Home > Colorado > Boulder County > Boulder > Rural North Boulder

Tara Performing Arts High School

4180 19th St
Boulder, CO 80304

View full size Get directions

Tel: (303) 410-4510

www.tarahighschool.org

REQUEST INFO

SAVE SCHOOL

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #1 - "The immersion in culture that Tara students experience teaches how interconnected we all are and sets us on paths to becoming global citizens, benefiting not just ourselves but our communities andthe world at large."Alumna, Class of 2017

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #2 - Tara's schoolhouse.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #3 - Our students explore the natural world firsthand, examining real animal specimens in the lab and the field.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #4 - At Tara Performing Arts High School, performance is the lens through which students learn to think, collaborate, and engage with the world. Their production of Shakespeare's As You Like It is just one example of what that looks like in practice.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #5 - Our seniors cap four years of Waldorf-inspired education with a month-long journey through Austria and England, walking through Vienna, London, Stratford, Somerset, and Cornwall. History, art, music, and architecture that they've spent four years studying, finally encountered face to face

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #6 - At Tara, the performing arts shape how students think, collaborate, and show up for one another. This production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel puts all of that on full display - in every voice, every gesture, and every moment shared on stage.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #7 - Our tenth graders venture into the canyon lands of southwestern Colorado with a ten-mile hike into Ute Tribal Park, where the contrast between cowboy culture and the deep spiritual history of the Ancestral Puebloan lands becomes a living lesson.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #8 - Art meets performance at Tara, where students stage Tina Howe's "Museum". This is what learning looks like at Tara.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #9 - At Tara, music history is anything but passive. Students explore Renaissance-era music the best way possible, by performing it together.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #10 - At Tara, the stage is where students learn to think on their feet, read a room, and take creative risks. This production of "Scapino!" -- rooted in the physical comedy of commedia dell'arte -- captures all three.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #11 - Our ninth and eleventh graders travel to New York City as part of their History through Art and History through Music blocks, spending the week visiting museums, galleries and concert halls during the day and Broadway shows at night. They come prepared: the trip is the culmination of classroom study, and that context transforms what they see.

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #12 - At Tara we are committed to providing the kind of rigorous, college-preparatory work that builds essential skills and fosters critical thinking. We're proud to offer a program that prepares students for success in higher education and beyond!Congrats to the 11th grade on completion of their research paper module!

Tara Performing Arts High School Photo #13 - Tara's extended campus, the historic Nomad Playhouse.

Tara students travel the world, perform on stage, and wrestle with big ideas, often all in the same semester.

The performing arts sit at the center of our curriculum, not as an extracurricular, but as a lens through which students learn to think, collaborate, and engage with everything around them.

Faculty who are genuinely passionate about their subjects, combined with first-hand encounters with culture and history, push that curiosity further.

Tara graduates go on to become economists, environmental lawyers, educators, and policy makers.

Most of them aren't actors. But they know how to read a room, hold their nerve, and care about the people around them. What you learn at Tara stays with you.

Quick Facts (2026)

Top-Ranked CO School
School Type: School with Special Program Emphasis
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 55 students
Yearly Tuition: $19,316
Acceptance rate: 30%
Application Deadline: None / Rolling
Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Tara Performing Arts High School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Colorado for:

School Overview

School Type

School with Special Program Emphasis

School Membership(s)School Assoc.

Association of Waldorf Schools of North America
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

Religious Affiliation

Other

Grades Offered

Grades 9-12

Year Founded

1994

Student Body

Total Students

55 students

Student Body Type

Co-ed

% Students of Color

11%

State avg.: 25%

Students by Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers

15 teachers

Student-Teacher Ratio

4:1

National avg.: 11:1

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline

None / Rolling

Yearly Tuition Cost

$19,316

View national tuition avg.

Acceptance Rate

30%

National avg.: 82%

College Acceptance Rate

90%

Admissions Director

Courtney Nicoletti

Application URL

Online Application

School Notes

School Mascot: Gnome (unofficial)

Tara's mission is to awaken students' minds and hearts, to foster their sense of connection to each other and the world, to engage them in meaningful work and activities, and to excite them about life itself.
Tara is dedicated to providing opportunities for emotional growth and renewal through deep involvement in the performing arts and celebration of the cycle of the festival year. In addition to supporting lively intellectual development through a demanding experiential Waldorf academic curriculum, the school cultivates world citizenship through travel and immersive study. At Tara, students engage in life in full consciousness, free of substance use and addictive distractions, which allows them to be truly present for their education and to participate in artistic process as a way to explore the challenges of living in our complex age.
The Tara educational path asks students to step into the light as individuals and to learn to take the kind of risks involved in being fully human.
"I came to Tara as a boarding student because of some vague feeling that told me I had found something special. I stayed because it was beyond my wildest dreams of what a school could be. The community welcomed me with open arms and became my family, as I was so far away from my own. Tara has taught me to engage with the world and take responsibility for my learning. It nurtures my creativity, challenges my mind, expands my heart, and strengthens my ideals every day. Most importantly, it has allowed me to discover myself and has given me the tools to mold myself into the person I hope to be." Twelfth grade student

Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- Alumnus 2005 - Graduated with a voracious hunger for knowledge.
- Alumnus 2001 - Found the academic subjects enlivening and rigorous.

Source: Verified school update

REQUEST FREE INFORMATION

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Tara Performing Arts High School cost?

Tara Performing Arts High School's tuition is approximately $19,316 for private students.

What is the acceptance rate of Tara Performing Arts High School?

The acceptance rate of Tara Performing Arts High School is 30%, which is lower than the national average of 84%. Tara Performing Arts High School's acceptance rate is ranked among the top private schools in Colorado with low acceptance rates.

Who are famous alumni from Tara Performing Arts High School?

Tara Performing Arts High School famous alumni include: Alumnus 2005 - Graduated with a voracious hunger for knowledge. and Alumnus 2001 - Found the academic subjects enlivening and rigorous..

What is Tara Performing Arts High School's ranking?

Tara Performing Arts High School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Colorado for: Lowest average acceptance rates.

When is the application deadline for Tara Performing Arts High School?

The application deadline for Tara Performing Arts High School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).

In what neighborhood is Tara Performing Arts High School located?

Tara Performing Arts High School is located in the Rural North Boulder neighborhood of Boulder, CO. There are 1 other private schools located in Rural North Boulder.

School Reviews

Endorse Tara Performing Arts High School. Endorsements should be a few sentences in length. Please include any comments on:

Quality of academic programs, teachers, and facilities
Availability of music, art, sports and other extracurricular activities
Academic or athletic awards

Recent Articles

July 06, 2026

When “Personalized Learning” Is Mostly Software

Discover how to tell the difference between genuine personalized learning and software-driven instruction. Learn what questions to ask private schools and how to identify classrooms where technology enhances, rather than replaces, meaningful teacher-student relationships.

June 30, 2026

Learning Support vs. Tutoring: What's Included in Private School Tuition?

Learn the difference between learning support and tutoring, what's typically included in private school tuition, and what parents should ask before enrolling.

June 30, 2026

How to Evaluate Reading and Writing Instruction in the Early Grades

Learn how to evaluate reading and writing instruction in the early grades, including phonics, writing, assessments, and literacy support in private schools.

Quick Facts (2026)

Top-Ranked CO School
School Type: School with Special Program Emphasis
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 55 students
Yearly Tuition: $19,316
Acceptance rate: 30%
Application Deadline: None / Rolling
Source: Verified school update

Request Information

Email:

Name of parent:

Student first name:

Student last name:

Student date of birth:

Student is:

Male

Female

Currently in grade:

Seeking entry for grade:

Target start date:

Please briefly describe academic, athletic, and extracurricular interests of the student:

Home address:

City:

Country:

State:

Zip: (enter "N/A" if not applicable)

Phone:

Save this data and create your user profile. Create your own user account so you don't have to re-type your user data each time you request information. You'll also be able to track your information requests, get reminded of application dates, and more!

Username:

Password:

Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Boulder, CO is $28,901 for elementary schools and $29,739 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).

The average acceptance rate in Boulder, CO is 73% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).