Kansas has one principal boarding school: Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, a Catholic Benedictine coed school charging roughly $35,000–$45,000 per year in 2026 with a large international cohort. The state’s other historic boarding school, Saint John’s Military School in Salina, closed in 2019.
Key facts about boarding schools in Kansas
- Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison is Kansas’s main boarding school.
- Boarding tuition runs roughly $35,000–$45,000 per year — well below the national average.
- The school is Benedictine Catholic and enrolls a substantial international population.
- Saint John’s Military School in Salina closed in 2019 after 132 years.
- Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka are day school markets.
Maur Hill-Mount Academy
| School | City | Type | Boarding tuition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maur Hill-Mount Academy | Atchison | Coed, 9–12 (Benedictine Catholic) | ~$35,000–$45,000 | Large international enrollment; near Kansas City |
Maur Hill-Mount Academy formed from the merger of two Benedictine schools and sits in Atchison, about an hour northwest of Kansas City. Like other Benedictine boarding schools — Subiaco in Arkansas, Portsmouth Abbey in Rhode Island — it admits students of all faiths while maintaining religious programming. See Christian boarding schools.
A note on Saint John’s Military School
Saint John’s Military School in Salina operated from 1887 until its closure in 2019. It still appears in older boarding school directories and search results, so families researching Kansas options should verify that any school they contact is currently enrolling. This is a general hazard when using aggregator sites, which frequently lag school closures by years.
Where Kansas families look
With one in-state option, most Kansas families build lists regionally: Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and further afield Indiana and Minnesota.
All states: best boarding schools by state.
Kansas boarding school FAQ
Are there boarding schools in Kansas?
Few. Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison is Kansas's main boarding school — a Catholic Benedictine coed school for grades 9–12 charging roughly $35,000–$45,000 per year for boarders, with a substantial international student population.
How much does Maur Hill-Mount Academy cost?
Maur Hill-Mount Academy charges approximately $35,000–$45,000 per year for boarding students in 2025–26, depending on program and whether the student is domestic or international — well below the national private boarding average.
Did Saint John's Military School close?
Yes. Saint John's Military School in Salina, Kansas, which operated from 1887, closed in 2019 after enrollment decline. Families encountering references to it in older directories should be aware it no longer enrolls students.
Where do Kansas families find boarding schools?
Kansas families typically apply out of state. Missouri Military Academy and Thomas Jefferson School in Missouri, Subiaco Academy in Arkansas, and the tuition-free public academies in Oklahoma and Arkansas are the nearest options, along with larger Midwest schools in Indiana and Minnesota.
Sources
- Maur Hill-Mount Academy: published tuition and admission data.
- ISACS: Midwest independent school directory.