Update: This article was last updated on 13th December 2024 to reflect the accuracy and up-to-date information on the page.
Philadelphia is an artistic city, full of culture and amazing history. If you are a parent living in this city, then you would want nothing but the best for your child to help them achieve their ambitions in life. There has been a growing preference for private schools among parents in Philadelphia lately, and there are close to 56 private schools with a current enrollment number of around 17,112 students.
In this blog, we are going to explore the 5 best private schools in Philadelphia rated by our team of experts so that you can choose the best for your child!!
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1. Germantown Friends School
Germantown Friends School (GFS) is a co-educational Quaker school located in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. This is one of the best private schools in Philadelphia and was founded in 1845 by members of the Germantown Monthly Meeting of Friends. Today, the school boasts an enrollment of 1,129 students.
GFS has an academically challenging curriculum that emphasizes social responsibility, creativity, and critical thinking in students. Among its 245 faculty members, about 75% of them have a postgraduate degree. The school teaches various courses that include English, Math, Science, History, Arts, and other languages. In addition to conventional classroom teaching, the school also offers experience through service learning, internships, and travel programs.
It holds principles based on Quakers, including simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship. Also, in terms of its Quaker legacy, it teaches the students the sense of community and teamwork.
GFS has a robust athletic program and has 159 Friends Schools League Athletic championship titles. It is one of the top private schools in Philadelphia, with more than 30 teams in different sports such as cross country, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and soccer. The school also offers other extracurricular activities, including debate, music, drama, and robotics.
- Website: https://www.germantownfriends.org/
- Contact: (215) 951-2300
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 6:1
- College Preparation: Yes
- Graduation Rate: 100%
- Average SAT Score: 1380
- Average Financial Aid: $21,018
- Yearly Tuition: $41,500
- Location and Address: 31 WEST COULTER STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144
- Safety and Security: 93% of students agree that they feel safe at their school
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2. The Episcopal Academy
One of the oldest and most prominent independent schools in the country, The Episcopal Academy (EA) was founded in 1785. Located in Newtown Square, a suburb of Philadelphia, this private school in Philadelphia is a co-educational college preparatory school sprawling over 123 acres of campus that hosts nearly 1,200 students—from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Through 230 years of history, EA has provided a rich tradition of academic success, combined with modern cutting-edge amenities and teaching methodologies that place a heavier emphasis on extensive STEM studies as well as promoting performing arts, sports, and much more.
It focuses on helping its students enter their dream colleges by providing rigorous academic programs and thorough college counseling sessions.
- Website: https://www.episcopalacademy.org/
- Contact: (484) 424-1400
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
- College Preparation: Yes
- Graduation Rate: 100%
- Average SAT Score: 1350
- Average Financial Aid: $25,408
- Yearly Tuition: $39,900
- Location and Address: 1785 BISHOP WHITE DRIVE, NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA 19073
- Safety and Security: 95% of students agree that they feel safe at their school
3. The Baldwin School
Third on our list is The Baldwin School, one of the top private schools in Philadelphia, which is located in Bryn Mawr, a suburb of Philadelphia. This private all-girls school was founded in 1888 by Florence Baldwin to provide equal educational opportunities to girls.
The school has been steadfast to its mission of transforming talented girls into responsible women who are leaders in their fields since the school’s 130 years of history.
It is a college-preparatory day school, from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The school’s academic program is impressive, with a strong focus on STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math education.
Their DREAM Labs, (Design Robotics Engineering Arts Math) labs, is exclusively dedicated to providing hands-on learning by state-of-the-art technology from Lower to Upper School. Among the finest private schools in Philadelphia, this school also boasts of a very strong athletic program and its array of sports teams with the purpose of keeping students fit and healthy.
Baldwin promises quality college counseling to its students through a professional team of college counselors. The fruits of this endeavor were recently visible in the batch of 2022, where 66 students received 240 acceptances at 184 unique institutions, with over 25% of the class getting admitted into Ivy Leagues!!
- Website: https://www.baldwinschool.org/
- Contact: (610) 525-2700
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 7:1
- College Preparation: Yes
- Graduation Rate: 100%
- Average SAT Score: 1330
- Average Financial Aid: Available but not disclosed
- Yearly Tuition: $40,900
- Location and Address: 701 MONTGOMERY AVE, BRYN MAWR, PA 19010
- Safety and Security: 100% of students agree that they feel safe at their school
4. The Haverford School
The Haverford School was established in 1884, with a commitment to making men out of boys since then.
The school is a private, college-preparatory all-boys school which caters to grades Pre-K through 12 with an emphasis on academic success, character development, and community involvement.
The school is recognized for its demanding curriculum, excellent faculty, and strong dedication to preparing students to be successful in college and beyond.
According to the number, over the last five years, 95% of the graduates got into one of their top three college choices.
Apart from a strict curriculum, Haverford has extracurricular activities, which comprise sports, music, drama, and community service, among other activities. The school is recognized by its athletic teams as they comprise 55 teams in 17 different sports to cater to the various interests and help in honing the skills of our student-athletes.
- Website: https://www.haverford.org/
- Contact: (610) 642-3020
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 8:1
- College Preparation: Yes
- Graduation Rate: 100%
- Average SAT Score: 1350
- Average Financial Aid: $24,872
- Yearly Tuition: $40,400
- Location and Address: 450 LANCASTER AVE, HAVERFORD, PA 19041
- Safety and Security: 100% of students agree that they feel safe at their school
5. Friends’ Central School
Last but not least on our list is Friends’ Central School!! Founded in 1845, this co-educational private school on an 18-acre campus has a rich history and tradition of providing an excellent education to students from diverse backgrounds.
The school life and its rigorously designed curriculum are steeped in Quaker values.
Simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, and stewardship are all values of the Quakers, which are woven into the fabric of the school’s culture and aim to help students develop their full potential by nurturing their intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth.
Athletics are an integral part of life at Friends’ Central School. The school has provided various sports teams, like soccer, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, and swimming, among others. The school’s athletic program focuses on sportsmanship, teamwork, and healthy competition.
- Website: https://www.friendscentral.org/
- Contact: (610) 649-7440
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 6:1
- College Preparation: Yes
- Graduation Rate: 100%
- Average SAT Score: 1320
- Average Financial Aid: $20,000
- Yearly Tuition: $43,900
- Location and Address: 1101 CITY AVE, WYNNEWOOD, PA 19096
- Safety and Security: 83% of students agree that they feel safe at their school
Here are the top five private schools in Philadelphia-analysed and chosen just for you to look over in case you’re choosing where your little one is to receive education. They not only teach the child academically but push them into further unknown areas that they would love, making them spiritual with maturity that can bring forth responsible citizens to the world at large.
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