(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 West Virginia 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.
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#30. Mountain State Christian School
– Enrollment: 59 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Culloden
– Niche grade: C+
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#29. Lewisburg Baptist Academy
– Enrollment: 134 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Lewisburg
– Niche grade: B
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#28. Seneca Trail Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 85 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Ronceverte
– Niche grade: B
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#27. Parkersburg Christian School
– Enrollment: 114 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Parkersburg
– Niche grade: B+
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#26. Pipestem Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 55 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Pipestem
– Niche grade: B+
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#25. Highland Adventist School
– Enrollment: 56 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Elkins
– Niche grade: A-
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#24. Heritage Christian School
– Enrollment: 151 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Bridgeport
– Niche grade: A-
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#23. Elk Valley Christian School
– Enrollment: 153 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Elkview
– Niche grade: C+
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#22. Mabscott Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 15 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Mabscott
– Niche grade: C+
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#21. Mountain View Christian School
– Enrollment: 128 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Hilltop
– Niche grade: C+
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#20. Beth Haven Christian School
– Enrollment: 111 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Chauncey
– Niche grade: B-
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#19. Morgantown Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 97 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Morgantown
– Niche grade: B-
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#18. Greater Beckley Christian School
– Enrollment: 297 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Prosperity
– Niche grade: B-
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#17. Mercer Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 178 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Princeton
– Niche grade: B-
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#16. Calvary Baptist Academy
– Enrollment: 212 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Hurricane
– Niche grade: B-
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#15. Faith Christian Academy
– Enrollment: 361 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Martinsburg
– Niche grade: B
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#14. Cross Lanes Christian School
– Enrollment: 250 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Cross Lanes
– Niche grade: B
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#13. Teays Valley Christian School
– Enrollment: 303 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Scott Depot
– Niche grade: B
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#12. Grace Christian School
– Enrollment: 305 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Huntington
– Niche grade: B
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#11. Victory Baptist Academy
– Enrollment: 141 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Beaver
– Niche grade: B+
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#10. Wood County Christian School
– Enrollment: 305 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Williamstown
– Niche grade: B+
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#9. Covenant School
– Enrollment: 230 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Huntington
– Niche grade: B+
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#8. Weirton Madonna High School
– Enrollment: 128 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Weirton
– Niche grade: B+
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#7. Trinity Christian School
– Enrollment: 279 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Morgantown
– Niche grade: B+
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#6. Central Catholic High School
– Enrollment: 285 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Wheeling
– Niche grade: A-
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#5. Notre Dame High School
– Enrollment: 208 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Clarksburg
– Niche grade: A-
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#4. Parkersburg Catholic High School
– Enrollment: 77 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Parkersburg
– Niche grade: A-
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#3. St. Joseph Catholic High School
– Enrollment: 152 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Huntington
– Niche grade: A-
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#2. Charleston Catholic High School
– Enrollment: 410 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Charleston
– Niche grade: A
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#1. The Linsly School
– Enrollment: 465 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 5-12
– City: Wheeling
– Niche grade: A
