What are the Best Private Schools in Florida and Where Should you Live?

Where to Live to Be Near The Best Private Schools in Florida?

We often get calls from families that are looking to move to Florida, but they are unsure where in Florida they would like to live. Making sure they buy a home close enough to the right school for their children is one of the most important factors in their final decision. For these buyers we wrote this blog in which we discuss South Florida’s best private schools and where to live to be near these schools.

Please note we are not school experts and I believe there is no such thing as the perfect school, more the perfect school for your child. Some children are perfectly fitted for one school while others are not. In this article we mention the high ranking South Florida Private schools, which are most desired with local and relocating families.

Before we we go into further detail of each of the areas and the best schools we wanted to answer some of the most frequently asked questions.

What is the Number 1 Private School in South Florida?

• For Grades PreK to Middle: According to Niche.com*, the best private school in Florida is Pine Crest school in Fort Lauderdale (this school also has a Boca Raton campus) followed by American Heritage Schools in Broward and Palm Beach and the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami. The 2020 Jay Mathews Challenge Index, the oldest school ranking system in the country, named Pine Crest School the number one private school in the nation and Florida. Newsweek’s The Top STEM High Schools 2020 ranked Pine Crest number one in Florida and seven in the nation for private schools, and 19 in the nation overall.
• For High School: According to Niche.com*, the number 1 private school is Ransom Everglades in Miami, followed by Pine Crest school in Fort Lauderdale and American Heritage Schools in Broward Campus.

What Cities have the Best Schools in South Florida?

Looking at the top 10 or even 20 schools in Miami as well as the concentration of highly rated private schools in Florida we can say that Miami and the Fort Lauderdale area offer the best options for private schools.

How much does a Private School cost in South Florida?

The tuition for South Florida private schools can vary substantially, but the schools included in this list range between $19,000 and $40,000 per year.

*The Private K-8 Overall grade is based on data from the U.S. Department of Education along reviews from students and parents.  The Best Private High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. Additional data is also collected from schools directly. Note: Niche has a separate ranking for The Best Public High Schools.

Private Schools in Florida | What Are the Best Private Schools in Miami?

Miami has many highly rated schools most of which are concentrated around Coral Gables, Ponce Davis, Coconut Grove and Pinecrest. These 4 areas are really the core of Miami’s family life with great real estate options (mostly single-family homes) often in gated communities or located on a waterfront lot. These areas are safe and offer the best of family life in all of Miami.
Some of the highest ranked and most desired schools:

Private Schools in Florida | What Are the Best Private Schools in Fort Lauderdale?

Fort Lauderdale is one of the highest ranking South Florida cities when it comes to excellent private education. The city is actually home to Florida’s best private school: the Pine Crest school. Some of the highest ranked and most desired schools:

Private Schools in Florida | What Are the Best Private Schools in Boca Raton?

The Boca Raton area is home to three really good schools.

• Saint Andrews | Grades PreK- 12 (Day and Boarding School)
• American Heritage Delray Campus | Grades PreK3 – 12
• Pine Crest school Boca Raton Campus | Grades PreK- 12

For Saint Andrews and the Pine Crest School we recommend to look at areas such as Saint Andrews Country Club, a private golf club community with a gated and manned entrance and lots of amenities including 36 holes of championship golf, 14 clay courts, a fitness center and full spa services. The original constructed homes in St Andrews have distinctive Mizner styling with barrel tile roofs and Mediterranean flair. Newer custom homes with coastal contemporary styling are now being introduced into the mix.

Other options are the areas of Boca Bridges and Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club. Boca Bridges is a newer community with newer contemporary style homes. This is a planned community in which all homes are kind of similar. The community is gated and comes with a beautiful clubhouse. The Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club is a private country club with waterfront and non-waterfront homes. This gated community is located well to the east and is perfect for beach access or a boating lifestyle. Royal Palm is essentially minutes to the heart of Boca Raton, close to shops, beaches and culture.

For American Heritage in Delray Beach look at St Andrews Country Club, Horseshoe Acres, Boca Bridges, Delray Beach, Highland Beach or even Gulfstream.

Private Schools in Florida | What Are the Best Private Schools in Palm Beach?

• Benjamin School Palm Beach| Grades PK3 – 12
• The Greene School West Palm Beach | GradesPK-8
• Oxbridge | Grades 7-12

For the Benjamin School you should consider areas like Singer Island, Lost Tree Village, Admirals Cove or Jupiter Island. For both the Greene School and Oxbridge please consider West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Island and even Manalapan. If your kids are attending Oxbridge you might also consider Riviera Beach.

Most of these areas are pre-dominantly desired for single-family home living although Singer Island and Riviera Beach are both known for their newer or pre-construction condo buildings. These areas are rich in new(er) developments, which make them more up and coming. Both areas do have single-family homes, but you will find them on the intra-coastal side.

Private Schools in Florida | What Are the Best Private Schools in Delray?

•  Gulf Stream School in Gulf Stream Florida | Grades PK, K-8
• Many residents of Delray Beach attend the schools in Boca Raton, please refer to that section as well.