Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy has a tradition of academic excellence, a distinguished faculty, and a long history of educating young people to find their place in the world. The heart of Exeter is its signature Harkness method of instruction.
The Harkness philosophy, developed at Exeter over 80 years ago, is centered on a way of thinking and engaging with others that requires preparation and provides a sense of readiness for learning, for college, for life. Exeter is a school for teenagers who want to be surrounded by peers who share their intellectual curiosity and raw excitement about learning.
The school is alive with learning: spirited conversations spill out of classrooms and make their way to the playing fields, theater stages, laboratories, the dining halls and the dorms.
Students are given the freedom to explore and know their intellect, to challenge themselves in new ways, and enjoy the richness of human interaction.
Quick Stats (2022-23)
- Grades: (Boarding) 9-12, PG
- Enrollment: 1,080 students
- Yearly Tuition (Boarding Students): $61,121
- Yearly Tuition (Day Students): $47,739
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Average class size: 12 students
- Application Deadline: Jan. 15
- Source: Verified school update
Top Rankings
Phillips Exeter Academy ranks among the top 20 boarding schools (out of 308 schools) for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Selectivity
Offering Breadth
Student Test Scores
School History
School Overview
School Focus
College Preparatory
College Preparatory
School Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
Year Founded
1781
1907
Campus Size
673 acres
125 acres
Student Body
Enrollment
1080 students
301 students
% Students of Color
45%
26%
% International Students
8%
20%
% Students Boarding
80%
70%
Offers Post-Grad Year
Yes
No
Academics and Faculty
Saturday Classes
Yes
No
Frequency of Saturday Classes
Bi-Weekly
Weekly
Student : Teacher Ratio
6:1
7:1
ESL Courses Offered
No
Yes
% Faculty with Advanced Degree
91%
71%
Tuition Cost
Yearly Tuition
(Boarding Students)
(Boarding Students)
$61,121
$61,200
Yearly Tuition
(Day Students)
(Day Students)
$47,739
$34,900
% Students on Financial Aid
45%
40%
Avg. Financial Aid Grant
$51,561
(Day student average grant: )
(Day student average grant: )
$25,000
Merit Scholarships Offered
No
No
Acceptance Rate
Application Deadline
Jan. 15
Jan. 15
SSAT Required
Yes
Yes
Average Percentile SSAT
94%
-
Acceptance Rate
10%
58%
Director of Admissions
John M. Hutchins
Sports
# Interscholastic Sports Offered
28
16
Sports
Ballet, Baseball, Basketball, Crew, Cross Country, Cross Country Running, Cycling, Dance, Diving, Fencing, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track, Track and Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Water Polo, Winter Track, Wrestling
College Matriculation
Year: 2011 - 2013
10 Most Popular College Choices (# Enrolled)
Columbia University
34
New York University
34
Harvard College
33
Yale University
33
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
27
Tufts University
26
Princeton University
25
Dartmouth College
24
Brown University
23
University of Pennsylvania
22
School Notes
- Phillips Exeter Academy is a co-educational residential school with students from the U.S. and over 30 foreign countries. Exeter has a centuries-old tradition of academic excellence and a commitment to empowering Exonians to find their place in the world.
- We are a community that celebrates curiosity and cultivates potential. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1, more than 450 courses in 18 subject areas, and the opportunity to study on five continents, Exeter provides unparalleled opportunities for discovery and exploration, of both self and subject matter.
- We provide need-based financial aid that makes it possible for talented students to attend Exeter regardless of their family`s finances. Exeter works with families from all economic backgrounds to make tuition affordable. And, an Exeter education is free to any accepted student whose family income is $75,000 or less. We encourage all interested students to apply, regardless of their ability to pay.
- Phillips Exeter Academy accreditations: NAIS, TABS
- Sample of notable school alumni/alumnae:
- Mark Zuckerberg - Founder and CEO, Facebook
- Dan Brown - Bestselling Author, The Da Vinci Code
- Pauline Chiou - Award-winning Anchor and Correspondent, CNN Hong Kong
- Win Butler - Lead Vocalist and Songwriter of Grammy Award-winning band Arcade Fire
- John Knowles - Author, A Separate Peace
- John Irving - Bestselling Author and Academy Award-winning Screenwriter, The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules
- Suzy Welch - Bestselling Author, Television Commentator and Noted Business Journalist
- Pierre S. Du Pont - President, Du Pont; Chair and President, General Motors Corporation
- Robert Todd Lincoln - Son of President Abraham Lincoln, US Secretary of War
- Daniel Webster - US Senator from Massachusetts
Source: Verified school update
Alumni Reviews Review School
Review
Description
Phillips Exeter is distinct for its use of the Harkness Method and its unique athletic opportunities afforded by a robust alumni network and excellent teachers from various high-level academic positions within their fields. Harkness, a. . .
The Harkness method is one of Exeter's unique and best aspects. Teachers have very little involvement in class — homework is either reading or problem based, and nearly every class, from Math to English. . .
Exeter is the founding place of the Harkness method, in which students gather around a round table to discuss their homework and class material as a group. The idea of this method is that. . .
Show more reviews (27 reviews)
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The nearest boarding school to Phillips Exeter Academy is The Governor's Academy (formerly Governor Dummer Academy) (16.2 miles away)
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