Here is a list of college-preparatory private schools in Cleveland, Ohio.
Andrews Osborne Academy is a pre K-12 co-ed day and boarding school (boarding is for grades 7-12). The school has a three-hundred acre campus with a renowned equestrian center. Its 360 students come from around the world and enjoy a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The school’s global studies program introduces students in all grade levels to different cultures and parts of the world through a multi-disciplinary approach.
Birchwood School is a K-8 co-ed day school founded in 1984. In the words of the school, “Our Mission is to provide an educational setting where challenging academics build solid work habits, an achievement culture nurtures healthy attitudes, and a caring environment forges social responsibility.” The school has a rigorous academic program and supports its students in developing their study skills and social conscience. The school has a gifted program.
Gilmour Academy is a Catholic coed Montessori pre-K and a coed K-12 day school and boarding school (for grades 7-12). The school was founded in 1946 by the Brothers of the Holy Cross. Gilmour educates students from different faiths and backgrounds, and all students participate in community service. The school offers 23 varsity sports, including the only Girls Prep Hockey team in Ohio. The school is based on 144 acres in Gates Mills, east of Cleveland.
Hathaway Brown School is a pre-K through 12th grade day school for girls. Founded in 1876, it is Ohio’s oldest college-preparatory school for girls. Part of the school’s mission statement reads as follows, “We strive to foster in the minds of our students an abiding passion for learning, and in their hearts a constant devotion to strong character and public service. At this moment in history there is a great need for women of vision and courage who are empowered for leadership in a multicultural and globalized society. We seek to answer that need by inspiring our students to achieve their utmost potential, and rise boldly to the challenges of their times.” The school’s 16-acre campus in Shaker Heights includes architecturally distinguished buildings, including an engineering laboratory, a greenhouse, a television and long-distance learning center, and an aquatics center.
Hawken is a Pre-K through 12 coed day school originally founded in 1915, when a small group of parents hired a tutor to teach their children with a progressive program in a house in Cleveland. This teacher, James A. Hawken, came to found a boys’ school for children in kindergarten through 9th grade, and the school eventually became a co-ed school for students through 12th grade. The school has remained committed to Hawkin’s goal: “That the better self shall prevail and each generation introduce its successor to a higher plane of life.” The school currently educates over 900 students on two campuses in Lyndhurst and Gates Mills. Thirty-six percent of the students receive financial aid.
Lake Ridge Academy is a K-12 co-ed day school. The school’s mission is “to send into a changing world confident young people of integrity who think critically and creatively while embracing the joy of lifelong learning.” Founded in 1963 on Cleveland’s west side, the school is located on an 88-acre campus in North Ridgeville. The school educates 370 students, 30% of whom represent diversity. Thirty percent of the students receive financial aid.
Laurel School is a coed early childhood center and K-12 day school for girls. Founded in 1896, the school now has two campuses—one in Shaker Heights in Lyman Circle and a 140-acre Butler Campus with athletic and outdoor learning facilities. The school’s mission is, in its own words, "To inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world.” The school houses the nationally renowned Center for Research on Girls.
Lawrence School is 1-12 co-ed day school serving bright students with learning and attention differences. The school tailors its instruction to help children with learning differences achieve their potential. The school has a lower school campus in Broadview Heights and an upper school campus in Sagamore Hills.
The Lillian and Betty Ratner School is a Montessori school for toddlers-K and 1-8 co-ed day school. The school is committed to fostering diversity and educating each student according to his or her individual talents. Founded in 1963, the school is “influenced by the Montessori philosophy.”
Ruffing Montessori School is a Montessori toddler–8 co-ed day school. Founded in 1961 with a summer orientation program, the school was one of the nation’s first Montessori schools. The Ruffing Montesori School provides “a learning environment that helps children to learn how to learn, find meaning in knowledge and prepare to become citizens of the world.” The school is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified building, and it uses a green curriculum to help foster environmental awareness among its students.
University School is a K-12 day school for boys with two campuses—one in Shaker Heights and one in Hunting Valley. Founded in 1890, the school has a rigorous college-prep curriculum and very strong athletic programs. Its all-boy environment helps students feel comfortable in a range of endeavors, and its students are grouped into house systems so that they can connect with students in different grades. The students are encouraged to develop responsibility through school chores such as setting and clearing tables in the dining hall and working in community service projects. The school has a number of national and international partnerships to encourage its students to develop global awareness.
Western Reserve Academy is a 9-12 co-ed boarding and day school. The school was founded in 1826 as Western Reserve College and Academy. After the college moved to nearby Cleveland in 1882 (and later became Case Western Reserve University), the school closed its doors but later re-opened them in 1916. The school now educates 400 students, about 250 of whom are boarding students, with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The school’s historic campus includes the Loomis Observatory, the second-oldest in the country. The school hosts a number of extracurricular and athletic activities.
