Founded in September 1968, Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia, is a co-ed facility offering education to students from preschool through grade 12. Boarding school students, those in grades 8 through 12, can live in either dormitories or one of two residential boarding homes. Tuition to the boarding program for 2010-2011 totaled $30,300, making it one of the more affordable boarding schools in the country. Carlisle School received its first accreditation in 1974 and has good standing in organizations such as the National Association of Independent Schools and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.
Carbondale, Colorado is home to 300-acre Colorado Rocky Mountain School. This boarding school was founded in 1953 by John and Anne Holden and has been co-ed since its creation. The small student body, with 155 enrolled as of 2011, keeps class sizes small; the student-teacher ratio averages 13-to-1. Each year, the school receives $900,000 in financial aid, distributed to 38 percent of its students. The non-denominational school emphasizes college preparedness, active lifestyles, community participation and environmental sustainability. Tuition for the 2010-2011 school year totaled $41,900 for boarding students, who make up 60 percent of the total student population.
Located on a fully functioning farm, Happy Hill Farm Academy in Granbury, Texas boasts several accreditations from multiple institutions, including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Boarding Schools. The co-ed school opened in 1975 thanks to Ed and Gloria Shipman. Since then, it's expanded into a 500-acre farm with Christian leanings. The farm supplies the school with fresh food. Boarding students at the school range from kindergartners to high school seniors. Tuition for one year at Happy Hill Farm Academy totals $36,000 as of January 2011.
Philips Exeter Academy is one of the largest and oldest private boarding schools in the country. Founded in 1781 by John Philips, the school educates around 1,000 students each year, with around 81 percent of them boarding. Exeter uses a method of teaching known as the Harkness plan, which originated at the school in 1930, and calls for an oval table in classrooms rather than individual desks. Classes average about 12 students each, encouraging interclass dialog rather than strict lecturing. Exeter became co-ed in 1970 and has a 51 percent female population. Tuition for boarding students totaled $39,890 for the 2010-2011 school year. For 2010-2011, Exeter offered free education for students from families earning $75,000 or less annually.
The Webb Schools combines the Webb School of California for boys with the Vivian Webb School for girls to create a co-ed education unit. Located in Claremont, California, the school has a small student body; as of 2011, 379 students were enrolled. The Webb Schools have multiple accreditations, including the Association of Boarding Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools. Tuition totaled $46,690 for boarding students for the 2010-2011 school year.