Niche ranks Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel as Best Private School in area

Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel tops the list of Best Private Schools in the Pittsburgh area, according to the latest ranking by Niche.com.

The Pittsburgh-based search site calculates its rankings based on data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews by students and parents, and factors such as state test scores, graduation rates and teacher quality.

“At Shady Side, we care deeply for our students and live into our mission, learning to think expansively, act ethically and lead responsibly,” school President Bart Griffith said. “Increasingly, we are doing so at the intersection of technology, society and humanity.”

Rounding out the Top 3 Best Private Schools in the Pittsburgh Area are Sewickley Academy and Winchester Thurston, according to Niche.

The company released its 2021 Best Schools ranking in late October, with Shady Side Academy also reaching the top spot in several other categories. The private school was named the No. 1 College Prep Private High School, Boarding High School and High School for STEM categories.

The SSA senior school campus along Fox Chapel Road is home to the $2.7 million Glimcher Tech and Design Hub which opened in 2019.

The 8,500-square-foot space enhanced the school’s science and technology curriculum with its space for problem-solving, innovating and collaboration.

The hub, which sits in the lower levels of Rowe and Memorial halls, is aimed at prodding students to explore artificial intelligence, automation and robotics. It houses the computer science department, Science Olympiad team and robotics team. There is a Fabrication and Robotics Wing with creation spaces, robotics arena, workshop and wet lab equipped with 3D printers and laser cutter.

Students have access to courses in robotics, mobile apps, game design, 3D modeling and artificial intelligence, among others.

“Together, the Glimcher Tech & Design Hub and the McIlroy Center for Science & Innovation give Shady Side Academy some of the most distinctive high school STEM facilities in the region,” Griffith said. “They will prepare our students to lead and serve in an increasingly creative economy.”

According to the Niche ranking, Shady Side Academy earned the No. 2 ranking in the category of Most Diverse Private High school and the fourth-place spot for Best High Schools for Athletes. In that category, it was the top-rated independent school, coming in behind public schools North Allegheny, Central Catholic and Pine-Richland.

Griffith said school leaders are energized by the challenge of “doing all we can to equip students to engage the daunting real-world problems that await them — leveraging for the social good a range of interdisciplinary combinations of science, engineering, ethics and the arts — just to name a few.”

In Niche’s Report Card feature, SSA earned an overall grade of A+, receiving top ratings for academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college prep and sports.

For more information, visit niche.com.