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Southwestern Academy Photo - San Marino Campus
Southwestern Academy

Best California Private Schools Belonging to The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) (2026)

For the 2026 school year, there are 18 private schools belonging to The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) serving 5,872 students in California. You can also find more schools membership associations in California.
The top-ranked private schools belonging to The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in California include The Thacher School, The Athenian School, and Woodside Priory School.
The average tuition cost is $58,241, which is higher than the California private school average tuition cost of $18,024.
22% of private schools belonging to The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in California are religiously affiliated (most commonly Catholic).

Top-Ranked Private Schools Belonging to The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) in California (2026)

School
Location
Quick Facts
Dunn School
Dunn School Photo - The outdoor education program at Dunn School fosters greater self-awareness through physical challenges and leadership experiences in the outdoors.
(5)
2555 West Highway 154
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-6471
Gr: 6-12 | 256 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 13 | Extracurrculars: 12 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
San Domenico School
San Domenico School Photo
(15)
1500 Butterfield Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
(415) 258-1900
Gr: K-12 | 680 students Avg. class size: 18 students Sports: 16 | Extracurrculars: 30
The Webb Schools
The Webb Schools Photo - Expanding Minds, Opening FuturesExpert faculty will inspire you to think boldly, lead with confidence, and grow as an innovator. Surrounded by mountains, beaches, Los Angeles, and natural wonders, you'll discover new possibilities, prepare for exciting college pathways, and thrive in a community that values learning, leadership, and joy.
1175 West Baseline Road
Claremont, CA 91711
(909) 482-5214
Gr: 9-12 | 405 students Avg. class size: 14 students Sports: 16 | Extracurrculars: 99 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Archbishop Riordan High School
Archbishop Riordan High School Photo - A view of Riordan's gym.
(Catholic)
175 Frida Kahlo Way
San Francisco, CA 94112
(415) 586-8200
Gr: 9-12 | 1,140 student Avg. class size: 25 students Sports: 14 | Extracurrculars: 4 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
The Athenian School
The Athenian School Photo
2100 Mt Diablo Scenic Blvd
Danville, CA 94506
(925) 362-7223
Gr: 6-12 | 538 students Sports: 13 | Extracurrculars: 24 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Besant Hill School
Besant Hill School Photo - Nestled on 520 stunning acres in Ojai Valley, Besant Hill School offers breathtaking views, 3 dorms, an aquatic center, theater, studios, and classrooms tucked among oak trees. Our greenhouses and outdoor sports facilities complete the vibrant, inspiring campus.
Special Program Emphasis
(2)
8585 Ojai Santa Paula Rd.
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-4343
Gr: 9-12 | 72 students Avg. class size: 8 students Sports: 6 | Extracurrculars: 17 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Cate School
Cate School Photo - Sunset Bench
1960 Cate Mesa Road
Carpinteria, CA 93013
(805) 684-4127
Gr: 9-12 | 299 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 18 | Extracurrculars: 37 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Idyllwild Arts Academy
Idyllwild Arts Academy Photo - Idyllwild Arts Academy is home to approximately 270 students from 30 countries and 26 US states, all devoted to intensive study of the arts. Located 2 hours from Los Angeles, 2 hours from San Diego, and 1 hour from Palm Springs, the Academy is an artistic crossroads for Southern California.
Special Program Emphasis
(7)
52500 Temecula Road #38
Idyllwild, CA 92549
(951) 468-7223
Gr: 9-12 | 271 students Avg. class size: 12 students Extracurrculars: 24 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Midland School
Midland School Photo - How is Midland different? Our 4:1 student to faculty ratio allows for small class sizes and close-knit relationships. With under 90 students, everyone knows your name. No cell phones here, but Midlanders do spend a lot of time together in real life: horseback riding, hiking, gardening, creating art, building things, and envisioning an environmentally sustainable and just future.
5100 Figueroa Mountain Rd
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-5114
Gr: 9-12 | 72 students Avg. class size: 10 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 10 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Ojai Valley School
(4)
723 El Paseo Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 640-2575
Gr: PK-12 | 286 students Tuition listed
Santa Catalina School
Santa Catalina School Photo - The Marine Ecology Research Program on their summer trip to Hawaii.
All-girls (Catholic)
(6)
1500 Mark Thomas Dr.
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 655-9300
Gr: 9-12 | 200 students Avg. class size: 12 students Sports: 17 | Extracurrculars: 40 Tuition listed
Southwestern Academy
Southwestern Academy Photo - San Marino Campus
(2)
2800 MONTEREY ROAD
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 799-5010
Gr: 6-12 | 70 students Avg. class size: 8 students Sports: 7 | Extracurrculars: 9 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Stevenson School - Pebble Beach Campus
Stevenson School - Pebble Beach Campus Photo - Creativity thrives at Stevenson through programs in visual arts, theatre, music, photography, and film. Students perform, exhibit, and create in spaces like the Keck Auditorium and Rosen Art Center, finding their voice, refining their craft, and gaining the confidence to express themselves with purpose.
(1)
3152 Forest Lake Road
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
(831) 625-8309
Gr: 9-12 | 523 students Avg. class size: 12 students Sports: 17 | Extracurrculars: 27 Tuition listed
The Thacher School
The Thacher School Photo - "Education is not merely the making of scholars. It is the making of men and women. It is the training of the younger generation in the art of living for their own greatest good and the greatest good of their fellow citizens." -Sherman Day Thacher
5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 640-3210
Gr: 9-12 | 259 students Avg. class size: 11 students Sports: 13 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Villanova Preparatory School
Villanova Preparatory School Photo - Founded in 1924, Villanova Prep is the only Catholic boarding school in the Augustinian tradition. Our 130-acre campus located in Ojai, California, approximately 60 minutes north of Los Angeles, has several athletic and academic facilities to support our students' development of mind, body, and spirit.
(Catholic)
12096 N Ventura Avenue
Ojai, CA 93023
(805) 646-1464
Gr: 6-12 | 188 students Avg. class size: 13 students Sports: 12 | Extracurrculars: 15 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Woodside Priory School
Woodside Priory School Photo - School spirit is huge at Priory. More than 30 club and activity choices are available to High School students. Clubs provide opportunities to discover passions, develop strengths, apply academic knowledge in a practical way, develop self-knowledge, and learn to make the choices necessary to manage a busy schedule independently.
(Catholic)
302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
(650) 851-8223
Gr: 6-12 | 444 students Avg. class size: 13 students Sports: 13 | Extracurrculars: 24 Tuition & acceptance rate listed
Oakland Montessori School
Oakland Montessori School Photo
Montessori School
3625 Fruitvale Avenue
Oakland, CA 94602
(510) 482-3111
Gr: PK | 52 students Avg. class size: 15 students Tuition listed
Santa Susana School
22280 Devonshire Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311
(818) 709-9854
Gr: PK-7 | 117 students

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