What Cushing Academy does

Cushing Academy is a private, nonprofit co-ed college preparatory boarding and day school founded in 1865, serving approximately 400 students in grades 9-12 and post-graduate on a single 39 School Street campus in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. The institution operates two principal product lines: (1) a year-round academic program with college preparatory curriculum, residential life, athletics (including competitive ice hockey and NEPSAC conference participation), visual arts (Emily Fisher Landau Center), performing arts (Joseph R. Curry Academic Center), 24/7 health services (Lemieux Family Wellness Center, opened 2024), and college counseling; and (2) Cushing Summer, a seasonal program with 3- and 5-week modular tracks covering academic credit courses for grades 6-12, arts immersion, English Language Immersion for international students, and Prep Connections skill-building, with F-1 visa support.

The business model is tuition-and-donation funded. Boarding and day tuition constitute the core recurring revenue stream, supplemented by summer program fees ($2,790-$10,560 per session), required student health insurance premiums ($2,595-$4,495 annually) for both international and domestic students without US-based coverage, campus store sales, and an Annual Fund / endowment philanthropy program supporting financial aid and operations. The $1,000 non-refundable enrollment deposit locks in placement. Cushing holds accreditations from NEASC, NAIS, TABS, and is governed by a Board of Trustees under a Thomas Parkman Cushing bequest dating to 1865. The institution is differentiated by its 160-year brand legacy, 101-250 employees, dedicated clinical staff, state-of-the-art arts and wellness facilities, and operational partnerships with Westminster Pharmacy and Heywood Hospital for student health management. No AI/ML, technology platform, or external funding is evidenced; the school operates as a traditional educational services nonprofit.

Name

Cushing Academy

Legal name

Cushing Academy

Website

https://cushing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ashburnham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Academic Year Tuition - Boarding: Full-time boarding students pay tuition for the academic year, covering instruction, room and board, athletics, and activities.
2. Academic Year Tuition - Day Students: Day students pay tuition for instruction, meals, and daytime activities without residential component.
3. Summer Session Programs: 5-week and 3-week summer programs for middle and high school students with boarding ($7,240-$10,560) and day student ($2,790-$4,420) options, plus activity fees and optional services.
4. Student Health Insurance: Required health insurance plans for students without US-based coverage: International students $2,595-$2,895, Domestic students $3,995-$4,495 for 10-12 month plans.
5. Annual Fund and Philanthropy: Annual Fund donations supporting operating expenses including financial aid, classroom supplies, salaries, and programs. Endowment gifts for long-term institutional sustainability.
6. Campus Store: Retail operations selling school supplies, athletic equipment, clothing, Cushing memorabilia, and personal necessities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cushing Academy is a co-ed, nonprofit college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12 and post-graduate, located in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. It delivers residential and day academic programs with athletics, visual and performing arts, college counseling, on-campus health services, and a seasonal Cushing Summer program (academic, arts, English language immersion, and afternoon electives) for middle and high school students.

Product overview

Cushing Academy is a co-ed college preparatory boarding and day school offering a unified educational program for students in grades 9-12 and post-graduate. The institution operates two primary offerings: the main academic school year program (featuring Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Health Services, Athletics, and College Counseling) and Cushing Summer, a seasonal program comprising multiple structured modules including Academic Programs for high school and middle school students, the Arts Program, Prep Connections Program, English Language Immersion Program, and Afternoon Programming. These offerings share facilities (Emily Fisher Landau Center for Visual Arts, Joseph R. Curry Academic Center, Lemieux Family Wellness Center) but operate as distinct program tracks serving different student populations and seasons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cushing Summer: Summer programs for middle and high school students including academic programs, arts programs, English language immersion, and prep connections programs.

Products and services

• Cushing Academy (Main School) Co-ed college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9-12 and post-graduate, located in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Offers academic programs, athletics, arts, residential life, college counseling, and 24/7 on-campus health services.
• Cushing Summer Seasonal summer program offering for middle and high school students, including 5-week and 3-week sessions (Session 1 and Session 2) with boarding and day options. Features academic courses, arts programs, athletics, English language immersion, and residential life.
• Academic Program (High School) - Summer
• Academic Program (Middle School) - Summer
• Arts Program (Summer)
• Prep Connections Program
• English Language Immersion Program
• Afternoon Programming (Summer)
• Visual Arts Program
• Performing Arts Program
• Health Services 24/7 medical support through the Lemieux Family Wellness Center (opened 2024) featuring exam rooms, overnight beds, tele-medicine capabilities, and staff including Director of Health + Wellness, APRN, and Medical Director.
• Student Health Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Students earn regional and national awards through Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with Gold and Silver Medals in 2018-19 and Gold Key awards in 2019-20

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CumLaude SocietycoreOthersNational honor society recognizing academic achievement in secondary schools. Cushing students are eligible for Cum Laude recognition based on academic performance.
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)coreOthersProfessional membership organization for independent schools. Provides advocacy, research, and professional development resources for independent education.
• NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges)coreOthersAccrediting agency for schools and colleges in New England. Cushing Academy holds accreditation through NEASC demonstrating educational quality standards.
• NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference)coreOthersAthletic conference for New England prep schools providing competitive athletics scheduling and conference championships across multiple sports.
• TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools)coreOthersProfessional association representing boarding schools nationally. Provides resources, advocacy, and networking for boarding school community.
• Westminster PharmacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal pharmacy partnership providing bubble-packed medication dispensing for student prescriptions. Located at 128 Main Street, Westminster, MA. Supports safe medication management for boarding students.
• Heywood HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal hospital in Gardner, MA providing urgent and emergent medical care for students. Cushing Health Services collaborates with Heywood Hospital for medical referrals and emergency services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Groton School:
• The Hotchkiss School:
• Deerfield Academy:
• Choate Rosemary Hall:
• St. Paul's School:
• Middlesex School:
• Lawrenceville School:
• Phillips Academy Andover: Elite co-ed college preparatory boarding school in Andover, MA. The most direct peer to Cushing in the elite New England boarding school market, with a similar residential model, college counseling, arts and athletics programs, and international student pipeline.
• Milton Academy:
• Phillips Exeter Academy: Elite co-ed college preparatory boarding school in Exeter, NH. Highly comparable to Cushing as a New England prep school of similar size and profile, with parallel boarding/day offerings, academic rigor, and broad extracurricular programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cushing Academy