CALIFORNIA · BOARDING SCHOOL GUIDE
Woodside Priory School
Portola Valley · San Mateo County, California
A Catholic college-preparatory school founded in 1957 by Hungarian Benedictine monks, serving grades 6 to 12 with boarding in grades 9 to 12.
- 1957
- Founded
- 6-12
- Grades (boarding 9-12)
- 436
- Students (57 boarders)
- 13
- Average class size
About Woodside Priory School
Woodside Priory School was founded in 1957 by seven Benedictine monks from the Archabbey of Saint Martin in Pannonhalma, Hungary, and has been affiliated with Saint Anselm Abbey in New Hampshire since 1974. Its 51-acre campus is in Portola Valley in the Bay Area. The school began as a boys' boarding school, started admitting girls to its day program in the early 1990s, and opened boarding to girls in 2004. The Head of School is Patrick Ruff.
The school serves grades 6 to 12. Its 2026-27 School Profile lists 436 students, including 57 boarders, all in grades 9 to 12, and the school describes its program as the only high school boarding program in Silicon Valley. The profile notes students from 17 countries; boys live in Benedict House and girls in a separate dorm, and 30% of the faculty live on campus.
| School type | Catholic Benedictine independent · Co-ed · Day and boarding |
|---|---|
| Divisions | Middle School 6-8 (day only) / Upper School 9-12 (day and boarding) |
| Main entry grades | Grade 6 (day); boarding in grades 9 to 11 (the school publishes age limits for these three grades) |
| Mandarin | Yes: Mandarin I to V (with Honors) and AT Mandarin |
| Head of school | Patrick Ruff |
| Accreditation | WASC, Western Catholic Education Association; member of NAIS and CAIS |
| Address | 302 Portola Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028 |
| Phone | (650) 851-8221 |
| NCES ID | 00072315 |
| Official Website | www.prioryca.org |
Academics and programs at Woodside Priory School
- Advanced Topics coursessince 2024-25 the school has replaced AP with its own AT (Advanced Topics) courses, completing the transition in 2026-27 with 29 AT courses and 8 Post-AP courses; only AP Calculus BC remains.
- Theology and Benedictine traditiongraduation requires six semesters of theology; three Benedictine monks live in the monastery on campus and take part in teaching and school life, and the school gathers weekly for Chapel.
- Required artsgraduation requires four semesters of performing and visual arts, with electives including ceramics, glass, metals, jazz ensemble, orchestra and drama.
- Senior Projectevery grade 12 student must complete a semester-long Senior Project in the spring, proposing a solution to a real-world need.
- Residential lifeeight full-time residential faculty are on duty from the end of the school day until midnight, grade 9 and 10 boarders are in bed by 11:00 p.m., and faculty lead weekend outings around the Bay Area.
Woodside Priory School tuition and family budget
Tuition, 2026-27
$97,800/ year · boarding (tuition and boarding fee)
Boarders receive three meals a day; a $600 student activity fee is added, and textbooks are billed separately
At the 2026-27 boarding total of $98,400, four years of boarding in grades 9 to 12 come to about $393,600, excluding textbooks and exam fees.
Financial aid at Woodside Priory School is entirely need-based, with more than $5 million awarded for 2025-26 and about 20% of families receiving aid; the school says its admissions committee identifies each applicant's gifts regardless of ability to pay, but an international student's aid request is considered in the admission process.
| Boarding: tuition and boarding fee | $97,800 |
|---|---|
| Student activity fee | $600 |
| Boarding total | $98,400 |
| Day: tuition (lunch included) | $67,200, plus the $600 activity fee, $67,800 in total |
| Enrollment deposit | Paid on accepting the offer to hold the place, applied to tuition |
| Other costs | Textbooks and materials; AP and other exam fees in grades 11 and 12; college application fees in grade 12 |
| Payment plans | Single payment, two payments (75% and 25%) or 10 monthly payments due on the 15th; installment plans carry a small fee, waived for aided families |
| Financial aid | Need-based grants only, no merit scholarships; apply through Clarity, $55 submission fee |
| Aid timeline | Opens September 1, 2026; new families due January 5, 2027, supporting documents by January 15; awards arrive with March admission letters |
Key dates for the 2027-28 Woodside Priory School admission season
- Early Boarding deadline
- Standard Boarding, day and financial aid deadline
- Standard Boarding decisions
- Enrollment agreements and deposits due
Applications for 2027-28 opened on September 1, 2026 and are submitted through Ravenna; boarding applicants may also use the SAO (Standard Application Online). Early Boarding decisions arrive on February 5, 2027, with commitments due February 19; day decisions come on March 12.
- Open House: middle school 10:00 a.m. to noon, upper school 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
- Parent tours and student Visit Days
- Out-of-area and international applicants can email Director of Residential Admissions Nils Leitz to arrange a visit
Woodside Priory School entrance assessment and SSAT/ISEE requirements
| Entry grade | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Grades 6 to 8 (day only) | STAR test on campus |
| Grade 9 (boarding or day) | STAR test (online for boarding applicants); SSAT Upper Level or ISEE Upper Level also accepted |
| Grades 10, 11 (boarding) | STAR test (online); SSAT Upper Level or ISEE Upper Level also accepted |
| Early Boarding deadline 2026.12.11 · Standard deadline 2027.01.05 · Applicants from outside the U.S. submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test · TOEFL code 2055 | |
- STAR is an adaptive assessment from Renaissance that the school uses to measure each applicant's academic skills on a common standard; day applicants test on campus, boarding applicants test online, and STAR results from another school can be shared.
- The school also accepts the SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) and the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam); boarding applicants who already have scores should ask admissions whether STAR is still required.
EDUBUS suggests Irvine students start with one SSAT practice test; if they are applying to other boarding schools too, plan back from the December 11 Early Boarding or January 5 standard deadline, sit the official SSAT in October or November and send the scores, then leave time for the online STAR test and the interview. SSAT/ISEE prep · Boarding school application guide
Where Woodside Priory School graduates go to college
Colleges40 schools
- Boston College (5+)
- Boston University (5+)
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (5+)
- Carnegie Mellon University (5+)
- Cornell University (5+)
- Emory University (5+)
- Georgetown University (5+)
- Loyola Marymount University (5+)
- New York University (5+)
- Northeastern University (5+)
- Northwestern University (5+)
- Occidental College (5+)
- Reed College (5+)
- San Jose State University (5+)
- Santa Clara University (5+)
- Stanford University (5+)
- Tufts University (5+)
- Tulane University (5+)
- University of California, Berkeley (5+)
- University of California, Los Angeles (5+)
- University of Michigan (5+)
- University of Pennsylvania (5+)
- University of Southern California (5+)
- University of Washington (5+)
- Claremont McKenna College (3-4)
- Colgate University (3-4)
- Colorado College (3-4)
- Columbia University (3-4)
- Lafayette College (3-4)
- Macalester College (3-4)
- Middlebury College (3-4)
- Princeton University (3-4)
- University of California, Irvine (3-4)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (3-4)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (3-4)
- University of Miami (3-4)
- University of Rochester (3-4)
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (3-4)
- Washington University in St. Louis (3-4)
- Wesleyan University (3-4)
These are the top two tiers of the Classes of 2022 to 2026 matriculation list in the 2026-27 School Profile: 381 graduates over five years, with 5+ meaning five or more enrolled over the five years and 3-4 meaning three or four; colleges with one or two enrollees are not shown. In the Class of 2026, 98% went on to four-year colleges. Schools marked → link to an EDUBUS admissions guide.
Getting to Woodside Priory School from Irvine
| Northwood | 355.8 mi |
|---|---|
| Woodbury | 357.2 mi |
| Turtle Rock | 357.7 mi |
| Portola Springs | 358.2 mi |
These are straight-line distances from Irvine communities, not driving routes; Irvine families usually fly. The school says campus is about 30 minutes by car from both San Francisco International and San Jose Mineta International airports. Residential faculty drive boarders on weekend outings, and grade 9 and 10 boarders are in bed by 11:00 p.m.; confirm airport transport at the start of term and for holidays with the school.
School address: 302 Portola Rd, Portola Valley, CA 94028
Woodside Priory School: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Irvine families applying to the Woodside Priory School boarding program need the SSAT?
Woodside Priory School requires applicants to complete the STAR test it arranges (an adaptive academic assessment from Renaissance), which boarding applicants take online; the school also accepts SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test) or ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) scores. Irvine students applying to other boarding schools can use the same SSAT score; ask the admissions office whether STAR is still needed in that case.
At which grades can Irvine students enter Woodside Priory School as boarders?
Woodside Priory School offers boarding in grades 9 to 12 only; grades 6 to 8 are day only. Boarding applicants must meet age limits: a grade 9 student must not turn 16 before January 1 of grade 9, a grade 10 student must not turn 17 before January 1 of grade 10, and a grade 11 student must not turn 18 before January 1 of grade 11.
What are the Woodside Priory School boarding deadlines for 2027-28, and should Irvine families apply early?
Woodside Priory School's Early Boarding deadline is December 11, 2026, with decisions on February 5, 2027; Standard Boarding and day applications are due January 5, 2027, and Standard Boarding decisions come on March 5. Irvine families who have made the school a first choice and can finish testing and the interview in the fall get their answer a month earlier through Early Boarding.
What does boarding at Woodside Priory School cost Irvine families in 2026-27, and is aid available?
Woodside Priory School charges $97,800 for tuition and boarding in 2026-27, plus a $600 student activity fee, for $98,400 in total; textbooks are billed separately. The school awarded more than $5 million in need-based aid for 2025-26, about 20% of families receive aid, and there are no merit scholarships; aid applications go through Clarity and are due January 5, 2027 for new families.
Does an Irvine student boarding at Woodside Priory School need a local guardian?
Woodside Priory School requires boarding applicants to have a local guardian and encourages families to find Bay Area contacts early; guardians of international boarders must live in one of the nine Bay Area counties. Because Irvine is far from campus, it helps to settle on an adult contact in the Bay Area during the application, whose name and contact details go to the school after enrollment.
For Irvine families focused on AP, does Woodside Priory School still offer AP courses?
Woodside Priory School began replacing AP courses with its own Advanced Topics (AT) courses in 2024-25 and completes the transition in 2026-27; its school profile lists 29 AT courses and 8 Post-AP courses, with AP Calculus BC the only AP course kept. Students may still sit the AP exams in May.
How do Irvine families travel to Woodside Priory School?
Woodside Priory School is in Portola Valley in the Bay Area, about 30 minutes by car from both San Francisco International and San Jose Mineta International airports, according to the school. Irvine families usually fly from Orange County to one of those airports and drive to campus; residential faculty lead weekend outings around the Bay Area, and families should confirm airport transport at the start of term and for holidays with the school.
Sources: the school website and public filings · compiled 2026-10-07 · current policy follows the school's own notice
Sources23 sources · checked 2026-10-07
Compiled from the official Woodside Priory School website and public filings. Tuition and deadlines follow the school's current notice. Enrollment of 436 and 57 boarders are from the 2026-27 School Profile; the Admissions page lists 434 students and the About page 427. The average class size of 13 and the 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio are from the Admissions page.
- prioryca.org
- prioryca.org/admissions
- prioryca.org/admissions/apply-to-boarding-program
- prioryca.org/admissions/apply-to-boarding-program/residential-life
- prioryca.org/admissions/apply-to-day-program
- prioryca.org/admissions/tuition--fees
- prioryca.org/admissions/financial-aid
- prioryca.org/admissions/events-and-visits
- prioryca.org/about/mission--philosophy
- prioryca.org/about/school-leadership
- prioryca.org/about-us
- prioryca.org/academics/upper-school--gr-912
- prioryca.org/academics/college-counseling
- acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:4d05df03-3ff6-42ae-881c-40976b3e4b4a
- nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolName=Woodside+Priory&State=06&ID=00072315
- santacatalina.org/admission/upper-school-all-girls-9-12/tuition-financial-aid
- santacatalina.org/admission/upper-school-all-girls-9-12/how-to-apply
- midland-school.org/admissions/affording-midland
- midland-school.org/admissions/application-process-requirements
- cate.org/admission/financial-assistance
- cate.org/admission/apply
- thacher.org/admission/affording-thacher/tuition-expenses
- thacher.org/admission/how-to-apply
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