The 50 Most Expensive Boarding Schools In America

It can be just as tough to get into some of the nation's most elite boarding schools as some top colleges—and cost just as much money.

Of course, the hefty price tag attached to a boarding school education includes room and board, state-of-the-art facilities, and countless perks like travel programs, community farms and even a model trading floor.

We've rounded up the 50 most expensive boarding schools in the U.S., looking at total costs including tuition, room, board and mandatory fees for the 2012 to 2013 school year. Special needs schools were not taken into consideration for this list.

#50 Emma Willard School, Troy, N.Y.

Boarding student tuition: $49,080

Enrollment: 328

Endowment: $78.5 million

Fact: The school was founded in 1814 by Emma Hart Willard. She called the school the Troy Female Seminary, which was renamed for her after her death.

Methodology: The boarding schools taken into consideration come from several lists of the nation's top private high schools. Rankings are based on tuition (including room, board, and fees) for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2012-2013 school year.

Source: Emma Willard School

#49 Canterbury School, New Milford, Conn.

Boarding student tuition: $49,100

Enrollment: 358

Endowment: $16 million

Perks: Athletics include five international squash courts, a training room, weight room, wrestling room, hockey rink, and tennis courts.

Methodology: The boarding schools taken into consideration come from several lists of the nation's top private high schools. Rankings are based on tuition (including room, board, and fees) for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2012-2013 school year.

Source: Canterbury School

#48 St. Mark's School, Southborough, Mass.

Boarding student tuition: $49,130

Enrollment: 347

Endowment: $123 million

Fact: St. Mark's has been well-known for its baseball team for many  years. A student from the class of 1909 was the first-ever at St. Mark's to throw a no-hitter game.

Methodology: The boarding schools taken into consideration come from several lists of the nation's top private high schools. Rankings are based on tuition (including room, board, and fees) for boarding-only students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2012-2013 school year.

Source: St. Mark's School

Please follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.