Phillips Exeter Academy

Focus

Intellectual curiosity

Day fees 2025/26

$54,300

Boarding fees 2025/26

$69,500

Term dates

• Term 1: 5 September to 21 November 2025
• Term 2: 3 December to 7 March 2026
• Term 3: 23 March to 4 June 2026

Ages

14-18

Pupil count

1,099

Spear’s Review

An elite day and boarding school in the US state of New Hampshire, Phillips Exeter Academy offers a traditionally top-class American education. Its philosophy, known as the Harkness method, holds active speaking, listening and thinking as paramount. With more than 450 courses on offer, students are pushed to reach their best potential while indulging their interests.

Sports play a large part in Exeter life, with nearly three-quarters of students partaking in at least one sport. There are more than 20 to choose from, so students can take full advantage of the extensive sports hall, athletics track, playing fields and tennis courts. Alongside this, there are 200 clubs and societies, including rock climbing, ocean awareness and electronic music.

In 2025, the school began a multi-million-dollar renovation project, with plans including modernised classrooms, new communal spaces and a state-of-the-art design lab.

Academics

In 2025:

• 86 per cent of those who sat AP exams scored a 4 or 5
• Average SAT score was 1438
• Average ACT score was 31

Head teacher

Bill Rawson was appointed principal of Phillips Exeter Academy in 2019, following a six-month tenure as interim principal. An Exeter alumnus, Rawson received a BA in American studies from Amherst College and a law degree from Stanford Law School. He then spent more than 30 years as a lawyer before returning to Exeter. In 2025, Rawson announced he would retire at the end of June 2026.

University and college destinations

Between 2023 and 2025, the academy has sent a number of students to all eight Ivy League universities.

Admissions

The admissions process includes scheduling a tour; attending an interview; submitting essays set by Exeter; undertaking standardised assessment; and submitting relevant documentation, including teacher recommendations, principal recommendations and the previous year's transcript.

Notable alumni

Notable ‘Old Exonians’ include:

• Dan Brown (author)
• Mark Zuckerberg (tech entrepreneur)
• Paul Romer (Nobel Prize winner)
  

Accessibility

Boston Logan International Airport: 1 hour 

Location

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