Best private high schools in Michigan

(Stacker) - 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 Michigan 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. Shrine Catholic High School

- Enrollment: 249 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Royal Oak

- Niche grade: A

#29. Auburn Hills Christian School

- Enrollment: 251 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Auburn Hills

- Niche grade: A

#28. Plymouth Christian Academy

- Enrollment: 726 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Canton

- Niche grade: A

#27. De La Salle Collegiate

- Enrollment: 537 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Warren

- Niche grade: A

#26. Farber Hebrew Day School - Yeshivat Akiva

- Enrollment: 258 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Southfield

- Niche grade: A

#25. Lake Michigan Catholic Middle/High School

- Enrollment: 130 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 6-12

- City: Saint Joseph

- Niche grade: A

#24. Spring Vale Christian School

- Enrollment: 68 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Owosso

- Niche grade: A

#23. Andrews Academy

- Enrollment: 261 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Berrien Springs

- Niche grade: A

#22. West Michigan Lutheran High School

- Enrollment: 24 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Wyoming

- Niche grade: A

#21. Grand Rapids Christian High School

- Enrollment: 918 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Grand Rapids

- Niche grade: A

#20. Academy of the Sacred Heart

- Enrollment: 320 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Bloomfield Hills

- Niche grade: A

#19. Everest Collegiate High School & Academy

- Enrollment: 480 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Clarkston

- Niche grade: A

#18. Genesee Academy

- Enrollment: 259 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Swartz Creek

- Niche grade: A

#17. Southfield Christian School

- Enrollment: 605 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Southfield

- Niche grade: A

#16. Marian High School

- Enrollment: 490 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Bloomfield Hills

- Niche grade: A

#15. University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy

- Enrollment: 887 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 7-12

- City: Detroit

- Niche grade: A

#14. Mercy High School

- Enrollment: 600 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Farmington Hills

- Niche grade: A

#13. St. Mary’s Preparatory School

- Enrollment: 533 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Orchard Lake

- Niche grade: A+

#12. Detroit Catholic Central High School

- Enrollment: 935 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Novi

- Niche grade: A+

#11. Michigan Islamic Academy

- Enrollment: 257 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Ann Arbor

- Niche grade: A+

#10. Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy

- Enrollment: 1,044 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Pontiac

- Niche grade: A+

#9. Brother Rice High School

- Enrollment: 518 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Bloomfield Hills

- Niche grade: A+

#8. Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor

- Enrollment: 365 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Ann Arbor

- Niche grade: A+

#7. University Liggett School

- Enrollment: 638 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Grosse Pointe Woods

- Niche grade: A+

#6. Interlochen Arts Academy

- Enrollment: 557 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: Interlochen

- Niche grade: A+

#5. The Roeper School - Birmingham Campus

- Enrollment: 269 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 6-12

- City: Birmingham

- Niche grade: A+

#4. Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit

- Enrollment: 125 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 9-12

- City: West Bloomfield

- Niche grade: A+

#3. Detroit Country Day School

- Enrollment: 1,515 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Beverly Hills

- Niche grade: A+

#2. Greenhills School

- Enrollment: 677 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: 6-12

- City: Ann Arbor

- Niche grade: A+

#1. Cranbrook Schools

- Enrollment: 1,659 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

- Grades served: PK, K-12

- City: Bloomfield Hills

- Niche grade: A+

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