Harvard-Westlake School
Years: 7-12
Type of School: Co-educational, non-denominational (formerly episcopalian as Harvard School)
Median SAT Score: 2058 (class of 2011)
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Prior to 1991, Harvard and Westlake were separate schools--both excellent in their own rights, affiliated and single-sex. When the two already-top educational institutions merged, they formed a sort of super-school of the private sphere: highly competitive, elite and very difficult to get into. Harvard-Westlake ranked 12th in the nation according to Forbes' 2010 'best prep schools' list.
Middle School
700 N. Faring Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90077
310-274-7281
High School
3700 Coldwater Canyon Ave.
Studio City, CA 91604
818-980-6692
Brentwood School
Years: K-6 (lower school), 7-8 (middle school), 9-12 (upper school)
Type of School: Co-educational, independent day school
Median SAT Score: 2060
Student/Faculty Ratio: 7:1
Established in 1972, Brentwood is a full scale (K-12) liberal arts school. It's made up of students from 68 different zip code areas and offers financial aid to 15 percent of its students' families. Beyond its academic strengths, Brentwood is particularly known for its impressive athletics program. It covers following areas: baseball, basketball, cheering, cross country, dance, drill team, equestrian, fencing, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, surf team, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling.
12001 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
310-471-1041
Crossroads School
Years: K-12
Type of School: Co-educational, progressive, independent school
Highlights: World-renowned chamber orchestra (played inaugural season of Walt Disney Concert Hall)
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
This experimental independent school attracts and nurtures students excelling in creative areas. This is evidenced by its famous alums who include: Jonah Hill, Kate Hudson, Jack Black, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jake Busey. Founded in 1971, it boasts a new, progressive, developmental approach to education.
1714 21st St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-829-7391
Marlborough School
Years: 7-12
Type of School: Girls' college preparatory school
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
College Acceptance: Of graduates who applied to 'highly selective' universities, 81 percent were admitted (2012)
Some educators feel strongly that girls in particular benefit from a single-sex education, in that such institutions breed stronger, more confident, more able women. Marlborough is one of them, and the oldest of its kind in LA. Founded in 1889, the school emphasizes personal growth and cooperation as cornerstones of its educational philosophy.
250 S. Rossmore Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-935-1147
Marymount High School
Years: 9-12
Type of School: Catholic independent girls' school
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Media SAT Score: 1982
Like Marlborough, Marymount emphasizes the leg-up that female students get from a single-sex education. The school bases its philosophy partly on a UCLA study that showed that 60 percent of graduates from girls' schools are more intellectually self-confident (versus 54 percent of their co-educationally schooled counterparts). Marymount claims SAT scores "well above the national average" along with its share of students honored as Advanced Placement (AP) scholars.
10643 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90077
310-472-1205
Loyola High School
Years: 9-12
Type of School: All-male jesuit college preparatory school
Student/Faculty Ratio: 16:1
College Acceptance: Typically, 99 percent of graduates continue to higher education; 96 percent to four-year colleges
Highlights: Each January, seniors engage in a required three-week, 85-hour service immersion experience at an agency serving the financially challenged and marginalized
Founded in 1865, Loyola is the oldest continuously run educational institution in Southern California. Its sister affiliate schools are Marymount and Marlborough. It offers a more reasonable tuition fee than most private/parochial schools. Some 49 percent of its students are Latino, African-Ameican, Asian or Filipino.
1902 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-381-5121
Le Lycée Francais de Los Angeles
Years: Preschool through 12th grade
Type of School: Co-educational, bi-lingual French school
Student/Faculty Ratio: 125 teachers for a student population of approximately 1000
The Lycée offers a uniquely European-flavored, bi-lingual education. In primary school and high school, students can enroll in the 'French School Program' (in which all classes are taught in French) or the 'English School Program.' The French School Program follows the official curriculum issued by the French Ministry of Education (leading to the Bacalauréat exam).
3261 Overland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
310-836-3464
The Buckley School
Years: K-12
Type of School: Co-educational independent college preparatory school
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Highlights: An extensive community service program, an arts program that includes collaborations with visiting artists
Buckley was founded in 1933. Its lower school employs developmental educational methods, while middle and upper school follow a college prep program. The school espouses a philosophy of interconnectivity between academics, the arts, physical development and moral education, executed via a traditional prep school framework.
3900 Stansbury Ave.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818-783-1610
