Tuition by region: New England is highest, the Midwest and South are about $12,000 lower
Regions are the groupings used in USAnaru™ school filters. Tuition is each school's published boarding tuition (mostly 2026–27); "n" is the number of schools. As of 2026-10-12.
| Region | Schools (of 232) | Median boarding tuition | Median enrollment | Median distance to a major airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England | 73 (31%) | $79,650 (n=42) | 311 | 62 km |
| South | 49 (21%) | $66,750 (n=18) | 238 | 92 km |
| Mid-Atlantic | 43 (19%) | $76,000 (n=20) | 250 | 56 km |
| West | 35 (15%) | $78,900 (n=16) | 266 | 50 km |
| Midwest | 26 (11%) | $65,000 (n=13) | 187 | 80 km |
| Southwest | 6 (3%) | too few to report | — | — |
How to use this
- The gap is real but not a rule. New England and the West cost about $13,000–$15,000 more at the median than the South and Midwest, but each region has schools above and below its median.
- Budget for the whole trip. A cheaper region may be farther from an airport; add travel to your budget.
- Check each school. Tuition changes yearly. See tuition in numbers and compare in the school list.
Source data: school websites and NCES PSS 2023-24; how USAnaru™ labels data.
Cite this article as: USAnaru™ — https://usanaru.com/news/boarding-school-regions-tuition-by-region
Questions
Is boarding school cheaper outside New England?
On the published medians, yes: about $12,900 lower in the South and $14,650 lower in the Midwest than in New England. Compare schools one by one, because ranges overlap and aid differs.
Which region has the most boarding schools?
New England, with 73 of the 232 schools that have region data (31%), followed by the South (49), the Mid-Atlantic (43), the West (35) and the Midwest (26).
Related documents
Sources
- Private School Universe Survey (PSS) — U.S. Department of Education, NCES
- How USAnaru™ collects and labels school data — USAnaru™
- School tuition pages (linked on each USAnaru™ school page) — Each school's own website
General information as of Oct 12, 2026, not legal, immigration or admissions advice. Each school, the U.S. Department of State and SEVP decide; check the school's own pages and official sources before you act.
