Best Boarding Schools for Robotics and STEM Education in the United States

Robotics education is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after STEM opportunities at American boarding schools. From FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams to VEX Robotics and RoboCup Junior programs, today’s top boarding schools with robotics programs offer students hands-on engineering labs, advanced fabrication tools, and real-world problem-solving experiences. Research frameworks in STEM education place robotics coding and programming tasks as contexts that systematically support higher-level thinking and reasoning, essential parts of computational thinking and problem solving.

The schools featured below represent a partial list of U.S. boarding schools that combine rigorous academics with competitive robotics teams. Students design, build, and program robots while developing leadership, collaboration, and technical skills that prepare them for college engineering programs and future careers in STEM fields. 83 % of alumni who participated in high school robotics go on to major in STEM fields in college. This guide was prepared by James Ramsdell, International Education Expert at FindingSchool, who has extensive experience working with U.S. boarding schools. Schools are not listed in ranking order. All information and images were provided by the respective schools and formatted by the FindingSchool team. All images are published with permission granted by the schools.

Eaglebrook School – Deerfield, Massachusetts

Eaglebrook’s robotics program serves students in grades 6–9 through both a winter trimester introductory course and a competitive FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team (Team 15943). Approximately 20 students participate annually, guided by three faculty advisors with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Students design, program, and test robots while preparing for regional competitions, earning Finalist Alliance honors in 2024 and 2025.

The robotics team won the Finalist Alliance First Team Selected honor in a regional qualifier in 2024.

A dedicated robotics lab features 3D printers, CNC tools, soldering stations, and CAD software including Fusion360, Onshape, Tinkercad, and Rhinoceros 3D. The program emphasizes student-led design, teamwork, and problem-solving, offering consistent exposure to national-level competition within a collaborative, engineering-focused environment.

Awards & Recognition:

• Finalist Alliance First Team Selected – Regional FTC (2024)

• Finalist Alliance Captain – Regional FTC (2025)

The Brook Hill School – Bullard, Texas

Beginning in fourth grade and continuing through Upper School, Brook Hill’s robotics program includes coursework and a competitive FIRST Tech Challenge team competing in the Texas league. About 25 students participate annually across middle and upper school levels.

Students lead the design, programming, documentation, and strategic planning of their robot, competing at regional and state events while earning honors such as the Design Award (2024–25) and the Sustain Award (2025–26). The robotics lab includes a regulation FTC arena, 3D printers, and a laser cutter. With strong school funding and mentorship from a computer science faculty leader, the program fosters leadership, organization, and technical problem-solving in a student-driven structure.

Awards & Recognition:

• Design Award – 2nd Place (2024–2025)

• Sustain Award (2025–2026)

• District Recognition (2025–2026)

Read more: High School Study Abroad Guide

Westtown School – West Chester, Pennsylvania

Westtown’s Robotics Program centers on FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1391, the Metal Moose. Serving grades 9–12, 30–45 students participate annually in this highly competitive, student-led program. The team regularly qualifies for District Championships and has advanced to the World Championship 10 of the past 11 years, consistently ranking among the top teams globally.

The 2025 drive team discussing strategy prior to a match at the World Championship in Houston

Students lead engineering, programming, CAD design, fabrication, outreach, and project management efforts. The program operates within two dedicated makerspaces equipped with CNC mills, laser cutters, electronics benches, and 3D printers. Supported by faculty and industry mentors, Westtown’s robotics culture emphasizes ethical leadership, innovation, and sustained excellence in STEM competition and community impact.

Awards & Recognition (Selected):

• Impact (Chairman’s) Award (2019)

• Engineering Inspiration Award (2018, 2024)

• Excellence in Engineering Award (2017, 2023, 2025)

• Creativity Award (2015, 2016, 2022)

• Autonomous Award (2022, 2023)

• Industrial Design Award (2019)

• Gracious Professionalism Award (2025)

• District & World Championship Finalist and Winner honors

• World Championship Qualification – 10 of past 11 years

Santa Catalina School – Monterey, California

Santa Catalina’s all-girls robotics team (FRC Team 6665, C-Otters) serves grades 9–12 through a co-curricular program spanning fall, winter, and spring. Approximately 25 students participate annually, designing and programming a competition robot for regional and international FIRST Robotics Competition events.

Santa Catalina School students fine-tune a robot in the Design and Engineering Lab.

Recent accomplishments include qualifying for the 2025 World Championship and earning the Sustainability Award at the Sacramento Regional. Students gain experience in Java programming, rapid prototyping, mechanical fabrication, and leadership. The dedicated Design and Engineering Lab includes CNC machinery, laser cutters, and 3D printers, providing a supportive, hands-on environment where all members play an active role.

Awards & Recognition:

• FIRST Robotics World Championship Qualifier (2025)

• Alliance Captain – Contra Costa & Sacramento Regionals (2025)

• Sustainability Award – Sacramento Regional (2025)

The Webb Schools – Claremont, California

Open to grades 9–12, Webb Robotics includes three FTC teams—Gaulbots (358), Webb.exe (359), and Alfatech (19888)—with 49 students participating this year. Meeting five days a week through the Afternoon Activities program, students design, build, and program robots for regional and international competition.

Awards & Recognition:

The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland – Towson, Maryland

Competing as Lumberjack Robotics (FRC Team 2534), Boys’ Latin serves approximately 30 high school students annually. The team participates in the Chesapeake District and has competed at the World Championship, earning the 2019 Tesla Division Championship and multiple innovation awards.

Students manage design, machining, coding (Java), and CAD within a 5,000-square-foot robotics lab equipped with CNC machinery, laser cutters, and 3D printers. The program is fully student-driven with mentor oversight and strong alumni engagement. Outreach includes volunteering for FIRST LEGO League events and assisting local organizations with technical projects, reinforcing both technical mastery and community responsibility.

Awards & Recognition:

• Tesla Division Champion – FRC World Championship (2019)

• District Championships Competitor (2019, 2022, 2025)

• Multiple Innovation Awards

St. Anne’s-Belfield School – Charlottesville, Virginia

St. Anne’s-Belfield fields two competitive FIRST Tech Challenge teams for grades 9–12, with approximately 10 students participating annually. The teams compete at regional and state levels, earning Design Awards in 2025 and 2026 and qualifying for the Chesapeake Regional Championship.

Students develop programming, CAD modeling, project management, and communication skills while documenting their engineering process. Supported by faculty advisors with backgrounds in physics and computer science, students work in a dedicated robotics space with full-season field setup and 3D printing resources. A strong middle school robotics pipeline supports long-term development.

Awards & Recognition:

• Chesapeake Regional Championship Qualifier (2026)

• Design Award – Winner (Union Bridge Qualifier, 2026)

• Design Award – 2nd Place (Richmond Qualifier, 2025)

Avon Old Farms School – Avon, Connecticut

The Rocket Beavers Robotics team serves grades 9–12 through a fall skill-building season and a competitive winter FTC season. Team size ranges from six to fifteen students. Competing at regional and state levels, the team earned a 2023 Design Award and conducts outreach programs for younger students.

Build team captain adjusting a team-designed, 3D printed arm extension.

The Engineering Department provides access to over ten 3D printers, a resin printer, Haas milling machines, and advanced CAD software. The program is student-led in design and strategy, emphasizing collaboration, presentation skills, and iterative problem-solving within a well-supported engineering environment.

Awards & Recognition:

• Design Award (2023) – Innovative use of 3D printed structures

• Girl Scout Robotics Badge Program Delivery (2025)

Mercersburg Academy – Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

Mercersburg offers both a for-credit Robotics I–III curriculum and competitive VEX V5 and RoboCup Junior teams for grades 9–PG. Approximately 20–25 students participate annually. Students compete regionally, nationally, and internationally, earning honors including VEX Tournament Champion (2026) and RoboCup International placements.

Mercersburg Academy hosted the inaugural RoboCupJunior Americas SuperRegional in April 2025, drawing 70 teams from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. 

The program features professional-level tools, including full-size VEX fields, RoboCup arenas, CNC routers, and laser cutters. Students code in C++ using industry-standard platforms and engage in autonomous system design, sensor integration, and systematic debugging. A dedicated faculty coach provides individualized mentorship within two specialized robotics facilities.

Awards & Recognition:

• VEX V5 Tournament Champion – Philadelphia (2026)

• Judges Award – Philadelphia (2024)

• Robot Skills Champion – Hagerstown (2024)

• Judges Award – Hagerstown (2025)

• RoboCup International – 2nd Place (Rescue) & 3rd Place (Onstage), Sydney (2019)

Christ School – Asheville, North Carolina

Christ School Robotics is a co-curricular and extracurricular FIRST Robotics team for grades 8–12, typically serving 4–10 students annually. Students design, build, and program robots for district competitions, earning wins in Mecklenburg County (2024) and Catawba County (2025).

The program is student-led with mentor guidance and meets daily in a dedicated robotics workspace equipped with 3D printers, a mini-CNC, and fabrication tools. Students gain experience in CAD design, autonomous programming, leadership, and project management. As a growing program, students play an active role in shaping its direction and culture.

Awards & Recognition:

• District Event Winner – Mecklenburg County (2024)

• District Event Winner – Catawba County (2025)

• District Runner-Up – Mecklenburg County (2025)

Preparing Future Engineers and Innovators

These ten STEM-focused boarding schools demonstrate how competitive robotics teams can transform classroom learning into real-world innovation. Through hands-on design, coding, fabrication, and national competition experience, students graduate prepared to lead in engineering, technology, and beyond.  As James Ramsdell, International Education Expert at FindingSchool, emphasizes, robotics programs at boarding schools provide students with real-world engineering experience, leadership skills, and a strong foundation for competitive university admissions in STEM fields.