There are multiple factors to consider when evaluating the best private schools for your child. We’ve found that most websites rank schools based on their traditions, alumni, extensive history, and prestige.
But in our experience, those simple criteria don’t fully encompass a parent’s concerns. Namely, most parents want to know how schools set their child up to succeed both academically and socially.
So here’s a more robust criteria list that we think you should consider when looking for the best private schools:
- How many kids are in the classroom? Class size is a common concern for parents evaluating private schools, and for good reason. The smaller the class size, the more individual attention your child gets.
- Does the school help students build relationships? We know many parents express concern that their child is not making friends as readily as others. Parents worried about this should search for schools that are intentional about promoting social interaction through a variety of academic and non-academic activities.
- Is the school sufficiently flexible with schedules and curriculum? Most schools aren’t flexible in their programming. If your child needs to take a day off, classes have to continue without them. As a result, families are forced to arrange their lives around school. This makes staying on top of school difficult for families with non-traditional schedules or heavy travel demands.
- Are learning differences accommodated? If your child has ADHD, or another learning difference, large classes and inflexible teaching methods can make it tougher for them to learn. Plus, many private school teachers simply aren’t trained to assist them.
In this article, we list a few of the best private high schools in the country, starting with an in-depth look at our private school, Fusion Academy, and how we designed it to fulfill the criteria above. We’ll also list other private schooling options across different states, so you can make a well-informed decision.
If you’re interested in Fusion Academy, you can see what our students have to say, or learn more by requesting to speak with us.
Fusion Academy: Private School with 1-to-1 Instruction in Campuses Across the USA
Fusion Academy is a nationally accredited private middle school and high school for grades 6–12, designed for one-to-one learning, with 80+ campuses throughout the United States of America.
Every student at Fusion is taught one-to-one by a teacher. This lets us create an incredibly personalized and flexible learning environment, curriculum, and schedule for your child based on their learning needs and the hours they’re able to attend class. We work with you to make your child’s schooling hours and schedule as convenient as possible.
While the instruction is one-to-one, our 80+ campuses across the US are highly social spaces, and our teachers actively design opportunities for your child to create lasting friendships. Our wide range of student-led clubs, extracurricular activities, and field trips keep your child engaged and enjoying their world-class education.
Along with our 80+ campuses across America, we offer online learning through Fusion Global Academy. You can learn through a hybrid model, attending online and in person — or go entirely virtual and learn remotely full-time.
That flexibility is a lifesaver for students with non-traditional schedules such as student-athletes with demanding schedules and families who travel often.
Our one-on-one learning model also has significant benefits for academic success and achievement.
Specifically, personalized learning lets your child progress at their own pace, slowing down on the lessons and subjects where they need more support and moving quickly through concepts they easily master.
In fact, our students’ achievement scores grow 33% more in a school year than their peers nationally — with 96% of our students going on to university after graduation.
In the next section, we’ll take a deeper look into our personalized learning model, and how we give your child a highly social school experience.
Curious what our students have to say? Watch their testimonial videos here.
Tough Concepts Made Easier with 1-to-1 Learning
Unlike other private schools, where teachers have to balance the needs of 10 or more children, Fusion gives your child the personalized one-on-one attention they need to thrive and grasp challenging concepts.
Our teachers are dedicated to understanding your child’s unique and special needs at school and can personalize learning materials to suit their interests, while also developing much stronger relationships than teachers at traditional day schools have the time for.
As we teach your child one-on-one, we can give their weaker subjects more attention than would otherwise be possible in another school — that’s why Fusion Academy students’ achievement scores in math grow 65% more in a school year than their peers nationally.
“We discovered Fusion when my son was struggling with math at his public high school. It quickly became clear that the large classroom was not going to work for him. He has now successfully completed two years of high school math with Fusion, and he is doing great in class!”
– Susen Omens, Parent
We’ve found that personalized learning not only helps our students feel seen and heard, but also fosters far healthier relationships between them and their teachers/mentors.
Fusion Academy is more effective than a traditional classroom — as personalized learning enables students to progress two to three times faster than their peers academically (Robinson, Kraft, Loeb, & Schueler, 2021).
Even in the best public high school classrooms, your child might sit in the back of class listening to a teacher that doesn’t engage them, and allows them to fall behind. But with one-to-one learning, the instruction is personalized to your student’s exact needs and level on each subject.
If your child has social anxiety, the lack of classmates makes asking questions far less intimidating, and eliminates any reason to fall behind for fear of ridicule or “asking stupid questions.”
Our teachers are also trained to assist children with learning differences such as ADHD/ADD, and the one-on-one learning environment allows us to use creative strategies such as mnemonic devices, visual materials, and other tools to keep your child highly engaged.
With our accommodative learning model, we can focus on your child’s interests and work with them in timeframes they find manageable, which is difficult or even impossible in a traditional classroom.
We help every student with their post-secondary goals long before their graduation ceremony, whether it be college, university, or another route. We also assist in developing portfolios, planning out university applications, and looking into various schooling options. If your child has a specific university in mind, such as an Ivy League like Princeton, our tutoring can help them meet the entry requirements.
Social Spaces for Homework and Making Lasting Friendships
Fusion campuses are highly social spaces, with a wide range of extracurricular activities. Every campus has two ‘Homework Cafés’: one where our school students can gather for social meetings, and student clubs, and another which is a quiet space for focused work.
Some of our students chatting and studying together in the Homework Café
With Fusion Academy, your child isn’t expected to complete their homework after school hours. Instead, each student has allocated periods in their school schedule, spending an equal amount of time in the Homework Café and in class. During this time, they can get assistance from friends and teachers, so after school they have time to participate in the clubs they enjoy, spend time with family, and wind down.
“Our son feels comfortable at Fusion which has allowed him to thrive academically. His confidence has skyrocketed. Having his homework completed at school is a huge bonus, and gives us peace at home — gone are the nights of fighting over homework”.
– Kerri Assell, Parent
Your child has access to a wide range of clubs at Fusion, allowing them to explore undiscovered interests and activities they hadn’t considered before. Your child also has the opportunity to take on leadership roles and manage a club themself under the supervision of a Fusion staff member, encouraging autonomy and building up their sense of self.
While club options differ from campus to campus, here are some clubs we offer:
- Running Club
- D&D Club
- Writer’s Club
- Yoga Club
- Documentary Club
- Drama Club
- Student Government
We also don’t rush our students between their classes, so they can chat with friends, get advice from teachers, and take a mental break — that way, 1-to-1 learning never feels isolating or overwhelming.
We actively work to foster friendships and social opportunities for your child through exciting events, as well as field trips off campus. We host a school prom, and in the past, have visited aquariums and planetariums.
“One of the things I appreciate about Fusion is the environment — I’ve never felt such a welcoming place before. It feels like they actually care, and it feels like I’m actually learning. And I feel independent.”
– William O., Student
We also offer community service opportunities to help our students become considerate and empathetic members of their community while being conscious of the socioeconomic situation of others. We’ve also hosted fundraisers with students to help spread financial aid.
A photo from our Scottsdale Graduation Ceremony in 2023
Attend Private School Flexibly Around Your Schedule
Traditional private school systems force your child to attend within a specific timeframe, which can be inconvenient for parents with irregular working hours, or children who need the morning hours for other commitments such as sports.
At Fusion Academy, you can flexibly set your own schedule — your child can start their school day at noon if it suits you.
Unlike boarding schools, charter schools, and elementary schools that specialize in helping those with learning differences, or offer special education, you don’t need to wait for specific dates to begin at Fusion Academy. The one-on-one learning structure allows your child to enroll at any time of the year, and progress into the next grade at their own pace depending on how quickly they get through their current curriculum.
Plus, if a specific time of the week does not align well with your schedule, we can work with you to alter your child’s school week with advanced notice. If your child needs a break, whether it be for athletics or another reason, they could take a month off from school and resume exactly where they left off afterward. If you’ll be staying near another one of our 80+ Campuses, they can easily resume from there as well.
As we offer on-campus learning, as well as virtual classes through Fusion Global Academy, you can design a hybrid program for your child as you see fit — with some classes being in person, and others entirely online, resembling homeschooling.
We offer several customizable academic programs, such as:
- Full-time learning: School students can join us for full-time enrollment at any point in the year. Your child works towards their diploma in one-to-one, highly flexible, small classes, and graduates as soon as they complete their learning material.
- Classes for credit: Students who want help tackling tough subjects, need additional credits, have to make up a grade, or just want one-on-one learning assistance can take classes for credit with us based on our core and elective classes.
- Tutoring and mentoring: We offer tutoring across all required subject areas, as well as many electives. Our tutors can help your child improve their test scores, and tackle subjects they may find challenging, such as math and English. Like our classes, we tutor on a one-on-one basis, allowing our teachers to act as mentors.
- Summer academic programs: All of our full and part-time classes are available throughout the year, including during the summer. Students can catch up on material with our summer programs, or try new classes that interest them, such as Latin. The programs are fully customizable and can work around your plans to make sure you enjoy the summer.
- Post-secondary counseling programs: Our post-secondary counselors work with your child to help them make personalized goals after graduation. We’ll help research the best colleges, college admission requirements (as seen in U.S. news), discover internships, rank potential options, as well as open their eyes to potential paths — making the transition much less daunting.
Interested in our flexible scheduling? You can learn more here.
The Best US Private Schools in Different States
Fusion Academy has over 80 campuses in school districts across the United States of America. Whether you live in New York City, Chicago, or elsewhere, there’s likely a Fusion Campus near you.
You can find a campus near you on our website. We also provide the option to study entirely online — however, we know that our 1-to-1 learning model may not be for everyone.
In this section, we’ll list several great American private schools across different states that rank highly across the board and offer a high-quality education.
Best Private Schools in California
- Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles
- The College Preparatory School, Oakland
- Crystal Springs Uplands School, Hillsborough
Best Private Schools in Florida
- Heritage Schools, Broward Campus, Miami
- Ransom Everglades School, Miami
- Berkeley Preparatory School, Miami
Best Private Schools in Georgia
- The Westminster Schools, Atlanta
- Pace Academy, Atlanta
- Atlanta International School, Atlanta
Best Private Schools in Hawaii
- ‘Iolani School, Honolulu
- Punahou School, Honolulu
- Maui Preparatory School, Lahaina
- Le Jardin Academy, Kailua
Best Private Schools in Maryland
- Holton-Arms School, Bethesda
- Landon School, Bethesda
- The Bryn Mawr School, Baltimore
Best Private Schools in Missouri
- John Burroughs School, St. Louis
- Pembroke Hill School, Kansas City
- The Barstow School, Kansas City
- Columbia Independent School, Columbia
Best Private Schools in New York
- Riverdale Country School, Bronx
- Horace Mann School, Bronx
- The Chapin School, New York
Best Private Schools in Texas
- St. John’s School, Houston
- St. Mark’s School of Texas, Dallas
- Greenhill School, Fort Worth
Best Private Schools in Virginia
- The Madeira School, McLean
- Woodberry Forest School, Woodberry
- Veritas Collegiate School, Arlington
Your Child Adopts Concepts Faster, Builds Deeper Friendships, and Enjoys School with Fusion Academy
If you’re looking for a private school to bring out your child’s full academic potential, and help them make several lasting friendships, Fusion Academy’s 1-to-1 learning style is a sure-fire way for you to guarantee them the individual attention they deserve.
We’ll work with you to create a custom and flexible program for your child, so that their schooling is built around your life — and not the other way around.
Want to learn more about how Fusion Academy can help your child? Connect with us today.
