expenses-aid.aspx
- https://www.privateschoolreview.com/tuition-stats/north-carolina
- https://debatewise.org/debates/2751-boarding-school/
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