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.
📧 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
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 Tennessee 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.
Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock
#30. Sacred Heart of Jesus High School
– Enrollment: 101 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Jackson
– Niche grade: A
Achira22 // Shutterstock
#29. Davidson Academy
– Enrollment: 625 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
#28. Harding Academy of Memphis
– Enrollment: 642 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A
LightField Studios // Shutterstock
#27. Ezell-Harding Christian School
– Enrollment: 400 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Antioch
– Niche grade: A
Mircea Moira // Shutterstock
#26. Christ Presbyterian Academy
– Enrollment: 1,313 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
#25. Briarcrest Christian School
– Enrollment: 1,755 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Eads
– Niche grade: A
panitanphoto // Shutterstock
#24. Pope John Paul II Preparatory School
– Enrollment: 776 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Hendersonville
– Niche grade: A
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#23. St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School
– Enrollment: 771 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A
ImageFlow // Shutterstock
#22. Franklin Road Academy
– Enrollment: 999 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
#21. Girls Preparatory School
– Enrollment: 503 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Chattanooga
– Niche grade: A
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
#20. Brentwood Academy
– Enrollment: 706 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Brentwood
– Niche grade: A
SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock
#19. Lipscomb Academy
– Enrollment: 1,354 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A+
sirtravelalot // Shutterstock
#18. Christian Brothers High School
– Enrollment: 720 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 9-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
maroke // Shutterstock
#17. St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School
– Enrollment: 236 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Sewanee
– Niche grade: A+
Studio KIWI // Shutterstock
#16. St. George’s Independent School – Collierville Campus
– Enrollment: 1,076 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Collierville
– Niche grade: A+
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock
#15. Battle Ground Academy
– Enrollment: 905 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Franklin
– Niche grade: A+
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#14. University School of Jackson
– Enrollment: 1,051 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Jackson
– Niche grade: A+
Ground Picture // Shutterstock
#13. Webb School of Knoxville
– Enrollment: 1,015 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Knoxville
– Niche grade: A+
Joyseulay // Shutterstock
#12. The Webb School
– Enrollment: 405 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Bell Buckle
– Niche grade: A+
LStockStudio // Shutterstock
#11. Pleasant View School
– Enrollment: 383 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#10. Hutchison School
– Enrollment: 823 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#9. The Ensworth School
– Enrollment: 1,202 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#8. Baylor School
– Enrollment: 1,022 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Chattanooga
– Niche grade: A+
Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock
#7. McCallie School
– Enrollment: 979 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 6-12
– City: Chattanooga
– Niche grade: A+
LBeddoe // Shutterstock
#6. Memphis University School
– Enrollment: 630 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#5. Harpeth Hall School
– Enrollment: 730 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 5-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A+
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock
#4. Montgomery Bell Academy
– Enrollment: 829 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: 7-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#3. Lausanne Collegiate School
– Enrollment: 851 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock
#2. St. Mary’s Episcopal School
– Enrollment: 830 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: PK, K-12
– City: Memphis
– Niche grade: A+
Canva
#1. University School of Nashville
– Enrollment: 1,081 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Grades served: K-12
– City: Nashville
– Niche grade: A+
