The Best Private Schools in Maywood, New Jersey
Discover 3 exceptional private schools in Maywood. Find the perfect educational environment for your child with our comprehensive reviews and ratings.
School Overview
Top-Rated Private Schools
Academy of the Holy Angels
Independent Catholic School
Academy of the Holy Angels is a highly-regarded independent Catholic college preparatory school for young women serving the Bergen County area. Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the school offers a rigorous academic program with 24 Advanced Placement courses, extensive STEM opportunities, and comprehensive arts programs. The campus features state-of-the-art science labs, performing arts center, and athletic facilities. With a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, the school emphasizes leadership development and community service while maintaining strong college placement records to top universities.
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Immaculate Heart Academy
Private Catholic School
Immaculate Heart Academy is a private Catholic college preparatory school for young women serving the northern New Jersey area. The school offers a challenging academic environment with 22 Advanced Placement courses, comprehensive STEM programs, and extensive fine arts opportunities. The campus features modern science and technology labs, performing arts spaces, and athletic facilities. With a commitment to developing confident leaders, the school emphasizes community service, spiritual growth, and academic achievement, consistently placing graduates in competitive colleges and universities nationwide.
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Bergen Catholic High School
Private Catholic School
Bergen Catholic High School is an all-boys Catholic college preparatory school serving the broader Bergen County region. The school offers a comprehensive curriculum with extensive Advanced Placement options, a dedicated STEM academy, and robust athletic programs. Facilities include modern science laboratories, technology-enhanced classrooms, and extensive athletic complexes. With a focus on character development and academic excellence, Bergen Catholic maintains strong college acceptance rates and offers numerous extracurricular activities including robotics, debate, and performing arts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about private schools in Maywood, New Jersey
What are the primary private school options available for families residing in Maywood, New Jersey, and are they located within the borough?
While Maywood itself is a small residential borough, it is situated within a region of Bergen County renowned for its excellent private schools. The most prominent options, as noted, are Academy of the Holy Angels (Demarest), Bergen Catholic High School (Oradell), and Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township). These are all single-gender, Catholic college-preparatory schools located in neighboring towns, typically a 10-20 minute drive from Maywood. There are no major private school campuses within Maywood's borders, so families should plan for commuting. Additionally, several well-regarded non-sectarian and special-focus private schools in nearby towns like Tenafly, Englewood, and Ridgewood are accessible to Maywood residents.
How does the tuition for top private high schools near Maywood, NJ, compare, and what financial aid options are typically available?
Tuition for the leading private schools in the Maywood area is significant, reflecting their facilities, programs, and college placement records. For the 2024-2025 academic year, tuition ranges approximately from $18,000 to $22,000+ for the named schools. It's crucial to contact each school directly for the most current figures. Importantly, all these institutions offer robust need-based financial aid programs. For example, the Academy of the Holy Angels and Bergen Catholic have substantial endowment-funded aid, while Immaculate Heart Academy offers both need-based aid and merit scholarships. New Jersey also has no state-sponsored voucher or tax-credit scholarship programs for private K-12 education, so aid is primarily sourced directly from the schools and external scholarship foundations.
What unique academic or extracurricular programs do the private schools near Maywood, NJ, offer that distinguish them from local public schools?
The private schools in this corridor offer distinct programs often not found in the public system. Bergen Catholic, as an all-boys school, has a renowned engineering and robotics program and extensive competitive sports leagues. Academy of the Holy Angels and Immaculate Heart Academy, as all-girls schools, offer specialized STEM initiatives focused on closing the gender gap, such as women in engineering seminars and advanced research opportunities. All three schools typically have a wider array of Advanced Placement (AP) courses and a mandatory theology curriculum. Furthermore, they often boast unique global studies programs, with organized international travel and sister-school exchanges, which are less common in the public district structure of Maywood.
What is the typical enrollment timeline and process for competitive private high schools serving Maywood, NJ, families?
The process is highly structured and begins early. For 9th-grade admission, families should start researching in the spring of their child's 7th-grade year. The formal process kicks off in the fall of 8th grade with open houses (often September-October). Key steps include: taking the Cooperative Admissions Exam (COOP) for Catholic schools or the HSPT (usually in November or December), submitting applications by early December, and completing interviews and submitting records/teacher recommendations by January. Acceptance notifications are typically released in late February. For the top schools near Maywood, demand far exceeds seats, especially for non-feeder parish students, so adhering to deadlines and preparing thoroughly for entrance exams is critical.
For a family in Maywood, what are the key considerations when choosing between the high-performing public school system and a private school in the area?
This decision hinges on several factors unique to Maywood's context. The Maywood Public Schools are highly rated and offer a tuition-free, comprehensive education with the benefit of a local community. Choosing a private school like Holy Angels, Bergen Catholic, or IHA involves a significant financial investment but offers a different environment: single-gender education, a religious foundation (if desired), and often a more extensive network of advanced courses and college counseling. The private schools draw from a much larger regional pool, which can broaden your child's social circle but also means a commute. Parents should consider their child's learning style, the value placed on religious education, the importance of specific elite sports or arts programs, and their willingness to manage the logistics and cost of private education versus the excellent, convenient public option.
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