America’s private high schools opened long before their public counterparts and even before the United States was first established. The Roman Catholic Church in the 1700s started private schools in Florida and Louisiana while in New York (a former Dutch colony called New Amsterdam), the Dutch West India Company and Dutch Reformed Church set up private schools that filled the void left by the colonies’ lack of an education system.
That changed in the 1840s when the U.S. instituted a uniform public school system. To stay relevant, private schools changed from marketing themselves as the only option to portraying their education as the “best” option. To this day, private high schools have positioned themselves as fast-tracks to admittance into elite universities. Faced with the rigorous demands of the highly competitive college admissions process and increased pressure over getting into the “right” school, parents (most often parents with means) often consider private schools for their children.
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To find out which is the best private high school in each state, Stacker examined 2021 data from Niche. We’ve included details such as the national private school ranking and the average student-to-teacher ratio to provide a more complete picture of how these academic institutions stack up against one another.
Private schools have historically catered to America’s most elite, with exorbitant tuition and legacy admissions ensuring the socioeconomic exclusivity of student bodies. Scholarships, incremental transparency in the admissions process, and improved (albeit still imperfect and unequal) access to excellent early education for students of all backgrounds have allowed more low-income students and minorities today to take advantage of these schools. Still, white students continue to represent the vast majority of private-school students. Stacker has further pulled racial demographics for each school to illustrate this point.
Read on to find out the best private high school in every state.
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Alabama: Indian Springs School
– Location: Indian Springs, AL
– National rank: #175 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $24,000
– Grades offered: 12-Aug
– Students: 294 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 68.0% White; 22.8% Asian; 7.1% African American; 1.4% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Alaska: Holy Rosary Academy
– Location: Anchorage, AK
– National rank: N/A
– Type: Private, Catholic
– Tuition: unavailable
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 147 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 58.5% White; 21.8% Asian; 11.6% Hispanic; 4.1% Native American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Arizona: Phoenix Country Day School
– Location: Paradise Valley, AZ
– National rank: #159 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $28,200
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 750 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 56.4% White; 16.8% Asian; 8.1% Hispanic; 6.7% Unknown
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Arkansas: Pulaski Academy
– Location: Little Rock, AR
– National rank: #661 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: unavailable
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,393 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 74.0% White; 7.5% African American; 7.4% Asian; 6.1% Unknown
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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California: The College Preparatory School
– Location: Oakland, CA
– National rank: #4 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $48,300
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 372 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 36.8% White; 25.8% Asian; 19.1% Multiracial; 8.9% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Colorado: Kent Denver School
– Location: Englewood, CO
– National rank: #184 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $31,427
– Grades offered: 6-12
– Students: 732 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 68.0% White; 10.4% Multiracial; 8.5% Asian; 6.0% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Connecticut: The Hotchkiss School
– Location: Lakeville, CT
– National rank: #5 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $50,990
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 600 (47% female; 53% male)
– Racial composition: 54.2% White; 21.7% Asian; 11.0% African American; 9.5% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 4:1
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Delaware: St. Andrew’s School
– Location: Middletown, DE
– National rank: #77 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $55,500
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 310 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 59.7% White; 17.1% Asian; 11.3% African American; 7.7% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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Florida: Ransom Everglades School
– Location: Coconut Grove, FL
– National rank: #21 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $38,400
– Grades offered: 6-12
– Students: 1,130 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 45.0% White; 36.5% Hispanic; 7.0% Asian; 4.9% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Georgia: The Westminster Schools
– Location: Atlanta, GA
– National rank: #39 of 1000
– Type: Private, Christian (General)
– Tuition: $30,330
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 1,870 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 69.1% White; 11.6% Asian; 9.0% African American; 5.5% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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Hawaii: Iolani School
– Location: Honolulu, HI
– National rank: #132 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding, Episcopal
– Tuition: $25,325
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 2,150 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 36.7% Asian; 25.9% Multiracial; 15.2% Pacific Islander; 13.4% White
– Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
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Idaho: Riverstone International School
– Location: Boise, ID
– National rank: #296 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $20,325
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 371 (54% female; 46% male)
– Racial composition: 66.3% White; 11.1% International; 8.9% Asian; 4.3% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Illinois: University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
– Location: Chicago, IL
– National rank: #50 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $33,558
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 2,051 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 50.0% White; 21.5% Multiracial; 16.5% Asian; 9.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Indiana: Culver Academies
– Location: Culver, IN
– National rank: #207 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $44,500
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 830 (42% female; 58% male)
– Racial composition: 59.3% White; 21.7% International; 6.9% Asian; 4.6% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Iowa: Maharishi School
– Location: Fairfield, IA
– National rank: #365 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $19,500
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 186 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 45.7% White; 29.6% Asian; 7.5% Multiracial; 6.5% Unknown
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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Kansas: Wichita Collegiate School
– Location: Wichita, KS
– National rank: #346 of 1000
– Type: Private, Montessori
– Tuition: $19,970
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 846 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 67.8% White; 14.4% Multiracial; 7.4% Asian; 4.4% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Kentucky: Kentucky Country Day School
– Location: Louisville, KY
– National rank: #262 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $23,245
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 856 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 70.9% White; 13.8% Asian; 6.4% African American; 3.0% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Louisiana: Metairie Park Country Day School
– Location: Metairie, LA
– National rank: #344 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $19,980
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 720 (45% female; 55% male)
– Racial composition: 80.1% White; 8.8% African American; 5.7% Asian; 4.7% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Maine: Waynflete
– Location: Portland, ME
– National rank: #298 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $34,170
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 595 (53% female; 47% male)
– Racial composition: 68.1% White; 11.5% Unknown; 6.9% African American; 4.7% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
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Maryland: Holton-Arms School
– Location: Bethesda, MD
– National rank: #72 of 1000
– Type: Private, All-Girls
– Tuition: $40,150
– Grades offered: 3-12
– Students: 660
– Racial composition: 59.1% White; 15.6% Multiracial; 11.8% Asian; 10.8% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Massachusetts: Phillips Academy
– Location: Andover, MA
– National rank: #1 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $44,800
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 1,146 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 54.2% White; 26.1% Asian; 7.9% Multiracial; 6.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
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Michigan: Cranbrook Schools
– Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
– National rank: #51 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $34,200
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,659 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 54.9% White; 14.1% Asian; 10.5% Multiracial; 7.0% International
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Minnesota: Mounds Park Academy
– Location: St. Paul, MN
– National rank: #125 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $30,100
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 518 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 51.9% White; 18.0% Asian; 11.4% Multiracial; 6.9% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Mississippi: St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
– Location: Ridgeland, MS
– National rank: #178 of 1000
– Type: Private, Episcopal
– Tuition: $20,050
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,016 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 60.3% White; 17.4% African American; 8.8% Asian; 6.0% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Missouri: John Burroughs School
– Location: St. Louis, MO
– National rank: #32 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $30,300
– Grades offered: 7-12
– Students: 650 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 56.5% White; 15.5% Asian; 14.2% African American; 9.8% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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Montana: Billings Central Catholic High School
– Location: Billings, MT
– National rank: N/A
– Type: Private, Catholic
– Tuition: $8,640
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 330 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 78.0% White; 8.0% Hispanic; 5.0% Multiracial; 3.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
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Nebraska: Brownell Talbot School
– Location: Omaha, NE
– National rank: #499 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $19,950
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 441 (53% female; 47% male)
– Racial composition: 56.0% White; 27.0% Unknown; 8.0% Asian; 5.0% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Nevada: The Meadows School
– Location: Las Vegas, NV
– National rank: #169 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $27,500
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 900 (52% female; 48% male)
– Racial composition: 38.9% White; 22.2% Unknown; 18.9% Asian; 11.1% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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New Hampshire: Phillips Exeter Academy
– Location: Exeter, NH
– National rank: #2 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $38,740
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 1,085 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 58.3% White; 20.8% Asian; 11.1% African American; 8.1% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
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New Jersey: The Lawrenceville School
– Location: Lawrenceville, NJ
– National rank: #16 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $51,440
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 822 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 55.0% White; 21.3% Asian; 9.9% African American; 7.8% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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New Mexico: Albuquerque Academy
– Location: Albuquerque, NM
– National rank: #113 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $24,795
– Grades offered: 6-12
– Students: 1,172 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 45.5% White; 27.2% Multiracial; 12.9% Hispanic; 12.0% Asian
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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New York: Trinity School
– Location: New York, NY
– National rank: #7 of 1000
– Type: Private, Episcopal
– Tuition: $47,965
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 1,001 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 55.1% White; 15.0% Asian; 13.8% Multiracial; 8.0% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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North Carolina: Cary Academy
– Location: Cary, NC
– National rank: #79 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $25,950
– Grades offered: 6-12
– Students: 773 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 48.9% White; 23.9% Asian; 8.7% Unknown; 7.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
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North Dakota: Shanley High School & Sullivan Middle School
– Location: Fargo, ND
– National rank: N/A
– Type: Private, Catholic
– Tuition: unavailable
– Grades offered: 6-12
– Students: 541 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 92.2% White; 1.9% African American; 1.9% Asian; 1.9% Hispanic
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Ohio: Hawken School
– Location: Gates Mills, OH
– National rank: #139 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $29,900
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,082 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 66.1% White; 9.1% Asian; 7.9% African American; 7.8% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
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Oklahoma: Casady School
– Location: Oklahoma City, OK
– National rank: #342 of 1000
– Type: Private, Episcopal, Montessori
– Tuition: $21,370
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 939 (52% female; 48% male)
– Racial composition: 63.2% White; 15.8% Asian; 8.9% Unknown; 5.8% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Oregon: Catlin Gabel School
– Location: Portland, OR
– National rank: #100 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $34,100
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 769 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 54.6% White; 23.3% Multiracial; 13.8% Asian; 4.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Pennsylvania: Germantown Friends School
– Location: Philadelphia, PA
– National rank: #58 of 1000
– Type: Private, Quaker
– Tuition: $40,350
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,070 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 35.6% Unknown; 28.5% White; 10.7% Multiracial; 10.6% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Rhode Island: Moses Brown School
– Location: Providence, RI
– National rank: #217 of 1000
– Type: Private, Quaker
– Tuition: $39,230
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 774 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 72.6% White; 7.2% Asian; 7.1% Multiracial; 4.1% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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South Carolina: Christ Church Episcopal School
– Location: Greenville, SC
– National rank: #402 of 1000
– Type: Private, Episcopal
– Tuition: $21,130
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 1,115 (48% female; 52% male)
– Racial composition: 73.9% White; 13.4% International; 4.6% African American; 3.0% Asian
– Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
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South Dakota: O’Gorman High School
– Location: Sioux Falls, SD
– National rank: N/A
– Type: Private, Catholic
– Tuition: $5,750
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 784 (52% female; 48% male)
– Racial composition: 95.3% White; 1.9% Asian; 1.9% Hispanic; 0.9% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
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Tennessee: University School of Nashville
– Location: Nashville, TN
– National rank: #120 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $25,776
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 1,071 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 55.9% White; 12.6% Asian; 11.6% Multiracial; 11.1% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Texas: St. Mark’s School of Texas
– Location: Dallas, TX
– National rank: #3 of 1000
– Type: Private, Episcopal, All-Boys
– Tuition: $29,496
– Grades offered: 1-12
– Students: 863
– Racial composition: 55.0% White; 24.5% Asian; 7.7% Hispanic; 6.3% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Utah: The Waterford School
– Location: Sandy, UT
– National rank: #99 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $25,390
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 973 (51% female; 49% male)
– Racial composition: 73.6% White; 14.4% Asian; 4.1% Hispanic; 3.3% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
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Vermont: The Putney School
– Location: Putney, VT
– National rank: #398 of 1000
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $36,700
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 235 (52% female; 48% male)
– Racial composition: 46.8% White; 28.5% Unknown; 14.0% Asian; 5.1% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 3:1
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Virginia: The Potomac School
– Location: McLean, VA
– National rank: #106 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $38,550
– Grades offered: K-12
– Students: 1,060 (49% female; 51% male)
– Racial composition: 64.3% White; 14.0% Multiracial; 9.4% African American; 8.8% Asian
– Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
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Washington: Lakeside School
– Location: Seattle, WA
– National rank: #23 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $32,000
– Grades offered: 5-12
– Students: 838 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 48.0% White; 23.3% Asian; 19.4% Multiracial; 6.7% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Washington D.C.: Sidwell Friends School
– Location: Washington, DC
– National rank: #22 of 1000
– Type: Private, Quaker
– Tuition: $39,360
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 1,145 (50% female; 50% male)
– Racial composition: 52.3% White; 16.0% Multiracial; 15.0% African American; 8.0% Asian
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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West Virginia: The Linsly School
– Location: Wheeling, WV
– National rank: N/A
– Type: Private, Boarding
– Tuition: $19,850
– Grades offered: 5-12
– Students: 465 (46% female; 54% male)
– Racial composition: 72.9% White; 9.0% International; 8.2% Asian; 6.0% African American
– Student-teacher ratio: 9:1
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Wisconsin: Brookfield Academy
– Location: Brookfield, WI
– National rank: #274 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $20,250
– Grades offered: PK, K-12
– Students: 842
– Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
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Wyoming: Jackson Hole Community School
– Location: Jackson, WY
– National rank: #631 of 1000
– Type: Private
– Tuition: $25,100
– Grades offered: 9-12
– Students: 83 (47% female; 53% male)
– Racial composition: 90.4% White; 7.2% Hispanic; 2.4% Multiracial
– Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
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