When many people are choosing a school for themselves, or they’re looking into the best educational opportunities for their kids, they tend to look at the fanciest institutions in the state. In many cases, if a school has more money then it also has better programs, larger classes, and the best teachers. If you’re looking for the biggest boarding schools and colleges in New Hampshire, then we’re here to help. Today, we’ll look at the richest schools in New Hampshire. We’ll tell you how rich each school is, what they offer for the money, and other fun facts that you need to know!
Richest Schools in New Hampshire – Boarding Schools
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If you’re looking to give your children a formal education where they can learn during the day and live at night, then a boarding school is the way to go. Many boarding schools in New Hampshire are very wealthy and they offer a big bang for the buck.
St. Paul’s School
325 Pleasant Street, Concord, NH 03301
The first boarding school on our list is also one of the richest schools in New Hampshire, and it’s St. Paul’s School. Located in Concord, NH, this institution has a huge endowment of $673 million. This school provides classes for students in grades 9-12, and there are about 530 students in attendance at a time. The yearly tuition to attend the school is $62,000, and the acceptance rate is only 16%. The class sizes are small, with only about 12 students per class, so they get an up close and personal education, which makes the experience well worth the money.
This school was established way back in 1856, and while it started as an all-boys school, it now also accepts girls as well. It’s a huge school that sits on 2,000 acres, and it has 25 miles of trails that the students can explore. It’s a truly spectacular school that produces upstanding adults. Some famous alumni of the school include:
- John Kerry – U.S. Senator
- Robert Mueller – FBI Director
- Nick Stoller – Filmmaker
- Jeff Halpern – Hockey Player
- Garry Trudeau – Doonesbury Cartoonist
Kimball Union Academy
7 Campus Center Drive, Meriden, NH 03770
Next on our list of the richest schools in New Hampshire is Kimball Union Academy, which has an endowment of $68 million. This is a highly regarded boarding school that serves kids from grades 9-12. On average, the school hosts about 340 students, and there’s an acceptance rate of 38%. Unlike many other boarding schools, students can either learn and live at the school or just attend during the day. The cost for boarding students is about $70,000, while day students will pay about $45,000 per year.
This is a great school that also prioritizes small classes, with about 12 students per class, so each kid gets individual attention. The institution was founded back in 1813, which makes it one of the oldest boarding schools in the country. Kimball Union Academy offers a lot of great perks, including a heated athletics field, a 1,300 acre campus, and a 6:1 student-faculty ratio. Famous alumni of the school include:
- Dana Stone – Vietnam War photographer
- Chester Bradley Jordan – Governor of New Hampshire
- Andrew Wheating – Olympian
- Steven Sotloff – Journalist
- Kasim Edebali – NFL Football Player
Holderness School
PO Box 1879, Plymouth, NH 03264
Holderness School is one of the best schools in New Hampshire, and it has an endowment of $60 million. The school serves students in grades 9-12, and there are about 300 students. The class sizes are small, but the acceptance rate is 45%, so there’s a good chance of getting in. This school also offers the chance to board and stay the night or just attend classes during the day. Boarding school tuition is $71,000 per year, and those who only attend during the day will pay just over $47,000 per year.
This is a gorgeous school that sits on 600 acres. The campus is amazing with stunning architecture and many mountains and lakes that are within 30 miles of campus. There’s a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. After class, the students can enjoy rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking, and many other awesome activities.
New Hampton School
70 Main Street, New Hampton, NH 03256
Located in New Hampton, NH, this is one of the richest schools in New Hampshire with a yearly endowment of $34 million. This is a boarding school that teaches high school aged students. It’s a medium-sized boarding school that has about 340 students and a 50% acceptance rate. Boarding students will pay close to $69,000 per year while day students will pay $41,000. The class sizes are small with about 11 students in each, so the kids get the best possible education.
This is an expansive and diverse school that has students from over 30 different countries who can learn from one another. They can learn about everything, from geography to athletics. New Hampton School was founded in 1821, and it expanded over time. It now sits on 340 acres.
A few alumni of the school include:
- Cayla Barnes – Gold Olympic Medalist
- Ed Cooley – Providence College Basketball Coach
- Wes Miller – UNC Greensboro Basketball Coach
Proctor Academy
204 Main Street, Andover, NH 03216
Then we have Proctor Academy, which is an awesome school in Andover, NH. The school has an endowment of $31 million. This school is similar to many of the others on this list as far as size and number of students. At this time, it has 375 students, and it has a 45% acceptance rate, so they’re always welcoming new kids. Yearly tuition for boarding youngsters is about $70,000, while tuition for day students is $42,400.
There’s a lot for kids to learn at Proctor Academy. Students there can choose from over 135 classes, including art and athletic programs. The school was founded in 1848 as a small local school, but it has grown by leaps and bounds, and today, it’s considered to be one of the best in the nation. Famous alumni of the school include:
- Josh Walden – Broadway Actor
- Matt Nathanson – Musician
- Heather Moore – Jewelry Designer
- Alan Shepard – Astronaut
- Cole Williams – TV Actor
Cardigan Mountain School
62 Alumni Drive, Canaan, NH 03741
Our final boarding school on this list of the richest schools in New Hampshire is Cardigan Mountain School, which has an endowment of $29 million. While many boarding schools only serve kids in 9-12 grade, Cardigan Mountain School serves those in grades 6-9. There are about 233 students in the school, and the institution has a high 74% acceptance rate. Yearly tuition for boarding students is $70,100, while day students pay $40,700. This is one of the best junior boarding schools in the country.
This is a highly diverse junior boarding school that has students from 15 countries and 23 states. There are twelve huge boarding buildings that house 8-16 students and some faculty members. The class sizes are typically 8-16 students. There’s an amazing 4:1 student-faculty ratio. Kids take classes in many different subjects, from math to science to social studies. The school was founded back in 1945, and today, it’s located on a sprawling 525-acre campus.
Richest Schools in New Hampshire – Colleges
As you might imagine, some of the richest schools in the state are the large universities that litter the landscape. These are very ambitious and proud colleges that are preparing our young men and women for life in their chosen career. Let’s look at some of the wealthiest institutions.
Dartmouth College
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6016 McNutt Hall Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 03755
Dartmouth College is one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. It’s ranked at number 15. With that said, it’s no surprise that the school has a staggering endowment of $5,975,179,828. This school is very important to the fabric of our country, and it’s been around for a long time, even before the American Revolution. It’s one of the smallest of the Ivy League schools, but that doesn’t make the yearly tuition any less expensive. As of 2023, it costs close to $78,000 for a year.
This is a huge school that sits on 269 acres in the rural town of Hanover, New Hampshire. Although the school’s always been an important part of history, it wasn’t always as glorious as it is today. In fact, before the 20th century, it was poorly funded and lacked proper respect. In the early 1900s, new buildings were added, and the school was revitalized into what it is today.
Currently, about 6,800 students attend the school. There have been some famous alumni in the past, including:
- Dr. Seuss – Writer
- Robert Frost – Poet
- Mindy Kaling – Actress
- William Conway – Billionaire Investor
Saint Anselm College
100 St Anselm Dr, Goffstown, NH 03102
Next on our list is Saint Anselm College out of Goffstown, New Hampshire. While this school is second on the list, its endowment is much less than Dartmouth. Still, it collects over a $164 million endowment. Luckily, the yearly tuition is also much less. It currently sits at just under $44,000 per year. The school has close to 2,000 students and a female-to-male ratio of 61% to 39%.
This is another very old college that was established back in 1889. The focus there is on education but also on shaping Benedictive and Catholic values with a liberal arts foundation. This is the third-oldest Catholic college in New England. In order to attend, students must take many theology and philosophy courses in addition to the traditional education. Famous alumni of Saint Anselm College include:
- Thomas J. Dodd – U.S Senator
- Rob Surette – Motivational Speaker
- Ray “Scooter” McLean – NFL Player
- Hubie McDonough – NHL Player
- Tim Karalexis – Soccer Player
Southern New Hampshire University
2500 North River Road Manchester, NH 03106
Next on the list of the richest schools in New Hampshire is SNHU, with a recent endowment of just over $42 million. Students who hope to attend Southern New Hampshire University will pay about $47,000, as of this year. This is a private school that is one of the fastest growing universities with over 138 students online and on their campus.
The school was founded way back in 1932 by a Russian American accountant and his wife, who wanted to start the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. At the time of his death in 1952, there were 25 students. During the 1970s, the school grew and changed, and they kept adding on new degree programs until it became what it is today. As an interesting side note, the current president of the school has plans to try to bring the yearly tuition down to $10k a year. He plans to get it down to that price by looking at the inefficiencies at the school and seeing where they can improve to reduce the cost.
There are many esteemed alumni of Southern New Hampshire University, including:
- Peter Holland – NHL Player
- Ron Fortier – Comic Book Writer
- Garrett Mason – State Senator
- Annette Robinson -former New York State Assemblywoman
Rivier University
420 South Main St Nashua, NH 03060
Next on the list is Rivier University, which had an endowment of just shy of $41 million as of last year. This is a relatively smaller school than the previous entries with about 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students. Current tuition to attend is $54.5k per year. This is a private Catholic college in Nashua that was founded back in 1933. The school is named after Anne-Marie Rivier, who was one of the founders.
Back in 1960, former senator turned President John Kennedy stopped at the school and held a campaign event. It was a big deal that put the college on the map. While this was an all-girls school for many years, in 1991, they admitted their first male student. Today, the school covers 68 acres and has four residence halls. Notable alumni of the school include:
- Skip Cleaver – Politician
- Frank Snow – Politician and Businessman
- Donnalee Lozeau – Former Mayer
Colby-Sawyer College
541 Main Street New London, NH 03257
This New London school is the next university on our list, and this year, it received an endowment of just shy of $40 million. Students hoping to attend Colby-Sawyer can expect to pay about $68,000 for the year.
This private institution was founded back in 1837, and it started out as a coeducational academy. Back in that year, 11 men were provided with a legislative charter and were told to build a school. Over the years, the school, which started as the New London Academy, continued to evolve and change names. Today, the school is large, and it has several notable buildings, including a 33,000-square-foot structure dedicated strictly to Environmental Studies and Biology Programs. There’s also the Cleveland Colby Colgate Archives, where rare books written by historical men and women from New Hampshire are kept.
This is an esteemed school with many notable alumni, including:
- Anthony Colby – Former Governor of NH
- Nate Corddry – TV Actor
- John Q. A. Brackett – Former Governor of MA
- Julien J. LeBourgeois – Former Vice Admiral of the United States Navy
Conclusion
There you have the richest schools in New Hampshire and all the fun facts that make the institutions so great. Yes, these schools are rich, and yes, they charge a lot for tuition, but if you want to get the best degree possible, then you can’t do much better. Consider visiting these institutions if you're in the area.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Bo Shen/Shutterstock.com.