Bay Area Ranks High for Top Private High Schools

Top-performing public schools are certainly a high priority for Bay Area families when considering where to buy their next home, but our region is no slouch when it comes to private schools, either.That’s according to data from Niche.com, which annually ranks the best 100 private high schools in the U.S. based on six factors, including standardized test scores, the percentage of graduates who attend college, the quality of the university they choose, and the student-teacher ratio. In 2016, the rankings include 11 Bay Area schools, all of which boast 100 percent matriculation rates to four-year colleges. Take a quick look at our region’s inclusions on the list and where they rank nationally, as well as how much it costs to buy a single-family home in those communities, according to recent MLS data:   No. 3 – Stanford Online High School, Stanford: It would make sense that the Bay Area’s best private school is located on the campus of one of the most prestigious universities in the nation. Stanford Online High School’s 655 co-educational students in grades seven through 12 have a composite SAT score of 2,180, and the institution has one teacher for every 14 students. The median sales price for a home in neighboring Palo Alto was $2.57 million in March, down 2 percent from a year earlier. No. 14. – The College Preparatory School, Oakland: The city’s highly walkable Rockridge neighborhood is prized locally in part for its excellent public schools, and this private institution is also a draw. With a student body of 363, the school has a composite SAT score of 2,180 and a student-teacher ratio of 10-1. In March, the median sales price in Oakland’s 94618 ZIP code was $1,755,000, up 23 percent year over year. No. 18 – The Harker School, San Jose: Students at West San Jose’s The Harker School also boast a composite SAT score of 2,180 and one teacher per 10 students. The co-educational school has more than 2,000 students from preschool to 12^th grade. The median sales price in the city’s 95129 ZIP code was $1.58 million in March, an annual decrease of 3 percent. No. 21 – Crystal Springs Uplands School, Hillsborough: This San Mateo County school has 360 students, a composite SAT score of 2,180, and one teacher for every nine students. Hillsborough‘s March median sales price of $3.5 million was down 12.5 percent from one year earlier. No. 32 – The Branson School, Ross: This Marin County school’s 330 students earn a componsite SAT score of 2,100, and it boasts a low student-teacher ratio of 5-1. The median sales price in Ross was $8,867,500 in March, though we should note that figure is based on just two transactions. No. 37 – Menlo School, Atherton: This school in one of Silicon Valley’s most affluent communities has one teacher for every seven students and a composite SAT score of 2,100. The median sales price for an Atherton home was $4.6 million last month, down 39 percent from March 2015 No. 40 – Castilleja School, Palo Alto: This all-female school has a student body of 435, a composite SAT score of 2,180, and one teacher per seven students. In March, the median sales price for a home in Palo Alto’s 94301 ZIP code was $3.55 million, a year-over-year increase of 33 percent. No. 48 – Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco: Located adjacent to the Balboa Park BART station, this school’s 445 students earn a composite SAT score of 2,100, and it has a pupil-teacher ratio of 9-1. The median sales price in San Francisco‘s District 4 was $1.29 million in March, an annual gain of 7.5 percent. No. 56 – San Francisco University High School, San Francisco: This 400-student, Pacific Heights school has one teacher for every seven students and a composite SAT score of 2,100. March’s  $4,125,000 median sales price in the city’s District 7 was down 19 percent year over year. No. 63 – Head-Royce School, Oakland: Located where the Oakmore and Lincoln Heights neighborhoods meet, this co-educational school has 875 students, a composite SAT score of 2,100, and one teach per eight pupils. The median sales price in Oakland’s 94602 ZIP code was $895,000 in March, a year-over-year increase of 19 percent. No. 70 – Sacred Heart Schools Atherton, Atherton: This religious institution has 1,180 students from preschool to 12^th grade, a composite SAT score of 2,040, and a child-teacher ratio of 7-1.