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Woodside Priory School (Priory)

5.00 (2 reviews)

Tel: (650) 851-8223

302 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028

www.prioryca.org

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Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #1 - Woodside Priory is a Benedictine Catholic, independent college preparatory school. Founded by Hungarian monks in 1957, Priory has been an international school from its very beginning.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #2 - Our 50-acre campus is located 10 minutes from Stanford University, 40 minutes from San Francisco, and less than 30 minutes from the headquarters of companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #3 - School spirit is huge at Priory. More than 30 club and activity choices are available to High School students. Clubs provide opportunities to discover passions, develop strengths, apply academic knowledge in a practical way, develop self-knowledge, and learn to make the choices necessary to manage a busy schedule independently.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #4 - Academic rigor is part of life at Priory. Our students graduate fully prepared to enter the most selective colleges and universities.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #5 - Our classes are intentionally small and last between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes, allowing students and teachers to engage deeply in intellectual discourse, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #6 - At Woodside Priory, we offer a competitive interscholastic athletic program. At the same time, we don't cut students from teams, so everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Photo #7 - The Priory values arts in education as an expression of one's own humanity and an aspect of understanding all humanity. In concert with academic studies, learning about and doing arts is part of fully developing students' intelligence and potential.

Woodside Priory is the only boarding school in Silicon Valley.

Located within 40 minutes of San Francisco and 10 minutes of Stanford University, the Priory is a coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 as well as a coeducational day school for grades 6 through 8.

Situated on a 50-acre campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, Priory offers a 7:1 student/teacher ratio, a strong college and university preparatory curriculum, a vast performing arts program, and a competitive athletics program. Priory strives to create a balanced experience for students where they can explore interests, develop passions, and discover themselves.

Quick Facts (2026)

Grades: (Boarding Students) 9-12
Grades: (Day Students) 6-12
Enrollment: 425 students
Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $84,660
Yearly Tuition (Day Students): $58,200
Acceptance rate: 30%
Average class size: 13 students
Application Deadline: Jan. 9
Source: Verified school update

Top Rankings

Woodside Priory School (Priory) ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 307 schools) for:

School Overview

| 2025 School Data

Woodside Priory School (Priory)

Boarding School Avg.

School Focus

College Preparatory

Grades Offered (Boarding)

9-12

Grades Offered (Day)

6-12

Pre-K-12

School Type

Co-ed

Religious Affiliation

Catholic

Non-denominational

Year Founded

1957

1909

Campus Size

50 acres

125 acres

Colors

Black, Blue

School Calendar

View School Calendar

Student Body

Enrollment

425 students

300 students

% Students of Color

63%

25%

% International Students

15%

20%

% Students Boarding

20%

70%

Offers Post-Grad Year

Academics and Faculty

Saturday Classes

Classroom Dress Code

Casual

Average Class Size

13 students

* National Avg. »18

Student-Teacher Ratio

7:1

# of AP / Advanced Courses Offered

ESL Courses Offered

Yes

% Faculty with Advanced Degree

80%

70%

Summer Program Offered

Yes

Tuition Cost

Endowment Size

$15 million

$25 million

Yearly Tuition
(Boarding Students)

$84,660
(Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend activities)

$59,900

Yearly Tuition
(Day Students)

$58,200
(Day tuition includes daily lunch. Additional fees include Student Store deposit of $600. Books are extra.)

$33,500

% Students on Financial Aid

20%

40%

Merit Scholarships Offered

Admissions

Application Deadline

Jan. 9

Jan. 15

Acceptance Rate

30%

58%

Director of Admissions

Kirk Gossman
Nils Leitz

Application URL

Online Application

AP / Advanced Courses

# of AP / Advanced Courses Offered

Courses

Advanced Music TheoryArt History

Biology (Advanced)Calculus AB

Calculus BCChemistry

Computer ScienceDifferential Equations Honors

EconomicsEnglish Literature

Environmental ScienceFrench Language

Human GeographyMacroeconomics

MicroeconomicsMultivariable Calculus Honors

PhysicsPsychology

Spanish LanguageSpanish Literature

StatisticsStudio Art

U.S. Government and PoliticsU.S. History

Show More (8)Hide

Sports

# Interscholastic Sports Offered

Sports

BaseballBasketball

Cross CountryFootball

LacrosseSoccer

SwimmingTennis

Track and FieldVolleyball

Water Polo

Extracurriculars

Total Extracurricular Organizations

Extracurriculars

Club or Organization:

Admissions AssistantsArt in Public Spaces

Associated Student BodyAthletic Therapy Assistants

Campus MinistryCommunity Ensemble

Daraja ClubGay/ Straight Alliance

Green Campus Action TeamInternational Club

School ReachSocial Justice Club

VEX RoboticsWeb Design

WomentorsYearbook

Arts and Music Programs:

Chamber ChoirConcert Choir

Fashion ShowImprov Club

Jazz BandMiddlesex Art Association

San Domenico Singers

College Matriculation

10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled)

University of Southern California

Santa Clara University

New York University

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of California, Berkeley

Chapman University

Boston University

Carleton College

Northeastern University

University of Oregon

View Matriculation Data

School Notes

Located within 40 minutes of San Francisco and 10 minutes from Stanford University, the Priory is a coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 as well as a coeducational day school for grades 6 through 8. Situated on a 50-acre campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, Priory offers a 7:1 student/teacher ratio, a strong college and university preparatory curriculum, a vast performing arts program, and a competitive athletics program.The Priory strives to create a balanced experience for students where they can explore interests, develop passions, and discover meaningful activities. Everything we do revolves around our Mission to assist students in becoming lifelong learners and stewards who will productively serve the world in need of their gifts and our five Benedictine values of Community, Hospitality, Individuality, Integrity, and Spirituality. Priory students are challenged to develop their fullest potential in the classrooms, on the athletic fields, in the performing and visual arts, and in service to the greater community around them. Priory graduates go on to attend schools all across the country, including bigger schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, and UCLA, as well as smaller colleges like Carleton, Oberlin, Santa Clara, and Whitman.The Boarding Program embodies a family model with a full-time Residential Faculty dedicated to working with boarding students after school, in the evenings, and on weekends. The goal of the Boarding Program is to develop independent, responsible, and kind students who will engage in their communities. International in scope, the program attracts students from all parts of the world and throughout the western United States. Boarders enjoy the seamless interaction with the Priory's day students in and outside the classroom. This provides for a rich diversity of peers and experiences that create a strong, vibrant community.
Woodside Priory School (Priory) accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS), Western Catholic Education Association (WECA), The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- Taylor Eigsti - Grammy nominated jazz pianist
- Marc Fiore - Awarded 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Political Cartooning
School Mascot: Panthers

Source: Verified school update

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Woodside Priory School (Priory) cost?

Woodside Priory School (Priory)'s tuition is approximately $84,660 for boarding students and $58,200 for day students.

What schools are Woodside Priory School (Priory) often compared to?

Woodside Priory School (Priory)is often viewed alongside schools like Stevenson School, The Athenian School, Cate School by visitors of our site.

What is the acceptance rate of Woodside Priory School (Priory)?

The acceptance rate of Woodside Priory School (Priory) is 30%, which is lower than the boarding school average of 58%. Woodside Priory School (Priory)'s acceptance rate is ranked as one of the top boarding schools with low acceptance rates.

Who are famous alumni from Woodside Priory School (Priory)?

Woodside Priory School (Priory) famous alumni include: Taylor Eigsti and Marc Fiore.

What sports does Woodside Priory School (Priory) offer?

Woodside Priory School (Priory) offers 11 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball and Water Polo.

What is Woodside Priory School (Priory)'s ranking?

Woodside Priory School (Priory) ranks among the top 20 boarding schools for Low acceptance rates, High average SAT scores and High SSAT scores.

When is the application deadline for Woodside Priory School (Priory)?

The application deadline for Woodside Priory School (Priory) is Jan. 9.

Alumni Reviews Review School

Review

Description

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Alumni #1
Class of 2013
5.007/8/2016
Brown University

Our school is composed of about 20% boarding students and 80% day students in the upper school, meaning we are a smaller, very close-knit community within our larger school community. (The middle school is completely. . .

Woodside Priory School (Priory) Alumni #2
Class of 2014
5.007/5/2016
King's College London

Priory has a high student-to-teacher ratio, which means that each and every student is taken care of by the teacher and the teachers really know the students well. It helps with accommodating individual student's needs. . .