With a population of over 13,195,897 people, Pennsylvania is the 6th most populated state in the United States. The state is bordered by New York, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Pennsylvania boasts of rich history, considering it was among the 13 original founding states in the U.S., that dates back to 1681. Moreover, Pennsylvania prides itself for its picturesque lakes, endless shorelines, green landscapes, soaring mountains, and being the home to the nation’s first zoo, the Philadelphia Zoo. With a whopping 121 state parks, several prestigious museums, historical landmarks, including the Appalachian Mountains, Pennsylvania offers a downright beautiful environment fused with incredible culture and magnificent scenery.
Besides being home to a varied selection of great cities and towns, each with its own unique and alluring character, Pennsylvania consists of approximately 500 school districts and thousands of private schools. Schools in Pennsylvania boast of top-performance in several of the core subjects, including math, languages and sciences and some of the nation’s highest high school graduation rates.
The academic year for schools in Pennsylvania usually starts in late August or early September and ends in early June. Under state law, all children from 8 years to 17 years must attend a school or receive an education. However, children from 3 months to 7 years can attend infant, toddler, and pre-kindergarten programs, although these are not compulsory. Pennsylvania uses the K-12 school system which is separated into three categories as follows; elementary school (kindergarten to grade 5), middle school or junior school (grades 6 through 8), and high school grades 9 through 12.
Pennsylvania schools provide a good selection of themes, education styles, and a variety of curricula to choose from for local and international students. The variation in the types of schools in Pennsylvania ensures that all children’s needs are catered for be it in the public or private school systems. Below is a description of the various types of Pennsylvania schools:
Public schools are state-funded schools which offer tuition-free education. However, attendance to these schools is zonal depending on the student’s proximity to schools within the school districts. There are various types of public schools, which include:
These are public schools that provide specialized curricula or courses, mostly technology, the sciences or arts. Attendance to these schools is not zonal, and hence, students from any school district can attend. These schools may be operated by a single school district or group of districts. Additionally, while these schools are highly competitive and selective, they strive to maintain a diverse and multicultural student population.
Charter schools are independently run public schools that receive funding from the government. In these schools, the governing body has the autonomy to set the academic programs offered by the school. In Pennsylvania, students have the option of enrolling to cyber charter schools which provide them with an opportunity to learn remotely through the internet or other electronic means. There are over 170 charter schools, including cyber charter schools in the region.
Private schools in Pennsylvania, provide top-notch education facilities with excellent student-teacher ratios, advanced facilities, among others. However, these schools are tuition-funded and managed independently by religious groups or private establishments. Private schools are categorized into three groups. These include accredited schools, licensed private academic schools, and non-public non-licensed schools.
International schools are privately run schools that are tuition funded and offer internationally recognized standards of education. There are numerous international schools in the region which offer the International Baccalaureate and other accreditation in Pennsylvania. Moreover, some of these schools provide bilingual programs.
Pennsylvania offers a wide range of schools for students. Because of the variety of schools and numerous prospective students sending their applications, the admissions process may be challenging. Therefore, it is essential to plan in advance and carry out research by visiting individual school website pages for more information on the admissions policy, eligibility criteria, and application requirements. Below is a list of essential factors to put into consideration as you search and apply to Pennsylvania schools:
Below is a comprehensive list of all the schools in Pennsylvania. Edarabia strives to offer the latest updates, helping you find the best schools in Pennsylvania with information on tuition fees, accreditation details, videos, photos, location map, community reviews, and ratings.
Edarabia showcases all private schools in Pennsylvania through which parents can filter by tuition fees, curriculum, rankings & ratings. There are many public, private and charter schools near you that cater to both expat and local students.
Depending on the level of education; kindergartens (pre-schools), primary, secondary and high schools will all have varying tuition fees. Most K-12 schools offer different curriculums and extra-curricular activities to support the intellectual and physical wellbeing of students. Admissions for the top international schools in Pennsylvania tend to have waiting lists so it is recommended that parents apply well in advance to secure a spot for their children. Additionally, each school has ratings based on parent reviews and are ranked below accordingly.
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