St. Paul's School

At a Glance

St. Paul’s School was founded in 1856 at 325 Pleasant Street in Concord, New Hampshire. The school began on 50 acres and now occupies 2,000, including 25 miles of wooded trails, four ponds and the upper third of the Turkey River.

The structural fact that matters most: St. Paul’s is 100% residential, and describes itself as one of the country’s only fully residential boarding schools. All 538 students live on campus. There is no day option, which means a family applying here is committing to full-time boarding with no intermediate step.

Academics

The average class has 10 students. The curriculum offers more than 100 courses across five areas of study — arts, humanities, languages, mathematics and sciences — with more than 30 electives in humanities alone. Classes are built around Harkness tables, where students sit together and drive the discussion while the teacher guides rather than lectures.

Beyond the standard course list, the school describes advanced classes and courses of study for students interested in sustained research and deep scholarship. These include a highly selective Applied Science and Engineering Program, a Classical Honors Program for students of Latin and Greek, and independent study options.

Applying

Completed applications are due January 15, and decisions are emailed on March 10. Standardized testing is required of all applicants; the school accepts the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test), ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), PSAT, PreACT, ACT and SAT. Students who do not speak English at home must submit the TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, with an exemption for students enrolled three or more years in a school where English is the primary language of instruction; the school publishes reference scores for admitted international students. Interviews are offered on the grounds from June through January, with virtual options available. St. Paul’s does not publish an acceptance rate.

Cost and Financial Aid

For 2026-27 the school publishes tuition of $75,400, inclusive of room and board. Thirty-seven percent of families receive aid, and the school states that its grants meet full demonstrated need with no gaps. Admitted U.S.-based families with annual household income up to $150,000 generally qualify for full tuition support. Aid applications go through Clarity for domestic and international families alike, due January 15. The school also lists regional scholarships, among them the Susan and Coleman P. Burke 59 Scholarship for students from California and Wyoming, which the school says funds each year of a student’s attendance and gives preference to families for whom financial considerations are critical. It is applied for through the regular financial aid process.

For international families, two limits are stated plainly on the school’s own pages. The $150,000 income threshold applies only to U.S.-based families, and aid for international students is limited in both the number of recipients and the size of each award.

For Families in Irvine

Full residency removes the usual transition ramp. A ninth grader arrives at about fourteen and lives on campus for the year, supervised by resident faculty rather than by parents. Guardianship, break travel and an emergency contact plan should be settled before enrollment, not improvised afterward. New Hampshire runs three hours ahead of California, and interviews, open houses and parent programming follow Eastern time. Flights from Orange County usually connect through Boston, and Thanksgiving, winter and spring break airfare belongs in the annual budget alongside tuition.

EDUBUS is based in Irvine. We work on school selection, SSAT preparation, essays and interview coaching, scheduling backward from the January 15 deadline. See SSAT preparation and private school planning.