The World’s 9 Most Beautiful Boarding Schools
At some point, who hasn’t daydreamed about attending one of the world’s many beautiful boarding schools in some faraway, majestic land? Thanks to films like Dead Poet’s Society, the Harry Potter series, or even the recently released The Holdovers, there’s certain allure around sleepaway prep schools: You’ll live with your best friends, discover secrets in storied halls, and spend free time immersed in beautiful nature. Of course, films make the classes, which often take place in state-of-the-art facilities, appear as mesmerizing as they are rigorous. But what about the nonfictional boarding schools? While we can’t say just how much art imitates life in the films, these real-life beautiful boarding schools make us believe that the set designers got it right. Below, AD visits nine striking boarding schools around the world.
Photo: Graham Pearsall1/9TASIS (Montagnola, Switzerland)
The American School in Switzerland, or TASIS, is a a coed boarding and day school founded in 1956. Located on Collina d’Oro (the Hill of Gold), the prep school overlooks Lake Lugano.
Photo: Courtesy of Institut auf dem Rosenberg2/9Institut auf dem Rosenberg (St. Gallen, Switzerland)
Old and new blend at Switzerland’s Institut auf dem Rosenberg, where one can find Art Nouveau villas, the Rosenberg Space Habitat (a 3D-printed structure designed to house two people in space), and even a learning pavilion with a Vitra furniture concept. “At Rosenberg, we honor our architectural heritage by combining it with modern design, crafting a distinctive educational setting that stimulates the creativity and imagination of young individuals,” Bernhard Gademann, president of the board, tells AD. “This fusion creates a unique learning and living experience that fosters a sense of history and appreciation for human innovation, showcasing cutting-edge technology.”
Archive Photos/Getty Images3/9Eton College (Eton, Berkshire)
Founded in 1440 by Henry VI, Eton College is known for its alumni, known as Old Etonians, which includes 19 prime ministers, actors, and even Prince William and Harry. The school has over 500 buildings spread over less than a square mile, which span architecture styles including neoclassical and Tudor.
Photo: Courtesy of Subiaco Academy4/9Subiaco Academy (Subiaco, Arkansas)
Another boys boarding school, Subiaco Academy was founded in 1928 and teaches grades 7–12. The school is part of Subiaco Abbey, a Benedictine monastery, featuring striking cloisters.
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Photo: Michael Branscom, Courtesy of Emma Willard School5/9Emma Willard School (Troy, New York)
Located in Troy, New York, the Emma Willard School is a private day and boarding school for girls in grades 9–12 founded by Emma Willard, a female education activist. Three of the buildings on campus are designed in the collegiate Gothic style, which circle a balmy central quad.
Photo: imageBROKER/Arnulf Hettrich/Getty Images6/9Schule Schloss Salem International College (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Schule Schloss Salem is spread across three campuses, but its most notable facilities are those in Salem, Germany. Housed inside a former Cistercian monastery known as Salem Abbey, the lower and middle schoolers take classes inside what is now Salem Castle.
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Photo: St Andrew’s School7/9St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Delaware)
There are only three coed schools in the United States where all students board, and perhaps the most recognizable is St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware. The idyllic campus—which spans 2,200 acres—stood in for the fictional Welton Academy in Dead Poet’s Society.
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Photo: St. Stephen’s School8/9St. Stephen’s School Rome (Rome, Italy)
Within walking distance to the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and the Roman Forum, St. Stephen’s School is located in the heart of Rome. An American school, the founders’ chose to start the school in Eternal City because it is “the symbol and repository of the enduring ethical, cultural, and religious values of the West” and “one of the most cosmopolitan international crossroads of the modern world.” The school is perched on Aventine Hill, one of the Seven Hills on which ancient Rome was built.
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Photo: Courtesy of Woodstock School9/9Woodstock School (Mussoorie, India)
Perched along the foothills of the Himalayas sits Asia’s oldest international boarding school, Woodstock School. Once visited by Pearl Buck, a Nobel- and Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist, she wrote a foreword in the school’s 1963 yearbook, “It may be a good thing to live on the top of mountains and on the edge of precipices—you learn early not to fear the heights and depths.”
