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.

Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in Delaware using rankings from Niche. 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.

Read on to find out the best private high schools in your state.

  • #17. Fairwinds Christian School (Bear)

    – Enrollment: 185 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: B+

  • #16. Delmarva Christian Schools (Georgetown)

    – Enrollment: 427 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: B+

  • #15. Calvary Christian Academy (Dover)

    – Enrollment: 306 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: B+

  • #14. Wilmington Christian School (Hockessin)

    – Enrollment: 543 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A-

  • #13. St. Elizabeth High School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 320 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A-

  • #12. Red Lion Christian Academy (Bear)

    – Enrollment: 496 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A-

  • #11. Saint Mark's High School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 605 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A-

  • #10. Padua Academy (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 658 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A

  • #9. Caravel Academy (Bear)

    – Enrollment: 1121 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A

  • #8. Ursuline Academy (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 406 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A

  • #7. Salesianum School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 1034 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A

  • #6. The Tatnall School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 614 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

  • #5. Sanford School (Hockessin)

    – Enrollment: 647 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

  • #4. Archmere Academy (Claymont)

    – Enrollment: 514 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

  • #3. Wilmington Friends School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 722 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

  • #2. Tower Hill School (Wilmington)

    – Enrollment: 722 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

  • #1. St. Andrew's School (Middletown)

    – Enrollment: 310 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
    – Niche grade: A+

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