Claim: Boston Latin School was the first U.S. school founded in 1635.

The Boston Latin School is a public `` exam school '' in Boston , Massachusetts . Established on April 23 , 1635 , it is the oldest school as well as the first public school in the United States . The Public Latin School was a bastion for educating the sons of the Boston `` Brahmin '' elite , resulting in the School claiming many prominent Bostonians , Massachusetts citizens and New Englanders as alumni . Its curriculum follows that of the 18th century Latin-school movement , which holds the `` classics '' to be the basis of an educated mind . Four years of Latin are mandatory for all pupils who enter the School in the 7th grade , three years for those who enter in the 9th . In 2007 , the School was named one of the top twenty high schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report magazine . It is a part of Boston Public Schools -LRB- BPS -RRB- .   The School was named a 2011 `` Blue Ribbon School of Excellence '' , the U.S. Department of Education 's highest award .   As of 2016 , the School is listed under the `` gold medal '' list , ranking 51 out of the top 100 high schools in the United States -LRB- more than 20,000 public high schools from 50 states and the District of Columbia were analyzed -RRB- by U.S. News & World Report magazine .