Saint James School
★ Founded 1842; Episcopal; 260 students in Grades 8-12 from 30 countries and 20 US states; 6:1 ratio and an average class of 11; 20 AP courses; 800 acres; 33 faculty of whom 74% hold advanced degrees and 95% live on campusCheck accreditation yourself
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DAPIP - U.S. Department of Education ↗About Saint James School
An Episcopal boarding school for Grades 8-12 on 800 acres near Hagerstown, Maryland, founded in 1842. 260 students from 30 countries, a 6:1 ratio and an average class of 11, with 95% of faculty living on campus. Boarding tuition for 2026-27 is USD 62,000 — among the lowest in this group — but the school states plainly that it runs no ESL programme.
- THE ONE THING TO SETTLE FIRST. The school states in writing: 'we do not have an English as a Second Language (ESL) program.' For a school with students from 30 countries that is a deliberate position, not an oversight. It means a student must be able to follow lessons in English from day one, with no scaffolding. If your child is still building English, this school is the wrong fit however attractive the fee — and knowing that now saves an application fee and several months.
- Tuition 2026-27 as published: boarding USD 62,000, day USD 38,000. There is no separate international tuition line, which in this group is unusual and works in a Vietnamese family's favour — eight of the fifteen schools here charge international students more.
- Financial aid is published in unusual detail: 61% of students receive it, over USD 5 million was awarded in 2024-2025, with average grants of USD 30,000 boarding and USD 19,000 day.
- The English test is TOEFL or Duolingo where English is not the first language, and the school will waive it for an applicant who has attended a school taught in English for the past two years. No minimum score is published — which, given there is no ESL safety net, means the interview and transcript carry more weight, not less.
- A hard date that is easy to miss: applicants whose first language is not English must complete a Vericant interview by 15 November, well before most application deadlines. A second interview, on campus or virtual, follows by 10 January for invited candidates. The international application fee is USD 115.
- The campus is 800 acres — roughly 100 acres of school surrounded by 700 acres of school-owned farmland — with 33 faculty of whom 95% live on site. At 260 students that is close to the highest concentration of resident adults per student in this group.
- The school reports that 100% of its students are accepted into college. As with every such figure in this directory, it is the school's own claim, published without a stated method or named cohort.
The USD 62,000 / USD 38,000 tuition, the 10% enrolment deposit, the 61% aid figure and the USD 30,000 / USD 19,000 average grants were read directly on stjames.edu on 17 September 2026 at /admission/tuition-financial-aid. The sentence 'we do not have an English as a Second Language (ESL) program', the TOEFL/Duolingo rule, the waiver condition, the 15 November Vericant deadline, the 10 January second interview and the USD 115 fee come from /admission/international-students. The 1842 founding, enrolment of 260, the Grades 8-12 range, 30 countries, 20 states, the 6:1 ratio, the average class of 11, the 800 acres, 20 AP courses and the resident-faculty share come from /about/at-a-glance. NOTE A SMALL DISCREPANCY: the at-a-glance page says 30 countries while the international page says students come from 28 countries this year; this record uses the at-a-glance figure. The AIMS and Middle States accreditation, and Maryland State Board of Education approval, come from the school's published School Profile hosted on its own domain rather than from the main site. NOT FOUND: any minimum English score, and the boarding/day split. Tuition changes from year to year.
Ask VNIS about this programmeTuition & scholarships
Saint James School sits in the Upper-mid tuition band. Tuition and scholarships change every year and by program, so VNIS provides the exact up-to-date figures for the program you choose during consultation. This school publishes its aid numbers more fully than any other in this group, which makes them worth reading closely: 61% of students receive financial aid, more than USD 5 million was awarded in 2024-2025, and the average grant was USD 30,000 for boarding students and USD 19,000 for day students. An average boarding grant of USD 30,000 against a USD 62,000 fee is a substantial proposition, and it is stated as an average rather than a maximum. The school describes aid as a reduction in tuition rather than a loan. The enrolment deposit is 10% of tuition, due with the signed enrolment agreement..
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Where is Saint James School located?
Saint James School is located in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States, a private boarding school.
What are the tuition and scholarships at Saint James School?
Tuition sits in the "Upper-mid" band. Tuition and scholarships change every year and by program, so VNIS provides the exact up-to-date figures for your chosen program during consultation. This school publishes its aid numbers more fully than any other in this group, which makes them worth reading closely: 61% of students receive financial aid, more than USD 5 million was awarded in 2024-2025, and the average grant was USD 30,000 for boarding students and USD 19,000 for day students. An average boarding grant of USD 30,000 against a USD 62,000 fee is a substantial proposition, and it is stated as an average rather than a maximum. The school describes aid as a reduction in tuition rather than a loan. The enrolment deposit is 10% of tuition, due with the signed enrolment agreement..
How do I apply to Saint James School with VNIS?
Fill in the form at the bottom of this page. A VNIS advisor will contact you, review your profile for free and support you all the way to enrolment. You can also create an account to track your application.
