For the 2026 school year, there are 4 pre-professional arts boarding schools serving 1,262 students located within the United States.
While college-prep boarding schools generally have excellent arts programs, the schools below specialize further in helping students train and become artists in a variety of fields such as music, visual arts, theatre, ballet, and creative writing.
Students are prepared for entrance into either traditional colleges or specialty schools like music conservatories (e.g., Juilliard).
Top Arts Boarding Schools (2026)
Gr: 9-12, PG | 100 students
Student-teacher ratio: 4:1
Avg. class size: 8 students
Acceptance rate: 50%
Tuition listed
non-sectarian
8585 Ojai Santa Paula Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-4343
Idyllwild, CA
Gr: 9-12, PG | 320 students
Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
Avg. class size: 12 students
Acceptance rate: 65%
Tuition listed
52500 Temecula Road
Idyllwild, CA 92549
(951) 468-7223
Gr: 9-12, PG | 567 students
Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
Avg. class size: 11 students
Tuition listed
4000 J Maddy Pkwy
Interlochen, MI 49643
(231) 276-7472
Gr: 9-12, PG | 275 students
Student-teacher ratio: 6:1
Avg. class size: 16 students
Acceptance rate: 47%
Tuition listed
12 Highland Street
Natick, MA 01760
(508) 650-5020
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