Connecticut is an amazing state that is famous for many things. There's the beautiful fall foliage, it’s exploding manufacturing industry, and the fact that it’s home to the ESPN cable station. Of course, the state is also famous for its schools. There are many high-quality universities here, and in addition to being great staples of education, they’re also quite wealthy. Today, we’ll talk about the richest schools in Connecticut. We’ll tell you just how much money the schools have, the tuition you can expect to pay, and other fun facts.
Richest Schools in Connecticut – Boarding Schools
Connecticut is an amazing state for education, and the opportunities for learning start as early as middle and high school. Some of the wealthiest institutions in the state are boarding schools that offer a top-notch experience to prepare the kids for college. Here are some of the richest in the state.
Avon Old Farms School
500 Old Farms Road, Avon, CT 06001
Our first boarding school is Avon Old Farms School, which has an endowment of $53 million. This is considered to be a medium-sized school that has about 405 students. Parents who send their kids can expect to pay about $72k for classes, room, and board. Students who only attend during the day will pay about $55k. The school is for kids in grades 9-12, and students have class sizes of about 12 pupils, so they can learn without distraction.
Avon Old Farms School was founded back in 1927 by the famed architect Theodate Pope Riddle. It’s situated on 860 amazing acres of land, and it’s quite the fabulous campus. This is an incredibly diverse school with students that come from many countries around the globe. In fact, the school has an international student population of 20%. There is also a huge athletics program, and kids can play 15 different sports. This boarding school also has an impressive list of alumni, including:
- Pete Seeger – Musician
- Richard Yates – Novelist
- Michael Nouri – Broadway Star
- John Garvey – NASA Rocket Scientist
- George Springer – MLB Player
- Kristian Bush – Grammy Award Winning Musician
Canterbury School
101 Aspetuck Avenue, New Milford, CT 06776
This highly esteemed school out of New Milford is in control of an endowment of $31 million. This is a moderately-sized school with about 325 students that are in grades 9-12. The school has a 36% acceptance rate, a yearly cost of $67,750 for boarding students, and an average class size of 12 students.
This is a great school that offers a lot for young minds. It’s situated on 150 acres, and it has many sleek and modern buildings, including those for living, learning, and spiritual reflection. The school was originally founded in the Catholic tradition, but it now accepts students of all religions. Administrators at the school prioritize five core values: respect, honesty, compassion, self-reliance, and spiritually. Needless to say, this is a well-rounded boarding school that will do your kids well. Notable alumni of Canterbury School include:
- Jack Arute – ESPN Announcer
- Sargent Shriver – Vice President Candidate
- John Hemingway – Author and Son of Ernest Hemingway
- Mike Dunham – NFL Player
- Dominick Dunne – TV Personality
Cheshire Academy
10 Main Street, Cheshire, CT 06410
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Our next boarding school on the list of the richest schools in Connecticut is Cheshire Academy, which has an endowment of $16.3 million. The school has 343 students in grades 9-12, and class sizes are quite small, at about 10 students each, so the kids get a very intimate learning environment. This school currently has an acceptance rate of about 45%. Boarding students will pay about $57,250 per year, while students who only take the classes can expect to pay about $30,000.
This school was founded back in 1794, making it one of the earliest schools in Connecticut’s history. The academy has only gotten better with age as it was recently ranked in the 10% “Best College Prep Private Schools in America.” The school is located on a vast 104 acres, and it welcomes students from 14 states and 27 countries. In addition to the classes, students can also participate in 17 sports. There are currently a whopping 27 boys and girls teams in the various sports. Notable alumni of the school include:
- JP Morgan – Famed Banker
- Roberto C. Goizueta – One-Time CEO of Coca-Cola
- Rockwell Kent – Artist
- Robert Ludlum – Writer of the Bourne Trilogy
- James Van Der Beek – Actor
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian Street, Wallingford, CT 06492
This stellar boarding school has received endowments totalling $396 as of June 30, 2020. It’s quite an amazing institution that is pretty large with 867 students. Still, it’s not an easy school to get into as there is currently about a 16% acceptance rate. If your kids do get in then you can expect to pay about $62k if they also board there, and $48k if they only attend during the day.
To be fair, students who attend Choate Rosemary Hall do typically get their money’s worth. In addition to receiving a standard 9-12 grade education, students can learn in LEED-Gold computer science and mathematics spaces where they can learn robotics and other advanced subjects. Notable alumni of Choate Rosemary Hall include:
- John F. Kennedy – Former President
- Edward Albee – Playwright
- Glenn Close – Actress
- Paul Giamatti – Actor
- Hilary Knight – Olympic Athlete
The Ethel Walker School
230 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury, CT 06070
With an endowment of $24.79 million, the next institution on our list of the richest schools in Connecticut is The Ethel Walker School. This is a medium-sized school that has about 236 students and a 48% acceptance rate. Students who go to classes and board at the school will pay about $66k per year while students who only attend classes will pay $48,474. This is considered to be a college preparatory school, and it serves students in grades 7-12.
The Ethel Walker School was founded in 1911 and was one of the very first girls-only preparatory schools in the United States. It’s a large school that sits on 175 acres. It was first located in Lakewood, New Jersey, before finding a final home in Simsbury. There are some notable alumni of the school, including:
- Juanin Clay – Actress
- Mary L. Trump – Author
- Sigourney Weaver, actress
- Ariana Rockefeller – Fashion Designer
- Ethel du Pont – Heiress
Forman School
12 Norfolk Road, Litchfield, CT 06759
The Forman School, located in Litchfield, has a $8 million endowment. The school has about 240 students and an acceptance rate of 80%. The class sizes are limited at about 8 students per session, so the kids get a very high-quality education. Yearly tuition for boarding students is about $86 thousand, and the tuition for day students is about $70,200. The school is for kids in grades 9-12.
This school was founded back in 1930 by folks who believed that gifted kids weren’t getting the education they needed at traditional schools. To help them create the curriculum, the founders brought on many scientists, including Albert Einstein! This is a very inclusive school with students from 31 states and 9 different countries. The school has 26 different athletic programs, so kids get a very well-rounded education. Select alumni of the school includes:
- David Rublin – Author
- Richard Henkels – cinematographer
- Mitchell Block – Filmmaker
- Nicholas Kraus – Founder of Wounded Warrior Project
Richest Schools in Connecticut – Colleges
There are also many very famous and very well-renowned colleges in Connecticut. Kids can do amazing things when they attend these schools and become anything they want to be. However, the schools will be costly, which explains why they are so wealthy. Here are some of the richest:
Yale University
Woodbridge Hall New Haven, CT 06520
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Yale is one of the most famous colleges in the world, so it’s no surprise that they have an endowment of just over $31 billion. This is the fourth leading college in America, and it's the third oldest school for higher education. Currently, students who attend Yale can expect to pay about $88 thousand per year. There are about 14,567 undergrad and graduate students currently attending Yale.
This esteemed school was founded back in 1701 by the Saybrook Colony. Before it was called Yale, this school was called Collegiate School. It got the name Yale when a famous governor of the British East India Company made a big donation. This is considered to be a research school, but it offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. The school started so the instructors could educate ministers, but in 1777, they added other subjects.
There are many amazing alumni of Yale, including five presidents: George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, and William Howard Taft. As crazy as it sounds, three of our last six presidents went to Yale. Other notable alumni include:
- Vincent Price – Actor
- Sigourney Weaver – Actress
- Jodie Foster – Actress
- Ben Silbermann – Pinterest Co-Founder
- Bing Gordan – Co-Founder of Electronic Arts
Wesleyan University
45 Wyllys Avenue Middletown, CT 06459
The next selection on our list of the richest schools in Connecticut is Wesleyan University, which has an endowment of $1,130,907,000. This is a much smaller school than Yale, but there are still about 3,581 undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, the sticker price for classes and room and board is about $72k per year.
Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 as a men’s college with the support of the Methodist Church. In fact, the college is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. However, this is now a secular college. The school finally became coeducational in 1970. The college is huge and sits on 360 acres, and it has over 340 buildings, which is impressive because it started with just two buildings. As you may imagine, there are also many notable alumni, including:
- Lin-Manuel Miranda – Playwright
- Bill Belichick – NFL Head Coach
- Herb Kelleher – CEO of Southwest Airlines
- Michael Bay – Film Director
- Joss Whedon – Film Director
- Bradley Whitford – Actor
Trinity College
300 Summit St Hartford, CT 06106
With an endowment of $614 million, Trinity College is another of the richest schools in Connecticut. Currently, there are about 2,190 students here, and only about 31 of them are graduate students. Cost of admission will run students about $82,613 per year for classes and room and board. This is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1823. It started out with the name Washington College. This school is the second oldest in the state. The school has been coeducational since 1969, and it offers 41 majors and 28 minor programs.
When the school opened its doors in 1824, it had only nine students. The college was renamed to Trinity College in 1845. This is a stellar school with a “more selective” acceptance rate. About 33.5% of students are accepted, according to recent numbers. The school has many historical buildings that are called “long walk” buildings because of how huge they are. Like the others, Trinity College has a large selection of famous alumni, including:
- Danny Meyer – Founder of Shake Shack
- Tucker Carlson – News Commentator
- George Will – News Commentator
- Mary McCormack – Actress
- Rachel Platten – Singer
Quinnipiac University
275 Mt Carmel Ave, Hamden, CT 06518
Quinnipiac University has an endowment of $545 million. This is a large school with close to 10,000 students in their undergraduate and graduate programs. The cost of admission at this university is $71,569 per year before any student aid. This is a private university that was founded in 1929, and it provides graduate, undergraduate, and professional degrees. One of the founders of this school was Phillip Troup, who was a graduate of Yale University, and he also became the first president of Quinnipiac University.
This is an old college that has seen many world events. From 1943 until 1945, the college closed its doors because most of the students were drafted into World War II. However, once the school reopened, it quadrupled its enrollment. The university has many noteworthy buildings, including the Arnold Bernhard Library, which has undergone one million-dollar renovations. This school has a long list of alumni, including:
- Sam Anas – NFL Player
- Freddy Hall – Soccer Player
- Murray Lender – Businessman
- Molly Qerim – Sports Anchor
- William C. Weldon – Former CEO of Johnson & Johnson
Fairfield University
1073 N Benson Rd Fairfield, CT 06824
Fairfield University has an endowment of $319,391,000, so it’s certainly another of the wealthiest schools in the state and the country. Currently, there are about 5,826 total students in the undergraduate and graduate programs. The cost also adds to the wealth aspect, with a year of school, room, and board costing $69,341 before financial aid. This is a private Jesuit college that was founded in 1942.
Technically, Fairfield University is composed of five schools and colleges that include schools that focus on engineering, arts and sciences, and more. The school was ranked number 115 out of all U.S. universities. This school sits on nearly 200 acres, and it has many historic buildings, many of which are named after saints. There’s an incredible athletics program that includes soccer, lacrosse, and more. The list of noteworthy alumni includes:
- Bob Sullivan – Part Founder of MSNBC
- Christopher McCormick – CEO of L.L. Bean
- John L. Flannery – CEO of General Electric
- Pat Jordan – Author
Conclusion
Thus concludes your list of the richest schools in Connecticut. There are some very famous schools on this list, and it’s not hard to imagine why some of them are so wealthy. If you can afford the price tag, then your child can learn a lot at these boarding schools and universities and become anything they want to be.
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