List of famous people who went to boarding school, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. For hundreds of years, rich and powerful families have maintained a tradition of sending their sons and daughters to expensive boarding schools around the world. For the rest of the world, the idea of a boarding school include vague images of dorms, gold-buttoned navy blazers, and burgundy striped ties à la Dead Poets Society. For graduates of these competitive institutions, however, memories include rigorous academics, team sports, and, OK fine, beautiful autumn leaves crunched by Bass Weejuns. Or stomping through heavy snow in Bean boots and Norwegian sweaters. Or going to class.

Some of the most prestigious boarding schools in New England are members of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO), including Phillips Exeter and Phillips Academy (Andover), Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, and The Hotchkiss School. Several leading men and women in entertainment and politics have attended these famous schools, as well as others across New England, the Southeast, the Midwest, and the United Kingdom. A few notable boarding school alumni include actors Michael Douglas, Paul Giamatti, Allison Janney, and Judd Nelson. This list also includes a handful of the most famous Presidents and other politicians who are boarding school grads.