In Illinois, boarding schools provide a wider range of extracurricular activities than day schools. Additionally, they encourage kids to engage in more social activities and support kids in developing better and more independent decision-making skills.
Additionally, boarding schools in Illinois 2024 have made it easier for kids to transition from elementary school to college and beyond. They continue to assist pupils in learning how to handle their own affairs only their own affairs but also those of others.
Enrol your child in one of the best boarding schools to get a fuller grasp of contemporary boarding schools and the relative worth of the boarding school experience.
The following crucial pieces of information will help you make the best decision for your child before we list the top boarding schools in Illinois;
Are There Boarding Schools in Illinois?
Illinois is a state to take into consideration while selecting the best boarding school for your child because it contains a large number of boarding schools that provide high-quality education.
Recently, the majority of parents have begun to see the value of sending their kids to boarding school in order to give them a top-notch education. This is due to the significant role Illinois boarding schools have played in shaping their child’s personalities.
The following are a few of the boarding schools in Illinois:
- Lake Forest Academy
- Saint Bede Academy
- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
- Carmel Catholic High School
- Wheaton Academy
- Chicago Hope Academy
- Mooseheart Child City & School
- Gateway Legacy Christian Academy
- Brehm Preparatory School
- Timothy Christian School
See Also: 10 Best Boarding Schools in Maryland | Cost
How Much Do Boarding Schools in Illinois Cost?
The average annual tuition for boarding schools in the US is $56,875 according to the Boarding School Review (as of October 14, 2019).
However, there are additional expenses related to a child’s education, such as those for feeding, books, and other expenses.
Always check with the school to see if they have financial aid programs or payment plans if you truly want to send your child to a boarding school but don’t have much money to spend.
Read Also: 10 Best Boarding Schools in Oklahoma | Cost
What Are The Best Military Boarding Schools in Illinois 2024?
There are numerous options for military boarding schools because the state provides options for charter, public magnet, and private schools.
Attending prep school is a good idea for students who want to push themselves academically or get a taste of military life.
The military boarding schools in Illinois are listed below.
- Phoenix Military Academy
- Carver Military Academy
- Air Force Academy High School
- Chicago Military Academy
- Marmion Academy
- Rickover Military School
Read Also: 15 Best Boarding Schools in Michigan | Cost
What Are The Best Boarding Schools in Illinois?
One of the most crucial choices parents can make is the school their child will attend.
In 2023, we will be choosing the Best and Top Boarding Schools in Illinois for Boys and Girls based on a number of rating considerations.
Here is a list of the best boarding schools in Illinois;
- Lake Forest Academy
- Saint Bede Academy
- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
- Carmel Catholic High School
- Wheaton Academy
- Chicago Hope Academy
- Mooseheart Child City & School
- Gateway Legacy Christian Academy
- Brehm Preparatory School
- Timothy Christian School
#1. Lake Forest Academy
Students looking for rich and fulfilling connections and learning opportunities are drawn to Lake Forest Academy.
The 150-acre Lake Forest suburb of Chicago is home to the independent, co-ed, 9–12 college-preparatory Lake Forest Academy, which enrols boarding and day students.
The Academy seeks to exhibit greatness in character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility in its practices and to foster these qualities in its students.
The active boarding community at LFA is a perfect example of the school’s engagement culture. Both day and boarding students have the opportunity to take on new challenges with curiosity and openness while also gaining the self-assurance to push themselves outside their comfort zones.
The transformative boarding program at LFA is distinguished by challenging academics, a worldly perspective, and Midwestern values.
#2. Saint Bede Academy
In Peru and Illinois, there is a prestigious private residential Catholic school called Saint Bede Academy. With 292 students in grades 9 through 12, it has an 11 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio.
For the highest grade available, tuition is $35,000. 77% of graduates from this institution continue their education by enrolling in a four-year university.
Since 1890, North Central Illinois has received high-quality Catholic education through The Academy.
Academic Program with Three Levels: Academic, College-Prep, and Honors. It offers 4 Dual-Credit, Early College, 7 AP courses, and 25 Honors courses.
The school consistently has the highest ACT scores in the neighbourhood, and many of our Top Ten students graduate with GPAs above 4.0.
97% of the students on 16 sports teams and 32 Clubs & Student Organizations take part in extracurricular activities.
#3. Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
Woodland education emphasizes critical and creative thinking through posing challenging queries, drawing connections, and diving deeply into concepts. Your participation in your education will be actively encouraged by the teachers.
Woodland thinks that learning can change people. You will graduate prepared to take on whatever difficulties and opportunities your future holds thanks to the unique blend of academic achievement, opportunity, support, and global studies experience.
As a Sacred Heart institution with a proud history of distinction, Woodlands educates driven young women to find their mission, nurture their passions, and dedicate themselves to serving as global citizens. This prepares them for lives of courage and confidence.
Academics are demanding, standards are rigorous, and Woodlands’ teachers are gifted and motivating.
A Catholic school with roots in the Sacred Heart tradition, Woodlands Academy embraces and values variety in all of its forms, including racial, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic diversity.
#4. Carmel Catholic High School
Carmel Catholic High School offers students an unmatched education with more than 100 AP and Honors courses, hundreds of electives, and a wide range of award-winning extracurriculars, including one of the top-ranked Robotics teams in the world and opportunities for students to start their own businesses. The school is one of only six nationwide to receive the National Blue Ribbon award five times.
In collaboration with prestigious colleges, such as Milwaukee School of Engineering (#9 Best Engineering Program) and Loyola University (#103), the school offers Dual Credit courses.
Additionally, students flourish in the supportive setting of the school, which has a 15:1 faculty-to-student ratio and a close-knit student community.
#5. Wheaton Academy
West Chicago, Illinois’s Wheaton Academy is a prestigious private boarding, alternative, Christian school. There are 658 pupils in grades 9 through 12, and there are 13 students for every instructor. The cost of tuition for the top grade available is $52,600. 94% of graduates from this institution continue their education by enrolling in a four-year university.
Students from DuPage, Kane and Will counties attend Wheaton Academy, a private Christian high school in West Chicago, Illinois. As a 2019 Exemplary High Performing Blue Ribbon School recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, we are able to fulfil our commitment to offering a remarkable and cutting-edge college prep experience founded in Biblical truth.
#6. Chicago Hope Academy
An outstanding private boarding school for Christians, Chicago Hope Academy is situated in Chicago, Illinois. With 273 students in grades 9 through 12, it has an 11 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio. The cost of tuition for the top grade available is $15,500. 90% of graduates from this institution continue their education by enrolling in a four-year university.
Chicago Hope Academy is a high school that prepares students for college and the natural world by encouraging and testing the full person—body, intellect, and spirit—for God’s glory.
Chicago Hope Academy offers some bible courses including;
- Foundations of Faith
Foundations of Faith is a freshman-level, one-year Bible course offered by Chicago Hope Academy that aims to acquaint students with the comprehensive nature of the Hebrew Old Testament and the Christian New Testament.
- Theology & Worldview:
This course explores the major tenets of the Christian religion and how they affect the Church and the individual believer by looking at and discussing relevant passages of the Bible, historical events, and philosophical ideas.
#7. Mooseheart Child City & School
A residential childcare centre called Mooseheart is situated on a 1,000-acre campus 38 miles west of Chicago. From infancy through high school, children and teenagers in need can find a home at The Child City.
The goal of Mooseheart is to give children a secure and loving environment. Within a disciplined family environment, students are given a chance to realize their intellectual, social, and spiritual potential. Our company lives by the simple tenet, “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve.”
Some people live in environments that are just not supportive of healthy growth and development, while others have lost one or both parents.
The men and women of the Moose provide the tools required to take care of needy kids via their unmatched generosity and volunteerism. The Moose fraternity offers youngsters a healthy, homelike environment as well as the most outstanding instruction and education available.
#8. Gateway Legacy Christian Academy
Gateway legacy In GLEN CARBON, Illinois, Christian Academy is an excellent private boarding school. With 230 students in grades PK–12, it has an 18:1student–teacher ratio. The cost of tuition for the top grade available is $37,600.
70% of graduates from this institution continue their education by enrolling in a four-year university.
GLCA was founded with the goal of empowering children to find their God-given abilities and fulfil their vocation. In the beginning, six children in one classroom gave way to an international boarding school with two campuses and a top-tier sports training program. Students practice with our coaches and study under our professors in specific growth fields for careers in athletics, business, and medicine. Students come from more than 30 different nations.
Gateway Legacy Christian Academy will create a lasting legacy via cooperation and well-chosen alliances.
#9. Brehm Preparatory School
A coeducational, small, fully accredited residential school for neurodiverse children in grades 6 through 12+ is called Brehm. Brehm concentrates on just 90 kids in order to give each child the care and services they deserve.
Brehm is aware that every kid is different and must find his or her own road to success in academics, society, and the emotional realm. An Individualized Holistic Education Plan is created after a thorough analysis of the student’s data and academic background, considering the unique ways each kid learns best. The Arrowsmith Program and a 4-week summer program are two additional Brehm programs.
Additionally, Brehm has a post-secondary institution called OPTIONS Transitions to Independence that provides teaching and support for students who need to improve their academic, social, employment, and independent living skills.
#10. Timothy Christian School
Christ is at the core of everything Timothy Christian Schools does, The school serves students in grades P–12. Christian Schools teachers go above and beyond the classroom to foster an atmosphere that sparks intellectual development, encourages brave Christian leadership, and promotes lifelong learners.
Students flourish when they have close relationships with their teachers, receive small-group instruction, and participate in various extracurricular activities throughout their academic careers and a range of extracurricular activities throughout their academic careers and well after.
The US Department of Education gave Timothy Christian High School the 2019 Blue Ribbon School Award, adding that Timothy can serve as an example for other schools.
The confines and restrictions of the present situation, as well as earlier standards and achievements, are conquered by Timothy Christian Schools. Most importantly, the school puts faith into practice in addition to its academic Bible instruction. The fact that the entire community of Timothy has embraced this attitude is arguably what makes it outstanding. The list includes students, academic staff, parents, grandparents, alumni, volunteers, fervent prayer warriors, contributors, board members, and so on.
Read Also: 10 Best Boarding Schools in Arizona | Cost
What Are The Best Christian Boarding Schools in Illinois 2024?
Troubled kids have a lot to gain from attending Christian boarding schools in Illinois.
However, it’s crucial to remember while thinking about programs that struggling kids will need time away from their usual environments and acquaintances to progress.
The following are some of these residential schools:
- Lake Forest Academy
- Saint Bede Academy
- Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart
- Carmel Catholic High School
- Wheaton Academy
- Chicago Hope Academy
- Mooseheart Child City & School
- Gateway Legacy Christian Academy
- Brehm Preparatory School
- Timothy Christian School
What Are The Therapeutic Boarding Schools in Illinois for Troubled Youths?
Therapeutic boarding schools assist troubled youth in developing their character and becoming productive adults.
Troubled teenagers who need a safe place to learn how to deal with challenging emotions and behaviours can find it at boarding schools in Illinois.
- Allendale Association
- Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School
- Heart Schools Chicago – The Academy and Hardey Prep
- Chicago Waldorf School
- Kemmerer Village School
- GCE Lab School
- Rogers Park Montessori School
Frequently Asked Questions
According to experts, a youngster shouldn’t start boarding school until they are at least nine years old. They must be able to express their thoughts and feelings, have solid parental bonds, and have a sense of personal identity. 26 Apr 2019.
The costs of sending a child to boarding school often come as a shock to the families who are considering it.
In reality, America doesn’t have many free boarding schools. Free ones typically face intense competition to be accepted. But the Illinois Math & Science Academy is the state’s sole free boarding school. Only 45 miles from Chicago, Aurora, Illinois, is a prestigious public high school. The institution is coed.
According to Polarislist.com, the highest ranked high school in Illinois is New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois
Conclusion
Make sure you select the top boarding schools for your child.
Because of this, it is essential to select from the best options available. The best boarding schools in Illinois for 2022 are listed in this article. Choose wisely right now!
References
- Niche.com– Best boarding schools in Illinois
- Boardingschoolreview– Best boarding schools in Illinois
- Operationmillitarykids.org– Best Military boarding schools in Illinois