CALIFORNIA · BOARDING SCHOOL GUIDE
Midland School
Los Olivos · Santa Barbara County, California
A co-ed grade 9-12 school founded in 1932 where every student boards, on a 2,860-acre ranch at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest.
- 1932
- Founded
- 9-12
- Grades
- 71
- Students (all boarding)
- 4:1
- Student-to-faculty ratio
About Midland School
Midland School was founded in 1932 by Paul and Louise Squibb in Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County, on a 2,860-acre ranch at the edge of the Los Padres National Forest, 95% of which is protected in a land trust. The school enrolls grades 9 to 12 only; all 71 students in 2025-26 boarded, 19% were international, and 95% of faculty also live on campus. Midland is accredited by WASC and is a member of NAIS, CAIS and TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools).
The school is built on simplicity, self-reliance and closeness to nature: students live two to a cabin, phones stay at home, and there is no janitorial or maintenance staff because students maintain the campus through the Jobs Program, which appears on the transcript. Midland offers no AP classes; its core curriculum is UC-approved with honors options, and Spanish is the only world language. Interim Head of School Dan Susman leads the school through 2026-27, and a new head begins on July 1, 2027.
| School type | Nonsectarian independent · Co-ed · All boarding |
|---|---|
| Divisions | Grades 9-12; every student lives on campus |
| Main entry grades | Grade 9; transfers into grades 10 to 12 when space allows |
| Mandarin | No: Spanish is the only world language |
| Head of school | Dan Susman (Interim Head of School) |
| Accreditation | WASC; member of NAIS, CAIS and TABS |
| Address | 5100 Figueroa Mountain Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441 |
| Phone | (805) 688-5114 |
| NCES ID | 00083564 |
| Official Website | midland-school.org |
Academics and programs at Midland School
- Place-based curriculumEvery ninth grader takes Midland 101, hiking and mapping the 2,860-acre campus and studying its water, geology, plants, animals and human history.
- Honors courses and AP examsThe school offers no AP classes; its core curriculum is UC-approved and includes honors options, and students can sit AP exams such as Calculus and Spanish on campus.
- Work and leadershipThe campus has no janitorial or maintenance staff, students maintain it through the Jobs Program, and senior Prefects mentor and oversee younger students.
- Farm and horsesA 10-acre organic farm and a herd of more than 15 horses support for-credit Farm and Ranch internships, and horsemanship can be taken as a seasonal sport.
- Experiential learningExperiential Saturdays, the February MIDterm week and the spring Experiential Week, with a Senior Project required for graduation.
Midland School tuition and family budget
Tuition, 2026-27
$83,900/ year · all boarding
The school publishes a single boarding tuition and no separate day rate; it does not itemize what tuition covers
At the 2026-27 rate of $83,900, four years from grade 9 through grade 12 come to about $335,600 in tuition, excluding insurance, travel and personal costs.
Financial aid at Midland School is entirely need-based and reaches more than half of students; the school states that once an award is made it continues through enrollment unless family circumstances change significantly.
| 2026-27 tuition | $83,900 (every student boards) |
|---|---|
| International student health insurance | $2,750 |
| Average paid after aid, 2025-26 | $33,100 |
| Financial aid | Need-based; more than half of students receive aid, over $1.75 million a year, average award $50,800, from several thousand dollars to full tuition |
| Aid application | Through Clarity; all custodial and noncustodial parents complete it; reviewed each year |
| Fee waivers | Available for qualifying families for both the admission and aid applications |
| Payment plans | One payment on June 1, or ten monthly payments from June 1 to March 1 |
Key dates for the 2027-28 Midland School admission season
- Admission event in Corona del Mar (Orange County)
- Holistic review of applications begins
- Application deadline
- Tuition due in full, or first of ten payments
The school asks for applications by February 15 and begins holistic review in February; it does not publish a decision date or enrollment reply date. Applications go through the SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO), the interview usually takes place during the campus visit, and the school suggests a shadow day for families applying this year.
- Claremont
- Corona del Mar
- Incline Village, Nevada
- Seattle, Washington
Midland School entrance assessment and SSAT/ISEE requirements
| Entry grade | Testing |
|---|---|
| Grade 9 | SSAT Upper Level or ISEE Upper Level (optional) |
| Grades 10 to 12 (space permitting) | SSAT Upper Level or ISEE Upper Level (optional) |
| International applicants | TOEFL 90 or Duolingo 125 minimum (grade 9) |
| Test-optional · Application deadline 2027.02.15 · TOEFL code 8802 | |
- Midland School is currently test-optional, so an application is complete without SSAT or ISEE scores; the school strongly recommends the SSAT or ISEE for homeschooled applicants and those without a traditional transcript.
- The SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) and ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) are U.S. private school admission tests, and applicants to grades 9 to 12 take the Upper Level. The website does not list an SSAT school code, so confirm it with admissions before sending scores.
EDUBUS starts with a practice test to judge whether an SSAT score is worth submitting, then plans back from the February 15 deadline: a first sitting in the fall, a final one before December, and essays and interview preparation from January. Under the test-optional policy, a weak score is simply left out. SSAT/ISEE prep · Boarding school application guide
Where Midland School graduates go to college
Recent college admissions60 schools
- Agnes Scott College
- American University
- American University of Paris
- Arizona State University
- Bard College
- Bates College
- Bennington College
- Boston University
- Bowdoin College
- Brandeis University
- Bucknell University
- Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Chapman University
- Colorado College
- Colorado State University
- Connecticut College
- Cornell University
- Dartmouth College
- Dickinson College
- Earlham College
- Emerson College
- George Washington University
- Grinnell College
- Harvey Mudd College
- Indiana University
- Kenyon College
- Lewis & Clark College
- Macalester College
- Middlebury College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Northwestern University
- Oberlin College
- Occidental College
- Oregon State University
- Pitzer College
- Pomona College
- Reed College
- Santa Clara University
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Scripps College
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Skidmore College
- Smith College
- St. Lawrence University
- Syracuse University
- Tulane University
- UC Berkeley
- UC Davis
- UC Irvine
- UC San Diego
- UC Santa Barbara
- University of British Columbia
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Denver
- University of Oregon
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Vermont
- Whitman College
- Williams College
These are the colleges that recent graduates were admitted to, as listed on the school's college counseling page; the school does not publish a year-by-year matriculation list or counts. The 2025-26 profile states that 95% of students plan to enroll at four-year colleges, and every senior meets one-to-one with the college counselor each week in the fall. Schools marked → link to an EDUBUS admissions guide.
Getting to Midland School from Irvine
| Northwood | 150.3 mi |
|---|---|
| Turtle Rock | 150.4 mi |
| Woodbury | 151.7 mi |
| Portola Springs | 153.1 mi |
These are straight-line distances from Irvine neighborhoods to campus, about 150 miles, not driving distances. The campus sits on Figueroa Mountain Road north of Los Olivos with no cell service. Every student boards and leaves and returns on the school calendar: in 2026-27, fall break begins October 9 after 6 p.m. with return on October 18 from 1 to 5 p.m., and holiday break departures are the morning of December 11 with return on January 4, 2027.
School address: 5100 Figueroa Mountain Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441
Midland School: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Irvine families applying to Midland School need the SSAT?
Midland School is currently test-optional, so neither the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) nor the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is required. The school strongly recommends the SSAT or ISEE for homeschooled applicants or those without a traditional transcript. An Irvine student with a strong score before December can submit it as an objective reference.
When is the Midland School application deadline for Irvine students?
Midland School asks for applications by February 15, which for the 2027-28 admission season means February 15, 2027, and holistic review begins in February. Applications go through the SSAT Standard Application Online (SAO) with a school supplement, and the required interview is usually done during the campus visit.
What is Midland School tuition for 2026-27, and can Irvine families get financial aid?
Midland School tuition for 2026-27 is $83,900, and every student boards. The school says more than half of students receive need-based aid, with more than $1.75 million awarded each year, an average award of $50,800 and awards ranging from several thousand dollars to full tuition; in 2025-26 the average tuition paid after aid was $33,100. Aid applications go through Clarity.
Does Midland School accept international students, and what English testing applies to students already in Irvine?
Midland School accepts international students, who made up 19% of the student body in the 2025-26 school profile. International applicants submit TOEFL or Duolingo English Test scores, with grade 9 minimums of 90 and 125 respectively; the TOEFL school code is 8802. Students already studying in English at an Irvine school should confirm with admissions whether a score is still needed.
Midland School offers no AP classes; does that hurt Irvine students in college admissions?
Midland School does not offer AP (Advanced Placement) courses, which it considers limited in scope, and offers honors courses instead. Students who complete the matching honors work may choose to take AP exams, and the school hosts exams such as Calculus, Spanish Language, English Language and U.S. History on campus. Colleges evaluate rigor against what a school offers, and the school profile explains this to them.
How far is Midland School from Irvine, and how do weekends and breaks work?
Midland School is in Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County, about 150 miles in a straight line from Irvine. Every student boards and weekends include programs such as Experiential Saturdays; in 2026-27, fall break begins October 9, holiday break departures are December 11, and winter and spring breaks begin February 12 and April 2, with departure and return times listed in the school calendar.
What is daily life like for an Irvine student at Midland School, and are phones allowed?
Midland School students do not bring cell phones to campus and use Chromebooks for learning. Students live two to a cabin, underclassmen do 20 to 30 minutes of campus work a day through the Jobs Program, students and faculty share dinner five nights a week with a weekly formal dinner, and every student takes a sport or outdoor program each season. Thriving here takes real self-reliance and community spirit.
Sources: the school website and public filings · compiled 2026-10-07 · current policy follows the school's own notice
Sources22 sources · checked 2026-10-07
Compiled from the official Midland School website and public filings. Tuition and deadlines follow the school's current notice. Enrollment of 71 and the 4:1 ratio come from the school's 2025-26 School Profile, which lists 23 seniors; NCES recorded 79 students for 2023-24, and the international admission page describes 80 to 90 students. The school does not publish an average class size.
- midland-school.org
- midland-school.org/about-midland
- midland-school.org/history-traditions
- midland-school.org/admissions
- midland-school.org/admissions/application-process-requirements
- midland-school.org/admissions/affording-midland
- midland-school.org/admissions/admissions-on-the-road
- midland-school.org/international-student-admissions
- midland-school.org/academics
- midland-school.org/aps-academic-support
- midland-school.org/spanish-language
- midland-school.org/college-counseling
- midland-school.org/student-life
- midland-school.org/sports-and-clubs
- midland-school.org/horse-ranch
- midland-school.org/farming-agriculture
- midland-school.org/thanksgiving
- midland-school.org/directory
- midland-school.org/head-of-school-search-26-27
- mymidlandschool.org/public/resources/uploads/25_MS_Profile_Publication_8.5x11f_1_1_1761684646.pdf
- midland-school.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2026/09/Calendar_2026-2027.pdf
- nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolName=Midland&State=06&ID=00083564
Ask about applying to Midland School and SSAT/ISEE prep
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