School Name
Sidwell Friends
Category
North America Schools
Types
Pre-Prep to Senior School
Pupil type
Co-ed
Boarding-Day
Day
Curriculums
US curriculum
Pupil age range
4-18
Location
Washington, D.C.
Sidwell Friends
Focus
A dynamic education
Day fees 2024/25
$51,400–$57,600
Pupils
1,142
Ages
4–18
Spear’s Review
The school of choice for the offspring of presidents and diplomats, Sidwell Friends does not only cater to the elite, remaining grounded in the Quaker values of ethical leadership, global citizenship, environmental stewardship and service.
Founded in 1883, the school now operates across two campuses, with the lower school in Bethesda, Maryland, and older students in Washington, DC. Each student is encouraged to participate in the Quaker traditions of shared silence and reflection, and the school does not compute GPAs or assign class rankings, nor grant academic awards or honours.
Sidwell Friends hosts a wide range of extracurricular activities: 23 varsity athletic teams, more than 65 student clubs and a packed calendar of theatre performances help children to explore their creativity and expand their horizons.
University and college destinations
In the last five years, Sidwell graduates have matriculated at some of the world’s top universities, including the University of Oxford and Harvard University.
Head teacher
Bryan Garman, Sidwell Friends head of school, previously worked at Sidwell Friends for nine years – as a history teacher, department chair, director of the summer studies program, upper school principal and assistant head of school – before serving as head at Wilmington Friends until 2015, at which time he returned to Sidwell Friends as head. He has a doctorate in American studies from Emory University.
Admissions
Prospective students can begin their admissions process by creating an online profile on the school’s portal; following this they will be invited to interview and attend a group assessment day.
Accessibility
Dulles International Airport: 45 minutes
Location
Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.
Rank: Recommended

Recommended 2025, North America Schools