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Lake Forest Academy Named Top Private School in Illinois & Top 10 Boarding School in America
Lake Forest Academy was named the No. 1 private school in Illinois for the third consecutive year by Niche.
Lake Forest Academy continued its upward trend in the national rankings and was named the No. 1 private school in Illinois for the third consecutive year as Niche announced the 2026 edition of its Best Schools rankings earlier this week. After holding steady at No. 13 among all boarding schools in the United States, LFA cracked the top 10 by moving up four spots to No. 9 while also moving into the top 25 among the nation’s private schools at No. 21.
In just four years, Lake Forest Academy has moved from No. 18 in the 2023 Best Schools rankings for boarding schools in the United States to No. 9 in the latest edition. The 2023 rankings also placed LFA at No. 54 in the private school category before the Academy moved up to No. 21 this year.
Niche’s 2026 Best Schools and Districts rankings combine user input with quantitative data to provide a comprehensive view of each school. Key factors include academics, teachers, resources, facilities, extracurriculars, and more.
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Among the nation’s private schools, the Academy moved up 13 spots from the 2025 rankings to No. 21 nationally (out of 4,917 schools) and is the top-ranked private school in Illinois (out of 153) for the third straight year.
LFA’s top 10 ranking among the Best Boarding High Schools in America also held the top-ranked spot in the state of Illinois. The rankings were out of 441 boarding schools nationally and 10 in the state.
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Other national rankings for LFA include No. 35 (out of 5,268) in Most Diverse Private High Schools, No. 51 (out of 4,143) for Best College Prep Private High Schools, and No. 110 (out of 8,859) for Best High Schools for STEM.
In the state of Illinois, Lake Forest Academy is also No. 1 for Most Diverse Private High Schools (out of 160) and in Best College Prep Private High Schools (out of 132). Other state rankings include No. 3 (out of 296) for Best High Schools for STEM and No. 126 (out of 797) in Best High Schools for Athletes in Illinois.
About Lake Forest Academy
Founded in 1857, Lake Forest Academy is a coed boarding school serving 450 academically bright and motivated students in grades nine to 12 from across the globe. The Academy offers a rigorous curriculum focused on academic excellence and characterized by small classes and close faculty/student interaction. The school's mission of educational excellence is founded on the four pillars of character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility. The LFA community places students at the center of their own learning and provides the support needed to develop confidence and strong values. For more information, visit www.lakeforestacademy.org.
