10 Cheapest Boarding Schools in America in 2018

A good education is a privilege and usually the best way to get it is to attend a boarding school, but if you are a low income family, here are 10 cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018.

What is a boarding school for? This is a question asked by many parents if they hadn’t attended one. Sure, everyone is full of praise for them, but what is it that separates boarding schools from the regular ones, apart from the fact the kids are sleeping outside their homes? One of the main reasons a child enrolls this kind of institution is the fact it prepares its students for colleges and usually has a close collaboration with some universities. If your child is attending boarding school, he or she must already have in mind what kind of college to apply for. What is more, he/she is going to grow up in a healthy and ambitious environment. Even if a child is a bit reluctant when it comes to studying, surely such surrounding will bring out the best in him/her and entice the child to strive harder. Low cost boarding schools for troubled youth are also an alternative for low income families, but we recommend that you should first look into finding high quality boarding schools that offer financial aid.

That is all nice and neat, but how much are boarding schools? How much is the average boarding school? How cheap are the cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018? Apparently, the average tuition fee for a boarding school is $38,850, as said by CollegeBound. Another frequent question is about the educational facilities which promise to teach your child discipline and responsibilities – military schools. The average cost of military school ranges from$30,000 to $40,000 as told by Sjms. Talking about discipline, another category of boarding schools that has taken off in recent years are low-cost boarding schools for troubled youth. If this interests you, Teen Challenge Schools can be of help by providing you with names and programs of most recommendable schools. Normally they are situated in wonderful nature (as is usually the case with boarding schools), but what sets them apart are special programs and professionals to deal with problematic behavior infused by various factors (e.g. dyslexia, hyperactivity, etc.).

Maybe you have already checked out our list of the most affordable boarding schools in America or the best Christian boarding schools for low income families. As for the schools from our list of cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018, we found them on Boarding School Review, ThoughCo, and Educatius and listed them according to their yearly tuition, from the highest to the lowest. Naturally, we searched the schools’ websites, too, and added some highlights that could help you decide (e.g. if they are Christian or non-denominational, which schools put an emphasis on sports and so on). Summer schools are excluded. None of the schools have such a low price to be free, but there really is such a thing as a free boarding school. Just check their list on Boarding Schools US. Usually, those schools are defined as 501c3 organizations, i.e. nonprofits that are tax-exempt. However, there is a general opinion that boarding schools which require yearly payments are better organized and more reliable. Apart from that, you should always check what kind of financial help a school is offering. Having a great financial aid system can turn out to be more helpful for your education fund than you originally anticipated.

Therefore, feel free to pick your favorite from our list of 10 cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018.

10. Ekklesia Mountain High

Tuition: $18,500

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Buena Vista, Colorado

As many of the most affordable schools, this one relies on Christian values, but you don’t have to be one to attend it. The campus is pretty big and spreads on 121 acres which should be enough for 135 students to enroll.

9. Oakdale Christian Academy

Tuition: $18,080

Grades offered: 7-12

Location: Breathitt County, Kentucky

What could help you in your decision on the best and least expensive school is the fact that Oakdale Christian Academy has been judged by TheBestSchools.org to be among the 30 best Christian boarding schools in the US. They only enroll 60 students, so that makes the teacher-student ratio 1:7, as is the national average for boarding schools.

8. Hillcrest Academy

Tuition: $17,475

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Hillcrest Academy defines itself as a Christian college-preparatory high school offering both boarding and day school opportunities for local, domestic and international students. As opposed to the previous one on our list, Hillcrest Academy definitely emphasizes the studying Bible and the word of God as one of the requirements while attending the school.

7. New Mexico Military Institute

Tuition: $13,688

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Roswell, New Mexico

If your child is athletic, this is the perfect school. Baseball and basketball are most popular sports on this campus. Military uniform is a must, and the campus is pretty large. Another good news is that 90% of the students are receiving some sort of financial aid.

6. Pillsbury College Prep

Tuition: $13,500

Grades offered: 6-12

Location: Owatonna, Minnesota

This is a very “young” school, compared to the others. Usually, schools were founded in the 20th century at least, but this one started accepting students in 2014. Teacher-student ratio is 1:7, and it also offers a summer camp. The school is open to both domestic and international students. When they’re not studying, there is a long list of free time activities to choose from.

5. Michigan Lutheran High School

Tuition: $10,600

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Berrien County, Michigan

If you wish to enroll this one in our list of cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018, you would have to be Christian. If you’re a Christian who is passionate about football, look no further, for this is the school for you.

4. Sunshine Bible Academy

Tuition: $10,090

Grades offered: 7-12

Location: Hand County, South Dakota

Now they don’t say you have to be a Christian in order to attend it, but the whole school is based on Christian values. Nevertheless, they are accepting all students. It all started in 1951 when a group of twenty fathers was concerned about the children’s education. Hence, they started their own school! It is very affordable, but international students will have to pay a bit more – their tuition is $15,135.

3. Mercyhurst Preparatory School

Tuition: $9,925

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Erie, Pennsylvania

As it is said on their official website, Mercyhurst Preparatory School is a four-year coeducational Catholic secondary school founded by the Sisters of Mercy in order to prepare students from all religious and ethnic backgrounds to reach success in life. Don’t get confused if they talk about Lakers all the time. Their focus is not only on the religious themes but also in sports and other activities. Above all, it’s one of the cheapest boarding schools even comparing to the others on our list.

2. Lustre Christian High School

Tuition: $9,600

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Valley County, Montana

This is a very small school compared to the rest – the enrollment takes only 25 students. On the plus side, everyone is welcome here, regardless of their religion. The LCH was voted number one private high school in Montana for the year 2015.

1. Red Bird Christian School

Tuition: $8,500

Grades offered: 9-12

Location: Clay County, Kentucky

This is the magic number that puts Red Bird Christian at the top of our list of cheapest boarding schools in America in 2018.  It’s practically free, isn’t it? The only catch is that you must be a Christian to attend it, and preferably a Methodist for that matter. The price given is without additional fees, but bearing in mind the scholarship for international students is $10,500, those extra fees can’t be very high, can they?