List of Indian Boarding Schools
in the United States
In January 2025, NABS released its latest research identifying 526 Indian boarding schools in the United States. This three-year project resulted in the largest known list of U.S. Indian boarding schools ever compiled to date.
Background
The history of Indian boarding schools has been under-researched to the extent that limited efforts have comprehensively looked into the full accounting of both government-and religious-operated institutions established in the United States. Researchers, educators, and policymakers have all requested access to up-to-date information, but have had to make due with what is available.
In 2020, NABS released a list of 367 Indian boarding schools, which at the time was the largest and most extensive list available to the public. Since then, there have been various efforts by the Department of the Interior (DOI) and religious institutions to identify their involvement in the establishment and operation of Indian boarding schools nationwide. In May 2022, building off of NABS’s research, the DOI identified 408 schools in volume one of its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report. In May 2023, a list of 87 Catholic-operated schools was released to the public. In July 2024, the DOI identified 417 schools in volume two of its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report.
With these coinciding efforts, NABS was able to cross-check its research to establish its most current list of 526 schools. Because of persistent gaps in research, and the lack of funding toward Indian boarding school efforts, NABS sees this research as ongoing and expects the number of schools to rise as more information comes to light.
Total Indian boarding schools that
operated in the U.S. from 1801 to present
Indian boarding schools identified by the DOI that received federal support from 1819 to 1969
Indian boarding schools with no known evidence of federal support
Indian boarding schools opened by Bureau of Indian Education after 1969, or schools that need further research
Schools open today that were or are considered
Indian boarding schools
U.S. states where Indian boarding schools operated
FAQ
NABS’s most current research has identified 526 known Indian boarding schools in the U.S. NABS believes this number will continue to grow as more information and resources become available.
This research has been ongoing, so technically it started when NABS was established in 2012. Over the years, NABS has conducted its own research, collaborated with volunteers, and hired contract researchers such as former NABS board member, Dr. Denise Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), who worked with NABS to produce the first version of the Indian boarding school list in 2016.
The most recent list, updated to 526 schools as of February 2025, builds on our previous efforts, including the list of 523 schools released prior to the publication of Volume 2 of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative report. That version had expanded on the 2020 list, which included 367 schools.
To be listed as an Indian boarding school in NABS’s latest research, institutions had to meet each of the following criteria:
- The institution was designed specifically for Native children;
- The institution had to have an educational component;
- The institution had to house students for any period of time.
No. While Indian day schools were used to assimilate Native peoples, they did not fall within our criteria. This is an area that NABS believes needs to be researched further.
The 408 schools that the DOI identified in its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative investigative report were only focused on schools that were operated or directly supported by the United States federal government. The DOI's criteria include the following:
- The school had to have an educational component;
- The school had to house students for any period of time;
- The school had to have received federal support;
- The school opened before 1969.
Note: Schools that moved, or closed and then reopened, still met criteria 1-3 even if they opened after 1969.
Churches operated Indian boarding schools to carry out the assimilation policies of the United States. Beginning in 1819, the Indian Civilization Fund Act observed christian churches entering into government contracts in order to further the operations of these institutions. In 1868, Grant’s Peace Policy was enacted giving christian denominations power over programs on reservations, leading the way for expanded involvement in operating Indian boarding schools.
No. This is an area that is currently being researched by various groups, including federal and Tribal governments. This is an area that is sensitive and complex.
This research, available through an interactive map, helps illustrate the systematic efforts by the U.S. government and religious institutions to assimilate Native peoples through Indian boarding schools. Users can zoom in to explore basic details about each known school, including years of operation, managing entities, and historical context, or zoom out to examine patterns at regional, state, or even international levels.