How does The Peddie School calculate student GPAs?

The Peddie School does not calculate or report a GPA, nor does it rank its students. It operates on a trimester calendar using a seven-block schedule.

Does The Peddie School offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses?

Yes. Unlike some peer institutions that have moved away from the AP curriculum, Peddie offers 35 subject areas for Advanced Placement and Honors. In 2025, 292 students took 724 AP exams, with 88% earning a 4 or 5.

High School

How does The Peddie School Compare to Philadelphia-Area Private Schools

Q: How much does The Peddie School cost, and is financial aid available?

For the 2025-2026 academic year, boarding tuition is $78,300 and day tuition is $68,300. Supported by a $493 million endowment, Peddie allocates $11.2 million annually in financial assistance, with grants covering an average of 70% of tuition (averaging $50,000 per student) for the 39% of the student body receiving aid.

By Data Team | Published August 28, 2026

Our analysis of The Peddie School’s matriculation data for the Class of 2026 demonstrates a steady volume of Top 25 university and elite Liberal Arts placements driven by its substantial endowment and rigorous academic environment. Operating in Hightstown, New Jersey, this 540-student institution leverages its signature academic programs and a $493 million endowment to produce a consistently high-performing pipeline into top national research universities.

While operating outside the immediate Philadelphia city limits, Peddie functions as a collegiate incubator heavily recruiting from and competing within the Greater Philadelphia prep school market. For families evaluating the premier boarding and day school tier, our evaluation indicates that Peddie provides excellent access to Ivy League, Top 25, and elite engineering programs. This access is supported by one of the largest financial aid commitments in the nation, allocating over $11.2 million annually.

Summary of Key Findings

•
Top 25 National Concentration (~24% estimated yield): While peer schools celebrate single-digit acceptances to top universities, Peddie generates consistent multi-student cohorts. In 2026 alone, the school sent significant groups of students to Cornell (7), Columbia (4), Princeton (2), UPenn (2), UChicago (2), and Harvard (2).
•
Strong National Engineering & Specialty Run: The school expands far beyond the Ivies to secure multi-student cohorts at institutions like USC (4), the United States Naval Academy (4), Georgia Tech (3), and Bucknell (4), cementing its status as a versatile national feeder.
•
Philadelphia ECPI Benchmarking: When evaluated against our Philadelphia market methodology, The Peddie School generates an estimated Elite College Placement Index (ECPI) score of 97.45. This places it solidly in the #3 position within the regional landscape, trailing only The Lawrenceville School (104.99) and Germantown Friends School (101.54).

Regional Context: The Highly Selective Boarding Ecosystem

Educational professionals consider the New Jersey/Philadelphia preparatory school market one of the most academically competitive secondary education environments in the Mid-Atlantic. While we maintain distinct metropolitan indexes, assessing boarding schools in Central New Jersey requires benchmarking their data against the structural realities of the Greater Philadelphia market.

The Peddie School operates with a combination of boarding (60%) and day (40%) students. With a total enrollment of 540 students and a graduating class averaging 141 seniors, Peddie utilizes its $493 million endowment (bolstered by a $100 million gift from Walter Annenberg in 1993) to curate a globally sourced cohort that aligns directly with the geographic diversity targets of Top 25 university admissions offices.

Global Geographic Diversity: The current student body represents 19 U.S. states and 25 foreign countries, allowing universities to recruit across varied demographics from a single New Jersey campus. Furthermore, 20% of the student body holds citizenship outside the U.S.
The MAPL & Regional Rivals: While located in Hightstown, NJ, Peddie competes for admissions yields against top-tier Pennsylvania and New Jersey programs. It serves as a statistical counterpart to regional institutions like The Lawrenceville School and The Hill School.

How We Measure: The Philadelphia ECPI Methodology

Applying the Philadelphia Standard

Because The Peddie School frequently competes for the same applicant pool as elite Main Line and Philadelphia city independent schools, our data models evaluate its placement data using the Philadelphia ECPI Methodology. This regional index is tailored to benchmark national placements against strong localized public university retention.

Philadelphia Region ECPI Components & Weighting
ECPI Component	Weight	Metric Description
T25 National University Matriculation	35%	Modeled percentage of graduates attending a Top 25 National University (inclusive of Ivy+).
T15 Liberal Arts College Matriculation	15%	Modeled percentage of graduates attending a Top 15 Liberal Arts College (LAC).
Top In-State University Matriculation	20%	Based on percentage of graduates attending Penn State (University Park), University of Pittsburgh, or Temple University. (Note: For NJ schools, this tracks out-of-state regional pipelines.)
Other 4-Year University Matriculation	10%	Modeled percentage of graduates attending other four-year universities.
College Readiness Score	20%	An internal score reflecting AP/IB participation, average test scores (SAT/ACT), and strength of curriculum.

Campus Profile and Academic Environment

Founded in 1864, The Peddie School occupies a historic campus in Hightstown, New Jersey, roughly 50 miles from both Philadelphia and New York City. It operates as an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding and day school serving grades 9 through 12, alongside a postgraduate year.

Geographic Footprint: 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ

Table 1: Structural Baselines (2025-2026 Academic Year)

Institutional Metric	The Peddie School
Total Enrollment	540 students (60% Boarding, 40% Day)
Student Demographics	47% U.S. Students of Color, 25 Foreign Countries
Average Graduating Class Size	~141 (including 9 postgraduates)
Faculty & Ratio	90% of faculty live on campus; 6:1 Ratio

Academic Rigor & AP Engagement

Unlike several peer institutions that have abandoned the AP curriculum, Peddie maintains a rigorous offering of over 35 subject areas for Advanced Placement and Honors courses.

AP Performance: In 2025, 292 students took 724 AP Exams. Data shows 98% scored a 3 or better, and 88% earned a 4 or 5.
Signature Programs: Select students conduct independently-driven explorations of academic passions, with offerings in Art, Creative Writing, Asian Studies, Computer Science, and Research Science (STEM-EXP).
Math & Physics: Problem-based learning is foundational. All ninth graders take physics, and most follow the Mathematical Problem Solving curriculum during their first two years.

The Grading & Schedule Structure

The school operates on a rigorous trimester calendar and uses a seven-block schedule, ensuring deep engagement with its 150 available academic courses.

Class Rank & GPA: The school deliberately does not rank students or report a GPA, shifting focus from numerical competition to comprehensive academic rigor.
Class Frequency: Classes meet Monday through Saturday, echoing the collegiate scheduling model.
Standardized Excellence: The Class of 2025 averaged a 720 on SAT Reading, 730 on SAT Math, and a composite ACT score of 32.

The Top 25 Pipeline

Our data models evaluate the single-year Class of 2026 cohort comprising approximately 141 graduating seniors. The resulting yield estimates indicate a ~28% matriculation into Top 25 national universities. The school's endowment and standardized test averages support this pipeline.

Matriculation Density Estimates

28%

T25 Yield Est.

7%

T15 LAC Yield Est.

~4%

Top PA (Region) Est.

16%

Ivy+ Yield

Ivy League Success

Peddie consistently funnels cohorts into the Ivy League. For the Class of 2026, the school maintained reliable pipelines into several highly selective institutions.

Cornell Univ. 7 (5.0%)
Columbia 4 (2.8%)
Princeton 2 (1.4%)
UPenn 2 (1.4%)
Harvard 2 (1.4%)
UChicago 2 (1.4%)
Stanford 2 (1.4%)
Duke Univ. 2 (1.4%)
Yale Univ. 1 (0.7%)
Brown Univ. 1 (0.7%)

National Scale and Reach

Peddie graduates establish pipelines to highly selective non-Ivy institutions nationwide, driving our ~28% T25 estimate.

USC 4 (2.8%)
UCLA 3 (2.1%)
UC Berkeley 2 (1.4%)
Johns Hopkins 2 (1.4%)
Northwestern 1 (0.7%)
Georgetown 1 (0.7%)
Carnegie Mellon 1 (0.7%)
Emory Univ. 1 (0.7%)

Top 15 Liberal Arts College & Service Academy Placements

While many Peddie students matriculate to massive, R1 national research universities, the counseling office also supports steady placements into Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) and highly selective U.S. Service Academies. Our models project a regional yield of approximately 7% for this specific tier based on the 2026 cohort.

Service Academies & Top 15 LACs

Peddie maintains connections to the NESCAC and selective military academies.

High-Volume LAC/Academy Pipelines

7%

U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) 4 (2.8%)

Secondary LAC Placements

Peddie students place into NESCAC institutions and other standalone liberal arts colleges across the country in individual cohorts.

Williams College 1 (0.7%)
Swarthmore College 1 (0.7%)
Barnard College 1 (0.7%)
Carleton College 1 (0.7%)
Davidson College 1 (0.7%)
Wesleyan Univ. 1 (0.7%)
Claremont McKenna 1 (0.7%)
Hamilton College 1 (0.7%)

Matriculation Data Archive (Class of 2026)

Our reporting captures data spanning recent graduating classes. The table below isolates the primary placements for the Class of 2026 (representing ~141 total students), explicitly verified by The Peddie School, including all T25 and T15 LAC institutions.

Institution	2026 Vol. (%)	ECPI Category
Cornell University	7 (5.0%)	Ivy+ / T25
Columbia University	4 (2.8%)	Ivy+ / T25
University of Southern California	4 (2.8%)	T25 National
United States Naval Academy	4 (2.8%)	T15 LAC (equiv)
UCLA	3 (2.1%)	T25 National
Princeton University	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
Harvard University	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
Stanford University	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
University of Pennsylvania	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
University of Chicago	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
Duke University	2 (1.4%)	Ivy+ / T25
Johns Hopkins University	2 (1.4%)	T25 National
UC Berkeley	2 (1.4%)	T25 National
Yale University	1 (0.7%)	Ivy+ / T25
Brown University	1 (0.7%)	Ivy+ / T25
Northwestern University	1 (0.7%)	T25 National
Georgetown University	1 (0.7%)	T25 National
Carnegie Mellon University	1 (0.7%)	T25 National
Emory University	1 (0.7%)	T25 National
Williams College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Swarthmore College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Barnard College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Carleton College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Davidson College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Wesleyan University	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Claremont McKenna College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC
Hamilton College	1 (0.7%)	T15 LAC

Regional Competitors

To contextualize the estimated ~97.45 score achieved by The Peddie School, we compare its institutional performance against its immediate peer group within the Philadelphia and New Jersey private school market, utilizing our ECPI index for the Philadelphia region.

Note: The Peddie School's placement at an estimated #3 rank within the Philadelphia regional context is a hypothetical projection. Because Peddie is located in New Jersey, it is not officially listed on the Philadelphia area index, but its 97.45 estimated ECPI allows for direct benchmarking against these local institutions.

Rank #1

The Lawrenceville School

Peddie's foremost regional boarding competitor. Lawrenceville commands a 104.99 ECPI score, supported by a 34% T25 matriculation rate and a 13% yield into Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges.

Rank #2

Germantown Friends School

A highly selective Philadelphia day school. GFS secures a 101.54 ECPI score with a matching 34% placement into the Top 25 national universities, particularly UPenn.

Rank #3

The Baldwin School

A highly selective all-girls institution on the Main Line. Baldwin commands a 95.69 ECPI score, driven by a 24% T25 matriculation rate and a 15% yield into top in-state public universities, offering a different pedagogical environment than Peddie.

Culture & Counseling Strategy

We assign a College Readiness Score based on advanced coursework availability, curriculum distinctiveness, and the structural integrity of the college counseling office. The Peddie School achieves a 10.0 rating out of 10.0 due to its AP catalog, endowment, and counseling model.

The Personalized Advising Model

Led by Director of College Counseling Joseph Rulewich, the Peddie College Counseling Office relies on a deeply collaborative approach involving the student, the family, and the counseling team.

Dedicated Counselor Ratios: The office employs a team of five, including Senior Associate Director Lisa McClellan and Assistant Directors Grant Edwards and Sarah Venanzi, ensuring individualized guidance.
On-Campus Integration: Counselors organize extensive on-campus college fairs, bringing admissions representatives from universities directly to the Hightstown campus.
Parental Involvement: The school hosts a parents' weekend symposium featuring expert speakers to educate families on essay writing, financial aid maximization, and college visits.

Navigating the Financial Component

Peddie intentionally weaves financial aid transparency into the college counseling process. As highlighted in their institutional materials featuring Director of Financial Aid Peter Park '07, the school partners with families to navigate both Peddie's internal financial aid application and the eventual transition to collegiate financial planning.

This approach ensures that capable students are not just admitted to top universities, but are financially equipped to attend them.

Financial Footprints & Alumni

University admissions officers closely evaluate the socioeconomic frameworks of independent prep schools. Peddie maintains a financial commitment to ensure accessibility. Backed by a $493 million endowment, the institution allocates $11.2 million annually in financial assistance to families.

Furthermore, the comprehensive tuition model eliminates hidden fees. A Peddie education covers a laptop, all meals prepared by Peddie Food Services, Saturday night excursions, 24/7 Health Center access, and trips to Broadway shows and museums in New York City and Philadelphia.

Tuition & Fees (2025-26 Academic Year)

Boarding Tuition $78,300
Day Student Tuition $68,300
Laptops & Tech Support Included
Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) Included

Financial Aid Impact (2025-26)

Students Receiving Aid 39%
Total Annual Aid Budget $11.2 Million
Average Tuition Covered by Grants 70%
Average Grant per Student $50,000

Featured Alumni Profiles

Peddie alumni leave a notable impact as entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, Olympians, and diplomats. This alumni network provides networking opportunities for graduating seniors.

Class of 1927

Walter Annenberg

Publisher, broadcaster, diplomat, and philanthropist. Founder of TV Guide and Seventeen magazines, and U.S. Ambassador to the UK. He gave a transformative $100 million gift to Peddie in 1993.

Class of 1988

Jackie Reses

CEO of Lead Bank, previously serving as chief development officer at Yahoo and capital lead of Square Inc. Co-Author of “Self-Made Boss.”

Class of 1990

B.J. Bedford

The first Peddie alumna to win an Olympic gold medal, representing the United States swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Class of 2013

Dan Breland

Viral country music star known for "My Truck," collaborating with stars like Keith Urban and earning the ACM Lift Every Voice Award.

Class of 2002

Chris Tomson

Drummer for the indie rock band Vampire Weekend, winning a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2019.

Class of 2006

Sangu Delle

Entrepreneur, clean water activist, and TED Fellow focused on building healthcare access and world-class tech companies in Africa.

Implications for New Jersey & Philadelphia Families

When synthesizing datasets across the Mid-Atlantic market, our evaluation of The Peddie School offers definitive insights for families navigating the secondary admission process:

•
Consistent Ivy+ and Top 25 Yields: Peddie operates as a feeder for Cornell, Columbia, and highly selective national programs like USC and UCLA. With an estimated 24% T25 yield on a graduating class of ~141 in 2026, the school places significant cohorts of students into elite universities without relying on one singular geographical pipeline.
•
The Financial Aid Advantage: By deploying over $11.2 million in annual grants (averaging $50,000 per student), Peddie alters the socioeconomic diversity of its applicant pool. This endowment backing ensures access to highly capable students globally, mirroring the diversity targets of top-tier college admissions offices.
•
Rigor Over Ranking: The decision to deliberately withhold class rank and GPA calculations forces universities to evaluate students based on absolute intellectual merit, AP performance (88% scoring 4 or 5), and the distinctiveness of their Signature Experience research. This effectively insulates Peddie applicants from the grade inflation scrutiny faced by standard public and private high schools.

FAQ: The Peddie School Evaluation

When benchmarked against the Greater Philadelphia private school ecosystem, The Peddie School secures an estimated ECPI of 97.45. This places it in the top tier of regional preparatory schools, holding a #3 regional position just behind The Lawrenceville School (104.99) and Germantown Friends School (101.54).

Based on the Class of 2026 matriculation cohort, our modeling estimates Peddie maintains an approximate 24% T25 matriculation yield, with verified high-volume pipelines established at Cornell, Columbia, USC, UCLA, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

For the 2025-26 academic year, boarding tuition is $78,300 and day tuition is $68,300. The school allocates $11.2 million annually in financial assistance, with grants covering an average of 70% of tuition (averaging $50,000 per student) for the 39% of the student body that receives aid. This tuition model is comprehensive, covering laptops, health center access, and all meals.

The Peddie School does not rank students or report a GPA. It operates on a rigorous trimester calendar using a seven-block schedule, encouraging universities to evaluate student transcripts based on absolute academic rigor rather than artificial numerical weighting.

Yes. Unlike some peer institutions that have removed APs, Peddie offers 35 subject areas for Advanced Placement and Honors. In 2025, 292 students took 724 AP Exams, with 88% earning a top score of 4 or 5.