Sidwell Friends School lists its 2026-27 tuition at $61,830 for the Middle School and $62,330 for the Upper School. Lunch is included in tuition. This guide explains what else families should expect to pay, how Sidwell describes its financial aid, and where the published information stops.
What tuition includes
Sidwell says lunch is included with tuition. Beyond tuition, the school lists a few separate costs.
In the Middle School, there is a $500 textbooks and laptop fee for Grades 5 to 8 and physical education uniforms that cost $55 or $80. Extended Day is optional and costs $1,950 per semester or $3,600 for a full year.
In the Upper School, textbooks cost $500 to $700, there is a $420 technology fee, and the yearbook is $75. Trips for academic, arts, athletic or service programs are optional, and costs vary.
Sidwell says families who qualify for financial aid will see these additional costs discounted at the same rate as tuition in most cases. That is worth asking about directly when you apply.
How Sidwell describes its financial aid
Sidwell says family income should never be a barrier to a Sidwell education. The school reports that about 23 percent of students receive financial aid. It lists $10,145,734 in aid awarded and an average grant of $39,478. Those are school-wide figures, so they describe the whole community rather than any one grade.
Aid applications are processed through Clarity, and the school says it follows the National Association of Independent Schools Principles of Good Practice in its aid process. Sidwell also lists a financial aid webinar for December 8, 2026.
A rough yearly total
Adding the required costs to tuition gives a floor for the first year. For a Middle School student, $61,830 in tuition plus the $500 textbooks and laptop fee and a $55 uniform comes to $62,385, or $62,410 with the $80 uniform. For an Upper School student, $62,330 in tuition plus $500 for textbooks, the $420 technology fee and the $75 yearbook comes to $63,325, and $63,525 if textbooks run to $700. Optional Extended Day, trips and any other extras would be on top of those figures. These are our own sums from Sidwell's published numbers, not a quote from the school, and aid would change them.
When to apply for aid
Sidwell tells families who want aid to begin that process later in the fall, after the first admission steps are underway. Its pages list two different deadlines. The admissions process page says the financial aid application for new families is due February 1. The financial aid page says applications from prospective students are due January 15.
We cannot tell you which date is current. Check Ravenna or Clarity for the date that applies to your student, and if the two still do not agree, ask the admissions office to confirm it in writing. Working toward the earlier date costs you nothing and removes the risk.
Payment plans
For families who pay tuition, Sidwell lists three options:
- Pay in full by June 15.
- Split the payment, with 70 percent due by June 15 and 30 percent due by November 15.
- Use an interest-free 10-month plan that runs from May to February.
A calm way to plan the money
1. Look at the 2026-27 tuition for your student's division and add the separate costs above. 2. Decide early whether you will apply for aid, since Sidwell asks families to start that process in the fall. 3. Collect the tax and income documents the aid application will ask for before you open the form. 4. Mark both possible aid deadlines on your calendar until Sidwell confirms the right one. 5. Ask whether additional costs will be discounted for your family, as the school says they are in most cases.
What Sidwell has not published
The school does not say, on the pages we reviewed, how many new students receive aid at each entry grade, or how the average grant of $39,478 breaks down by division. It also does not list tuition for fall 2027 yet, so the 2026-27 figures here are the most recent published numbers. Tuition changes from year to year, so recheck the figures before you budget. Sidwell also does not publish how it decides an individual award, so the school-wide average is a reference point and not a prediction. A family that plans to apply for aid should ask the admissions office what the aid application asks for, and when a decision on aid is shared relative to the admission decision, since neither is stated on the pages we reviewed.
Families who are weighing cost against fit may find the school fit page useful, and the financial aid page keeps the same figures in one place. If you want a written recommendation for your own student, you can share context through our contact form.
Sources
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