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+
