The Best Private Schools in Long Lake, Minnesota
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Long Lake. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
Breck School
Episcopal Church
Breck School is a prestigious Pre-K through 12th grade Episcopal college-preparatory school located in Golden Valley, approximately 10 miles from Long Lake. With over a century of educational excellence, Breck offers a rigorous academic program with outstanding facilities including a new STEM center, performing arts spaces, and extensive athletic facilities. The school emphasizes character development alongside academic achievement and offers a comprehensive curriculum with numerous Advanced Placement courses. Breck's beautiful 50-acre campus serves students from across the Twin Cities metro area and maintains an excellent reputation for college placements and student development.
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The International School of Minnesota
SABIS® School Network
The International School of Minnesota is a highly-regarded private school located just 15 minutes from Long Lake in Eden Prairie. As part of the global SABIS® network, the school offers a comprehensive college-preparatory curriculum with strong emphasis on academic excellence. The school serves students from Pre-K through 12th grade and features state-of-the-art facilities including science labs, technology centers, and athletic facilities. The International Baccalaureate program and Advanced Placement courses provide rigorous academic challenges, while extensive extracurricular offerings include robotics, arts, and competitive sports. The school maintains small class sizes and has a strong track record of college placements.
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The Blake School
Independent
The Blake School is a highly respected independent school with multiple campuses serving the Twin Cities area, including their Hopkins campus which serves the western suburbs near Long Lake. Blake offers a comprehensive Pre-K through 12th grade education with exceptional academic programs including International Baccalaureate and extensive Advanced Placement offerings. The school features outstanding facilities for academics, arts, and athletics, with particular strengths in STEM education and performing arts. Blake maintains small class sizes, highly qualified faculty, and a strong community atmosphere. The school has a long history of academic excellence and consistently ranks among Minnesota's top private schools.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Long Lake, Minnesota
What are the primary private school options available for families residing in Long Lake, Minnesota?
While Long Lake itself is a smaller suburban community, it is situated in a region with access to several prestigious private schools. The most prominent options, as noted, are The Blake School (with a nearby campus in Hopkins), Breck School in Golden Valley, and The International School of Minnesota in Eden Prairie. These are all independent, college-preparatory day schools within a reasonable commuting distance. Families in Long Lake also often consider parochial schools in the broader western Twin Cities metro. It's important to note that there are no major private school campuses physically within Long Lake's borders, so transportation planning is a key local consideration.
How does the tuition for top private schools near Long Lake, MN, compare, and are there financial aid options specific to Minnesota?
Tuition for the leading schools near Long Lake is significant and comparable to national independent school averages. For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition ranges approximately from $30,000 to $40,000+ for upper grades. All these schools offer substantial need-based financial aid. A unique Minnesota consideration is the "K-12 Education Credit" and "Subtraction," which allow state taxpayers to claim a credit or subtraction for educational expenses, including private school tuition, under certain income limits. Additionally, Minnesota has a robust network of scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) like the Minnesota Independent School Forum, which provide tax-credited scholarships for middle-income families.
What specialized academic or extracurricular programs distinguish the private schools accessible from Long Lake, Minnesota?
The schools near Long Lake offer distinct specializations. The International School of Minnesota (ISM) provides a rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum from Primary Years through Diploma Programme, with a strong multilingual focus. Breck School emphasizes a blend of rigorous academics with a commitment to community engagement and offers extensive programs in STEM, arts, and athletics. The Blake School is renowned for its exceptional humanities and arts programs, along with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. For Long Lake families, these schools also provide extensive transportation and after-school care options to accommodate the commute, which is a vital local program feature.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for competitive private schools in the Long Lake, MN, area?
The admission process for schools like Blake, Breck, and ISM is highly structured and begins early. The main application deadline for the following fall is typically in January (often mid-to-late January), with assessments, student visits, and interviews occurring in the preceding fall and winter. Given the competitive nature, families in Long Lake are advised to start researching and attending open houses in the spring or fall, a full year before desired enrollment. Many schools also have limited spaces in certain grades, so applying by the priority deadline is crucial. Sibling and legacy applicant policies are also a significant factor in the local admission landscape.
For a family in Long Lake, what are the key considerations when comparing the local public school district (Orono) to the nearby private school options?
The Orono Public Schools district, which serves Long Lake, is itself a high-performing, well-resourced district, making the decision highly personal. Key considerations include: **Class Size** (Orono offers smaller-than-average public classes, but private schools often have even lower student-to-teacher ratios), **Educational Approach** (Orono follows a standard Minnesota public curriculum, while private schools offer specific pedagogies like IB or distinct mission-driven education), **Cost** (comparing free public education versus significant private tuition), and **Convenience** (neighborhood schools vs. a daily commute). Many Long Lake families value Orono's strong community integration and athletics, while others seek the specialized global focus (ISM), religious foundation (at other area schools), or particular academic intensity of the private options.
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