The Thacher School (2026 Profile)

5.00 (26 reviews)

Tel: (805) 640-3210

5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, CA 93023

thacher.org

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The Thacher School Photo #1 - In courses designed for intellectual and creative expansion, students and teachers meet in seminar circles, studios, and laboratories to create a learning environment that is vigorous and supportive, galvanizing and nurturing.

The Thacher School Photo #2 - "Education is not merely the making of scholars. It is the making of men and women. It is the training of the younger generation in the art of living for their own greatest good and the greatest good of their fellow citizens."-Sherman Day Thacher

The Thacher School Photo #3 - Thacher's 427 acres sit at the foot of the Los Padres National Forest in Southern California's idyllic Ojai Valley. Here, members of the girls' varsity soccer team stretch before an afternoon practice.

The Thacher School Photo #4 - Team sport offerings include football, volleyball, cross-country, tennis, basketball, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, and baseball. Students can also choose to participate in yoga, dance, rock climbing, and riding.

The Thacher School Photo #5 - Twice a year, the entire school packs up and heads into the wilderness for a week of adventure, challenge, and bonding. Leaders offer a variety of trips focusing on activities such as backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, and sailing.

The Thacher School Photo #6 - Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before lunch, the community gathers outdoors for Assembly, a time reserved for announcements, presentations, and acknowledgements. The spontaneous spirit of Assembly usually becomes fodder for discussion later in the day.

The Thacher School Photo #7 - State-of-the-art dormitories incorporate as much of Thacher's beautiful outdoor space as possible.

The Thacher School Photo #8 - Though most new students have had little or no experience with horses, each ninth grader spends the first year learning to care for and ride a horse. A long-standing tradition and central part of a Thacher education, the program teaches responsibility, problem solving, and grit in addition to riding skills and rewards participants with heightened self-confidence and awareness.

The Thacher School Photo #9 - The Milligan Center for Performing Arts, a 450-seat auditorium, hosts three major stage productions each year as well as multiple performances by the dance ensemble, jazz band, Chamber Singers, and string orchestra. Thacher's vibrant studio art program offers courses in two and three-dimensional art, photography, ceramics, and wood design.

The Thacher School Photo #10 - "Come west. Breathe deep. Let these books and these hills and these horses be your teachers."-Sherman Day Thacher

Founded in 1889, The Thacher School is a coeducational boarding high school located 85 miles north of Los Angeles, California.

The School serves academically talented students who will benefit from a rigorous college preparatory experience.

The faculty and students live and work closely together in a community in which cooperation, trust, honesty, and respect are the cornerstones of school life.

Together, we commit to the belief that demands in the academic classroom, when combined with those of mountains and horses, of sports and the arts, produce independent minds, strong bodies, and powerful character.

Quick Facts (2026)

Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 255 students
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $81,000
Yearly Tuition (Day Students): $65,600
Acceptance rate: 16%
Average class size: 11 students
Application Deadline: Jan. 15
Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

The Thacher School ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 307 schools) for:

School Overview

| 2025 School Data

The Thacher School

Boarding School Avg.

School Focus

College Preparatory

Grades Offered

9-12

School Type

Co-ed

Religious Affiliation

Non-denominational

Year Founded

1889

1909

Campus Size

427 acres

125 acres

School Motto

The aims of the place are thus in three directions: toward health and happiness, toward unselfish character, and toward accurate, thorough, and self-reliant habits of thought and study.

Student Body

Enrollment

255 students

300 students

% Students of Color

56%

25%

% International Students

12%

20%

% Students Boarding

93%

70%

Average SAT Score

1358
(Out of 1600)

* National Avg. »View

SAT range (25th-75th percentile)

1260 - 1510

Average ACT score

31
(Out of 36)

*National Avg. »View

Offers Post-Grad Year

Academic Profile

Saturday Classes

Classroom Dress Code

Casual

Average Class Size

11 students

* National Avg. »18

Student-Teacher Ratio

6:1

7:1

ESL Courses Offered

Yes

% Faculty with Advanced Degree

72%

70%

Summer Program Offered

Yes

Accreditations

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)

Tuition & Financial Aid

Endowment Size

$206 million
(June 2021)

$25 million

Yearly Tuition
(Boarding Students)

$81,000

$59,900

Yearly Tuition
(Day Students)

$65,600

$33,500

% Students on Financial Aid

28%

40%

Avg. Financial Aid Grant

$64,813

$25,000

Admissions

Application Deadline

Jan. 15

SSAT Required

Yes

Average Percentile SSAT

94%

Acceptance Rate

16%

58%

Director of Admissions

Bill McMahon

Application URL

Online Application

Sports

# Interscholastic Sports Offered

Sports

BaseballBasketball

ClimbingCross Country

Track and FieldVolleyball

Colors

Green, Orange

School Mascot

Toad

Extracurriculars

Total Extracurricular Organizations

Extracurriculars

PrefectsQuilting

Sir Winston Churchill Debating SocietySpanish Club

Club or Organization:

Amnesty International ClubBlack Student Union

Cheese ClubChristian Fellowship Club

IndoorLatinos Unidos

Literary SocietyMulti-ethnic Student Union

Robotics ClubSpectrum

The NotesUnited Cultures of Thacher

Arts and Music Programs:

ChamberThacher Masquers

Recreational Athletic Programs:

Fitness/Challenge FitnessThacher Pack & Spur Club

College Matriculation

College Acceptance Rate

79%

10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled)

Stanford University

New York University

Colorado College

USC

Claremont McKenna College

Columbia University

Dartmouth College

Tafts University

Universtity of Richmond

Duke University

View Matriculation Data

School Notes

Founded in 1889, The Thacher School is a coeducational boarding high school located 85 miles north of Los Angeles, California. The School serves academically talented students who will benefit from a rigorous college preparatory experience. The faculty and students live and work closely together in a community in which cooperation, trust, honesty, and respect are the cornerstones of school life. Together, we commit to the belief that demands in the academic classroom, when combined with those of mountains and horses, of sports and the arts, produce independent minds, strong bodies, and powerful character.

Source: Verified school update

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does The Thacher School cost?

The Thacher School's tuition is approximately $81,000 for boarding students and $65,600 for day students.

What schools are The Thacher School often compared to?

The Thacher School is often viewed alongside schools like Cate School by visitors of our site.

What is the acceptance rate of The Thacher School?

The acceptance rate of The Thacher School is 16%, which is lower than the boarding school average of 58%. The Thacher School's acceptance rate is ranked as one of the top boarding schools with low acceptance rates.

What sports does The Thacher School offer?

The Thacher School offers 14 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Climbing, Cross Country, Dance, Equestrian, Football, Lacrosse, Rock Climbing, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Track and Field and Volleyball.

What is The Thacher School's ranking?

The Thacher School ranks among the top 20 boarding schools for Highest endowment/student, Low acceptance rates and High average SAT scores.

When is the application deadline for The Thacher School?

The application deadline for The Thacher School is Jan. 15.

Alumni Reviews Review School

Review

Description

The Thacher School Alumni #1
Class of 2017
5.005/26/2021
Yale

Thacher's community on campus is unlike any other, connections at the school go beyond merely knowing every student's name but having had interacted closely with everyone whether on a camping trip, in the dining hall. . .

The Thacher School Alumni #2
Class of 2017
5.0011/19/2017
Yale University

You cannot mention Thacher without talking about the horse program; each freshman is required to take care of and ride a horse for the first year of high school. I rode all four years and. . .

The Thacher School Alumni #3
Class of 2016
5.0011/19/2017
Dartmouth College

One thing that makes Thacher unique are the opportunities to form close, meaningful relationships with teachers and its commitment to helping students grow personally as well as academically. Whether it's out in the Domelands wilderness. . .

Show more reviews (23 reviews)

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