Are There Montessori High Schools? What to Look for Beyond Middle School

Yes, but they are rare, and many Montessori programs for teenagers end at middle school. Of the estimated 2,378 private Montessori schools in the US in 2023-24, about 300 stopped at 8th grade and about 90 taught through 12th (our calculation from NCES survey data), and no current count of public Montessori high schools exists. If you find one, judge it on the size of your teen’s peer group, the courses running this year, and the diploma and transcript your teen will leave with.

What Does a Montessori High School Look Like?

The two main associations describe the teenage years a little differently. AMS calls this level Secondary, for ages 12 to 18, with students commonly grouped in two- or three-year cohorts such as grades 7 and 8 for middle school and grades 9 to 12 for high school. Its description includes work periods of two hours or more, advanced courses in the core subjects, apprenticeships and the chance to start a business, while “high stakes” testing is typically left out (AMS).

AMI describes an adolescent community where teenagers do “real adult practical work in a social setting” and learn the basics of economics, sometimes in one group for ages 12 to 18 and sometimes split at 15 (AMI). Its US standards require at least one teacher with an AMI diploma to guide the teaching, working with a team of generalists and specialists. AMI/USA also says that “specific standards for the 15-18 level have not yet been established” (AMI/USA).

You may also hear the word Erdkinder, German for “child of the earth.” AMS uses it for a Montessori setting for ages 12 to 15 that connects teenagers with nature (AMS). That age range covers the middle school years, so a school with an Erdkinder program may stop at 9th grade.

Our pages on the adolescent program and the high school program describe the curriculum in more detail.

Are There Public Montessori High Schools?

A few. The last national figure we could find is from May 2016, when the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector counted 20 public Montessori high schools across the 50 states and Puerto Rico (Education Week). We found no newer count, so treat that number as history.

Cincinnati Public Schools, for one, runs Clark Montessori High School, which describes itself as “the nation’s first public Montessori high school” (Clark Montessori). A public program is tuition-free, but admission follows district rules, which may mean a lottery or an application window. Our guide on public and private Montessori schools explains how those work.

Will My Teen Get a Regular Diploma and Transcript?

A public Montessori high school works under the same state graduation requirements as any other public high school. Private schools follow their state’s private school rules, which differ from state to state. In Washington, for example, the State Board of Education says students must meet state graduation requirements and any requirements added by their district or private school (Washington SBE).

Some private Montessori high schools publish their rules. Oak Farm Montessori School in Indiana says its diploma requirements exceed Indiana’s Core 40 graduation requirements, with a 4-point GPA scale and a grade of 70 as the minimum for high school credit (Oak Farm). Many Montessori schools skip letter grades in the younger years and some bring them in for high school, a change our guide on Montessori grades covers.

What Should We Ask on the Visit?

Teenagers notice different things than parents do, so split the questions. Bring your teen, and if the school offers a shadow day, take it.

Questions for the Parent

• How many students are in my teen’s age group this year, and how many in the whole program?
• What is the highest grade open on this campus right now?
• Which courses run this year, and which only run when enough students sign up?
• Which advanced courses, world languages and lab sciences are offered?
• What diploma does a graduate receive, and can I see an anonymized transcript?
• Who handles college counseling, when does it start, and where have recent graduates gone?
• How does the school handle a student who falls behind in one subject?

Questions for Your Teen

These work best when your teen asks a current student directly.

• What does a normal week look like, from Monday morning to Friday afternoon?
• How much of your day do you plan yourself?
• What project are you working on now, and who chose it?
• Do students have jobs, internships or a business, and how do you get one?
• Who do you go to when you’re stuck?
• What would you change about this school?

How Do I Find One Near Me?

As of November 2026, about 370 schools in our directory carry a High School tag, about 200 of them in the United States. The tag comes from federal grade data, the school’s Google category or its name, so treat it as a lead.

Among US states, Florida and Texas have the most listings with the tag, followed by California, Illinois and Ohio. Open a state, pick a city, and check the Programs and Grades lines on each school page before you call.

What If There Isn’t One Nearby?

Then the decision becomes when to move to a conventional high school. Ask the Montessori middle school which records it sends when a student leaves, such as course descriptions, work samples and any test scores. Ask the receiving high school how it places new 9th graders in math and world languages, because a placement test or a missing course description can decide which class your teen starts in.