Cambridge Friends School vs. Shady Hill School
Should you attend Cambridge Friends School or Shady Hill School? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
School Overview
Top Rankings
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Shady Hill School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Massachusetts for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
Advanced Degrees
Student Body
School History
Overview
A leader in education through a social justice lens, Cambridge Friends School is an elementary and middle school (preK-8) committed to project-based, experiential learning.
The only Quaker school in Massachusetts, CFS educates the whole child in an environment that fosters the development of each child`s potential. Dedicated to preparing children for the future, CFS inspires a life-long love of learning.
As part of our commitment to social justice, Cambridge Friends School is engaged in building an anti-racist, anti-homophobic community and actively seeks students and staff from a diverse range of family structures and racial, cultural, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds.
Our community tries to go beyond mere tolerance to more deeply address issues of bias and privilege.
Shady Hill is an all gender Pre-K through 8th Grade day school on 11 acres in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Our unique village-style campus is a collection of child-scaled buildings set around courtyards and greens with a web of connecting pathways, play spaces, athletic fields, and wildlife areas.
Founded in 1915 on the back porch of Harvard Professor Ernest Hocking and his wife, Agnes Hocking, the goal was for children to experience an education enriched by the same kind of open-mindedness, inquiry, intellectual rigor, and passion for learning that they valued in their own experiences.
The curriculum is built around Central Subject-a year-long, in-depth study of a people, period of history, an idea or movement-and stresses the interrelationships of many disciplines and the use of original sources.
Through exploration and discovery, rigorous and engaging activities, the mastery of skills, purposeful dialogue and meticulous guidance, our students develop into independent, critical thinkers and life-long learners.
Our beliefs in a diverse and inclusive community, cooperation and collaboration, self reflection, and individual responsibility help students grow into confident, ethical citizens of the school and the world beyond.
Grades Offered
PK-8
PK-8
Blue Ribbon School
No
No
Offers Post-Graduate Year
No
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Learning Difference Programs
Yes
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Year Founded
1961
1915
Students Body
Total Students
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530 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
% Students of Color
-
46%
Students by Grade
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Students by Grade
Pre-K Students
-
36
Kindergarten Students
-
44
Grade 1 Students
-
46
Grade 2 Students
-
48
Grade 3 Students
-
48
Grade 4 Students
-
51
Grade 5 Students
-
60
Grade 6 Students
-
68
Grade 7 Students
-
65
Grade 8 Students
-
64
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
10 teachers
100 teachers
% Faculty with Advance Degree
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91%
Average Class Size
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16
Number of AP Classes
10
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Student-Teacher Ratio
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5:1
List of Courses Offered
Matric. DataMatriculation Data
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Casual
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline
Jan. 16 / rolling
Jan. 15 / Jan. 4 / rolling
Tuition Cost
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$42,280
Tuition Notes
Tuition rates for 2025-26
Pre-Kindergarten: $29,500
Kindergarten: $32,650
Grade 1: $35,800
Grade 2: $38,950
Grades 3-4: $40,850
Grades 5: $42,350
Grades 6-8: $44,500
2025-2026 tuition ranges from $42,280 for Beginners to $54,330 for Grade 8.
% on Financial Aid
43%
20%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$20,000
$43,500
Acceptance Rate
40%
25%
Admissions Director
Dan Griffin
Sandra Zuckerman
Admissions Associate
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Cari Li
Sports
Total Sports Offered
3
12
Extracurriculars
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
8
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Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
Lower School Extended DayMiddle School Extended Day
Arts and Music Programs:
African DrummingInstrumental Music and Dance
Jazz BandPiano
SaxophoneWoodwind


