Below is a description of the Christian boarding schools in Maryland, West Virginia & Kentucky. Use this list to find a school that will meet your child or teen’s needs in a faith-based program.
For more options in other states, click here for all Christian boarding schools by state.
What are Christian Boarding Schools?
Christian boarding schools (CBSs) offer programs that enable your child to both attend and reside at their school full-time, fully immersing them in the program.
The majority of CBSs are therapeutic boarding schools for children with mental health or behavioral issues. (Read this information for therapeutic boarding schools and how to choose the best one for your youth to choose the right fit for your child.)
These schools were founded on concepts from the Bible. With rare exceptions, students do not need to be Christian to attend these schools.
It is most common for the parents or guardians to pay out of pocket for their student’s tuition plus room and board, as most Christian boarding schools are private schools without state funding. Your personal health insurance may cover some of the cost.
Some schools offer reduced fees or financial assistance, whether scholarships, grants, or payment programs.
Listings are for information purposes and do not imply a recommendation.
Listing of Christian Boarding Schools of Maryland
Below you will find a listing of the Christian Boarding Schools in Maryland.
Cedar Ridge Ministries in Williamsport
Cedar Ridge is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian organization that provides residential and educational services for troubled or at-risk boys primarily aged 12 to 17. The goal is to promote Godly values and reverse the negative influences in the lives of the students they serve.
Students who have experienced a wide variety of negative circumstances are referred to Cedar Ridge through various juvenile and social services agencies.
Cedar Ridge works to help boys move past their problems to reach their full potential as productive members of society. They provide a wide range of services including:
- Individual and group therapy
- Specialized education services
- Psychiatric services
- Full medical care
- In addition, students participate in extra-curricular activities such as art, music, and athletics, as well as many other recreational activities.
A unique part of their ministry is that they reach the surrounding communities with an on-site radio broadcast service.
Although Cedar Ridge Ministries does receive funding from the state for the care of residents, they depend heavily on additional donations and grants, as well as monetary gifts from their broadcast listening audience.
For more information, contact Cedar Ridge Ministries at (301) 582-0282 or on their website.
Georgetown Preparatory School in North Bethesda
Georgetown Preparatory School is a Jesuit college-preparatory school for boys in 9th through 12th grade. It is the only Jesuit boarding school in the United States located on a 93-acre campus.
As a Catholic school, Georgetown Prep helps young men to grow in their faith and understanding of the teachings of the Church and to learn to put their faith into action in the service of others. They welcome students of all faiths.
Georgetown Prep encourages young men to strive for excellence in all things, and boarding life encourages students to develop essential life skills such as independence, effective communication, self-advocacy, and group interaction prior to enrolling in college.
Tuition for Georgetown Preparatory School is:
- Resident Tuition: $69,365 (US) – Deposit: $3,000 reservation deposit for enrollment, credited towards tuition
- Day Student Tuition: $42,190 – Deposit: $2,000 reservation deposit for enrollment, credited towards tuition
- Parents’ Club Dues: $105
- Estimated Book Cost: $800-1000
Financial aid is available.
For more information, contact Georgetown Preparatory School at (301) 493-5000 or on their website.
Grafton Integrated Health Network (Formerly Maryland Salem Children’s Trust) in Frostburg
Due to changes within Maryland’s child-serving system and intense financial pressure, Salem Children’s Trust made the difficult decision to stop operations soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
In 2021, Salem then entered into a management agreement with Grafton Integrated Health Network, a Virginia-based behavioral health organization to provide secure, trauma-informed psychiatric residential treatment (PRT) for individuals between the ages of 6 and 21 with intellectual disabilities, autism, and simultaneous psychiatric conditions requiring a secure environment.
Grafton accepts children and young adults with the most challenging behaviors, many of whom cannot be successfully treated elsewhere.
Grafton’s goal is to provide short-term, intensive, residential therapeutic treatment, in direct partnership with families or guardians, to help each student build the skills necessary to be successful in a community and home setting.
Grafton believes that children require:
- Caring, compassionate adults to support them.
- A team of behavior detectives who work to identify the reasons behind their behaviors.
- A trauma-informed environment that provides comfort rather than control.
- Unique learning opportunities and experiences, including an equestrian therapy program, and beautiful natural surroundings.
Their headquarters is in Winchester, Virginia, and they have four additional locations in Virginia as well.
For more information, contact Grafton at (540) 955-2400 or on their website.
Teen Challenge of Maryland in Capitol Heights
Adult & Teen Challenge of Maryland is a residential recovery center for adult men ages 18 and over.
Teen Challenge’s program is broken down into 2 phases, an Induction Phase, and a Training Phase. Students divide their recovery focus between academic, leadership, and job skills training and education. The first four months are designed to place a greater focus on the classroom, academics, and mentoring. The following eight months are focused on leadership skills.
Students spend the majority of their time in class settings; however, they also take part in ministry outings, sporting events, community events, picnics, and retreats. Teen Challenge’s goal is for all students to experience a whole life change.
The program cost is $5,550. They require a $750 entry fee from students, plus $400 each month. Teen Challenge offers the opportunity for sponsorships for students.
For more information, contact Teen Challenge of Maryland at (240) 392-2460 or on their website. If you are under the age of 18 visit www.teenchallengeusa.com to locate a center.
Listing of Christian Boarding Schools of West Virginia
Here is a list of the Christian boarding schools in West Virginia.
Appalachian Teen Challenge, Inc. in Athens
Adult & Teen Challenge Appalachian Region is a faith-based ministry that provides effective Christian discipleship training for adult men, adult women, and adolescents who experience addiction problems.
Their program includes spiritual and academic instruction, behavior management, work skills and ethics training, life management training, and emotional support.
Teen Challenge receives no state or federal funding. However, they receive funding for the needs of this ministry through the generosity of students’ families, churches, and other organizations. Therefore, students are not required to provide financial compensation for services. They do however ask families to cover the cost of curriculum and admissions processing which totals only about one month of the entire costs to the Appalachian Regional Training Center for the 12-month duration of treatment.
Appalachian Teen Challenge provides help as follows:
- The Princeton, WV Training Center admits adult men age 18-49, who are ready and willing to make a complete change in lifestyle.
- The Clarksburg, WV center (Adult & Reen Challenge Northern Appalachian Region) provides residential care for adult women age 18-35.
- Adult & Teen Challenge Eastern Appalachian Region cares for girls age 12-17 at their adolescent center in Fincastle, Virginia.
For more information, contact Appalachian Teen Challenge Appalachian at (304) 384-9074 or (304) 384-3307 or on their website.
Teen Challenge of Wheeling in Wheeling
This facility is now closed. –Updated August, 2023.
Teen Challenge Walter Long for New Life in Wheeling
This facility is now closed. –Updated August, 2023.
Listing of Christian Boarding Schools in Kentucky
Use the listing below to find Christian boarding schools in Kentucky.
Hope Hill Independent Living Program in Central & Eastern Kentucky
Hope Hill’s mission is to, “give all youth hope for a brighter future,” by offering a unique Independent Living Program for children aging out of the foster care system. They have locations throughout central and eastern Kentucky.
Youth must be between the ages of 18-21 years and be a graduate of High School or have a GED. They must be currently associated with a residential treatment or foster care program.
Hope Hill provides the following services for Independent Living Students:
- Treatment planning
- Life skills assessment of strengths and needs
- Individualized life skills education and training
- Employment assistance
- Medication management
- Therapy
- Educational assistance
- Financial support
Hope Hill staff meets with each youth weekly and is available 24 hours a day for crisis support. Hope Hill believes that the extra support these young adults receive leads them to successful outcomes.
Each individual receives a fully furnished apartment that is safely located and accessible to the college or university of their choice. Each apartment is provided for the youth rent-free along with their utilities and internet service. Once they graduate from the program, Hope Hill allows the youth to keep all furniture and household goods provided at the time of placement.
For more information, contact Hope Hill’s Independent Living Program at (859) 498-0373 or on their website.
Oakdale Christian School in Jackson
Oakdale Christian Academy is a private, Methodist, Christ-centered academic and boarding school. The school serves boys and girls in grades 7-12. The total enrollment per school year is 60 students at their 132-acre campus near Jackson, KY.
The school’s mission is to introduce young people to a life of purpose through discovering a more vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.
Oakdale is proud to offer a traditional college-preparatory curriculum providing an academic program that produces a college acceptance rate of 100%.
- US Students – Tuition room and board for the school year begins at $26,900 per year.
- International Students – Tuition room and board for the school year begins at $26,900 per year.
Financial Aid is available, however, the student application process must be complete, and the student must receive notification of acceptance. Limited financial aid is available for International Students.
For more information, contact Oakdale Christian School at (606) 693-4802 or on their website.
Oneida Baptist Institute in Oneida
Oneida Baptist Institute (OBI) is a co-educational Southern Baptist boarding school. They accept day students in grades K-12 and dormitory residents in grades 9 -12. Their focus is to minister to students in four major areas:
- academics
- extra-curricular activities (athletics, clubs, and organizations)
- work program
- worship
Students who have struggled academically in public schools or may be experiencing social or family problems at home, benefit from the 1:11 teacher/student ratio at OBI.
OBI is a faith ministry, and they get a large part of funding from churches and individuals. The fees charged to students from the United States are based on family income and virtually every Oneida student receives some sort of tuition reduction.
- Day students – Attend school at OBI for free.
- Dormitory Residents – Tuition, room, and board is $9,000 for Kentucky residents and $10,350 for U.S. students with residency outside of Kentucky. plus an annual entrance fee of $400.
For more information, contact Oneida Baptist Institute at (606) 847-4111 or on their website.
Teen Challenge of Kentucky in Louisville
This Teen Challeng3 program is a faith-based drug and alcohol recovery program for men and women age 18 and older.
Their women’s program is called Priscilla’s Place, and they offer :
- 12-15 month Residential Program– This is a four-phase discipleship program intended to walk in-depth with women through the process of recovery and teach them to become individuals that are able to live healthy, successful lives free from addiction. This program includes a 3-6 month re-entry phase where students will work off campus.
- 5-8 Week Residential Program– Known as the “First Roots Program” the 5-8 week program provides help and hope to women who are not yet ready or who are unable to commit to a year-long recovery program. This program provides an opportunity for women to get on their feet and take the first steps toward recovery.
The men’s program is called Chad’s Hope and their program provides:
- Men with an effective and comprehensive Christian faith-based solution to drug and alcohol problems in order to become productive members of society.
- Chad’s Hope Teen Challenge exists to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.
For more information, contact Teen Challenge of Kentucky at (502) 561-2131 or on their website.
Click here for a free PDF printable checklist of the 7 steps to take when your child needs residential treatment.
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