Baltimore's Best Winners 2026 6.28.26 - Flipbook - Page 7
Baltimore's Best | Sunday, June 28, 2026 7
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BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL
LOYOLA BLAKEFIELD
500 Chestnut Ave., Towson. 410-823-0601. loyolablakefield.org
For five straight years, this longtime Jesuit institution in Towson has earned the
nod from The Baltimore Sun’s readers.
Loyola Blakefield’s male students pursue
something old (Latin) and something new
(cyberscience). They attend soul-searching retreats and tackle service projects,
from repairing ramshackle homes in Appalachia to building new ones in Belize.
And they go to college at a rate (98%) far
greater than the national average for high
school seniors (62%).
“Kids don’t just walk away from Loyola
with diplomas; they leave with experiences that shape them,” said Rob Robinson, a school vice president. “We plant
seeds here that come to fruition later in
life. As they become fathers and husbands,
and take on careers, those lessons,
grounded in faith, come back to them
sometimes, when they least expect it —
and flourish over time.”
Critical thinking, a Jesuit cornerstone, is
the hub of Loyola’s schooling for its 1,000
students, from grade 6 and up. In modestsized classes (average 16 students), they
take subjects as eclectic as engineering and
ethical decisions.
“We teach them how to think,” Robinson said. “It’s the concept of caring for the
whole boy, and understanding what makes
him tick.”
As undergraduates, Loyola students take
their learning on the road. They speak to
middle schoolers about the pitfalls of social media, and share the tenets of a peer
education program to address issues like
bullying.
The school, set on a 65-acre campus,
turns 175 next year. That Loyola is consistently favored in a region rich in private
institutions speaks to the respect with
which it is held by its alumni, Robinson
said:
“The blue and gold [school colors] run
deep through the veins of the members of
our community.”
— Mike Klingaman
Loyola Blakefield, left, was selected as the “Best Private School.” Set on a 65-acre campus in Towson, the all-male school turns 175 next
year. LLOYD FOX/STAFF
Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote.
Readers were invited to nominate and vote online from April to May. The ballot and results are generated solely by readers’ votes.
The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed.
COVER ILLUSTRATION: TRACIE RAWSON/STAFF
