Cambridge Friends School vs. Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Should you attend Cambridge Friends School or Buckingham Browne & Nichols 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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Buckingham Browne & Nichols School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Massachusetts for:
Category
Attribute
ACT Score
Student Body
Sports offered
Extracurriculars
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.
Established in 1974 in Cambridge, MA, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N) is an independent day school serving grades Pre-K-12.
Our commitment to academic excellence is shared by students, teachers, and families alike.
Across our three campuses, educators collaborate to design engaging curricula that parallels student interests and prepares them to be responsible and open-minded leaders as they engage with the world.
BB&N's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and global education (DEIG) is tangible. Our engagement in service work, numerous language and study abroad programs, and diverse student body are all products of our decades-long work to build a school community that reflects the world we live in.
With an integrated learning approach and an expansive range of academic and extracurricular opportunities, BB&N students are encouraged to pursue their interests, embrace challenges, and take ownership of their educational journeys as they develop into lifelong learners.
Grades Offered
PK-8
PK-12
Blue Ribbon School
No
No
Offers Post-Graduate Year
No
No
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
n/a
Mild Learning Differences
Year Founded
1961
1974
Students Body
Total Students
140 students
1048 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
% Students of Color
48%
24%
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Pre-K Students
12
32
Kindergarten Students
17
40
Grade 1 Students
22
40
Grade 2 Students
11
40
Grade 3 Students
12
40
Grade 4 Students
14
41
Grade 5 Students
21
40
Grade 6 Students
10
60
Grade 7 Students
11
84
Grade 8 Students
10
89
Grade 9 Students
-
138
Grade 10 Students
-
129
Grade 11 Students
-
137
Grade 12 Students
-
138
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
22 teachers
156 teachers
% Faculty with Advance Degree
75%
58%
Average Class Size
11
15
Number of AP Classes
n/a
19
Teacher : Student Ratio
1:6
1:7
Average SAT score
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1420
Average ACT score
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33
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Casual
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline
Jan. 15 / rolling
Jan. 10
Tuition Cost
$27,000
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Tuition Notes
Tuition rates for 2021-2022
Pre-K - $28,212
K - $29,247
Grade 1 - $31,266
Grade 2 - $32,612
Grade 3 - $34,104
Grade 4 - $34,104
Grade 5 - $35,459
Grade 6 - $37,271
Grade 7 - $37,271
Grade 8 - $37,271
Tuition for 2023-2024
Beginners to Grade 3 – $44,750
Grades 4 and 5 – $49,700
Grade 6 – $61,300
Grades 7 to 12 – $63,700
% on Financial Aid
43%
24%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$20,000
$47,808
Admissions Director
Lizzie Leonard
Jorge Delgado
Admissions Associate
Shola Adekeye
Amy Pratt
Sports
Total Sports Offered
2
19
Extracurriculars
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
8
77
Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
African Drumming, Instrumental Music and Dance, Jazz Band, Lower School Extended Day, Middle School Extended Day, Piano, Saxophone, Woodwind
Activism Club, Affinity Lunch, Affinity Lunch. MS: Science Club, Animal Rights Club, Arabic Club, Art for Social Change, Asian American Student Association, BB&N Yearbook: Perspective, BeeBee&N Beekeeping Club, Best Buddies, Boston COVID-Tutoring Club, BSAE (Brothers Seeking Academic Excellance), Chamber Music, CHASM (Current Happenings Across STEM), Chess Club, Chinese Club, Chorus, Christian Club, Comedy Club, Community Council, Community Engagement Leadership Board (CELB), Community Service, Competitive Porfolio Team (CPT), Composition Club, Computer Science Club, Creative Writing Club, Drama Club, EcoReps, EMPOWER, Entrepreneurship Club, FemCo, Film Club, French Club, GAINS (Girls Advancing in STEM), GSA, History Club, International & Humanitarian Business Club, Investment Club, Jazz Band, Jewish Cultural Club Knights Section, Latin Club, Literary Group, Literature Club, LS Chess club, LS Orchestra, Math Club, Medical Club, MIND Club, Model UN, Music Club, One World club, Outdoor Recreation, Ping Pong Club, Players (Improv group, Point of View (political opinion magazine), Puzzle Club, Quiz Bowl, Robotics Club, Rocketry Club, Round Square Committee, Rugby Club, Russian Club, Scrabble Club, SHADES (Students Honoring and Accepting Differences and Embracing Similarities), Society, Spanish Club, Spark newspaper, Speech & Debate, Spikeball Club, Student Tour Guides, Surf Club, The Benchwarmer, The Spectator (art and literary magazine), The Squire, The Vanguard (School newspaper), Ultimate Frisbee Club, W.I.N.S. (Women in National Security)