Shady Hill School vs. Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Should you attend Shady Hill 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
Shady Hill School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Massachusetts for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
Advanced Degrees
Student Body
School History
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
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.
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
n/a
No
Learning Difference Programs
n/a
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
n/a
Mild Learning Differences
Year Founded
1915
1974
Students Body
Total Students
531 students
1048 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
% Students of Color
46%
24%
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Pre-K Students
36
32
Kindergarten Students
44
40
Grade 1 Students
44
40
Grade 2 Students
45
40
Grade 3 Students
51
40
Grade 4 Students
51
41
Grade 5 Students
60
40
Grade 6 Students
70
60
Grade 7 Students
65
84
Grade 8 Students
65
89
Grade 9 Students
-
138
Grade 10 Students
-
129
Grade 11 Students
-
137
Grade 12 Students
-
138
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
100 teachers
156 teachers
% Faculty with Advance Degree
91%
58%
Average Class Size
16
15
Number of AP Classes
n/a
19
Teacher : Student Ratio
1:5
1:7
Average SAT score
n/a
1420
Average ACT score
n/a
33
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Casual
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline
Jan. 15 / rolling
Jan. 10
Tuition Notes
2024-2025 tuition ranges from $40,340 for Beginners to $51,840 for Grade 8.
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
19%
24%
Average Financial Aid Grant
n/a
$47,808
Acceptance Rate
20%
n/a
Admissions Director
Sandra Zuckerman
Jorge Delgado
Admissions Associate
Cari Li
Amy Pratt
Sports
Total Sports Offered
12
19
Extracurriculars
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
n/a
77
Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
n/a
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)