What Princeton Day School does

Princeton Day School (PDS) is a private, nonprofit, coeducational independent day school located on a 106-acre campus at 650 Great Road in Princeton, New Jersey, serving 963 enrolled students across three divisions: Lower School (PreK-Grade 4, 235 students), Middle School (Grades 5-8, 301 students), and Upper School (Grades 9-12, 427 students). Founded in 1965 through the merger of Miss Fine's School (1899) and Princeton Country Day (1924), PDS is governed by a Board of Trustees and operated with 305 faculty and staff constituents maintaining an 8:1 student-faculty ratio with class sizes of 5-17 students; 77% of faculty hold advanced degrees.

The school's academic offering is anchored by signature programs including the DaVinci Program (Middle School exploratory electives), Science Research Experience (REx) for pre-college lab internships, STEAM curriculum delivered through the Bartlett and Johnston STEAM Centers, the Jacobson Music Scholars Program, Senior Projects, and the Imagine the Possibilities visiting-author series. Supporting technology infrastructure includes a Finalsite-powered website, Veracross for admissions management, Clarity for financial aid processing, GiveCampus for fundraising, and Zoom for virtual engagement — standard independent-school SaaS stack rather than proprietary platforms. The school offers a college-preparatory Upper School with 150+ courses, comprehensive college counseling starting sophomore year, and reports a 100% four-year college acceptance rate.

PDS generates revenue primarily through tuition subscriptions ranging from $40,980 (PreK-K) to $55,500 (Grades 9-12) for the 2026-2027 academic year, supplemented by After-School Programs (Stay and Play, enrichment courses), Summer Programs, and Facility Rentals. The school awarded $7.2M in financial aid to 25% of students. Distribution is regional (Northeast US) with national and international reach for virtual tours and admissions, delivered through a multi-channel admissions funnel including Standard Application Online (SAO), campus visits, Discover PDS virtual sessions, the PDS Perspectives podcast, and active organic social media on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Flickr. PDS is DOE National Green Ribbon School-certified for sustainability leadership, with 160,479 pounds of food waste diverted from landfills through composting since 2008.

Name

Princeton Day School

Legal name

Princeton Day School

Website

https://pds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Princeton Day School is a nonprofit, coeducational PreK-12 independent day school in Princeton, NJ, serving 963 students across Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions on a 106-acre campus, generating tuition revenue ($40,980-$55,500 per student) with signature programs in STEAM, DaVinci, and college counseling yielding 100% college acceptance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private PreK-12 Independent Day School

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

Keywords

• Independent day school
• PreK-12 education
• College preparatory school
• Private K-12 school
• STEAM education

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Primary revenue stream from tuition payments for PreK-12 education. Tuition rates vary by grade level, ranging from $40,980 for PreK-K to $55,500 for grades 9-12 for the 2026-2027 academic year.
2. After-School Programs: Revenue from after-school offerings including Stay and Play childcare program and specialized courses such as Food and Garden Club, Design-Build Studio, Robot Fun, and Ice Skating.
3. Summer Programs: Revenue from summer programs offered during school breaks.
4. Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting school facilities to external parties through the Facility Rentals program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Princeton Day School is a coeducational PreK-12 independent day school that delivers college-preparatory education across three divisions (Lower School PreK-Grade 4, Middle School Grades 5-8, Upper School Grades 9-12) on a 106-acre Princeton, NJ campus. The curriculum is enriched by signature programs including the DaVinci exploratory electives, Science Research Experience (REx), STEAM, Senior Projects, Jacobson Music Scholars, and Imagine the Possibilities, alongside athletics, performing and visual arts, sustainability education, and comprehensive college counseling that produced 100% four-year college acceptance for the Class of 2025.

Product overview

Princeton Day School is a PreK-12 independent coeducational day school offering a comprehensive college-preparatory education structured across three divisions: Lower School (PreK-4), Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12). The academic program is enhanced by signature initiatives including the DaVinci exploratory program, STEAM curriculum, Science Research Experience (REx), and Jacobson Music Scholars. Beyond academics, the school provides athletics, performing arts, visual arts, service learning, and sustainability programs, supported by college counseling beginning sophomore year. The school operates on a 106-acre campus with specialized facilities including STEAM centers, Isaac's Greenhouse, teaching kitchens, and McAneny Theater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miss Fine's Center for Interdisciplinary Studies: Professional development center for faculty promoting collaborative interdisciplinary study
• DaVinci Program
• Science Research Experience (REx)
• Jacobson Music Scholars Program
• Imagine the Possibilities (ITP)
• Day School Teaching Residency Program (DSTR)

Products and services

• Lower School (PreK-Grade 4) Early childhood education program for PreK through 4th grade emphasizing experiential learning, curiosity, and foundational academic skills through hands-on activities in gardens, kitchens, and STEAM classrooms; serves 235 students.
• Middle School (Grades 5-8) Adolescent education program for grades 5-8 featuring the DaVinci Program for exploratory electives, Mini-Course Week for interdisciplinary learning, Focus Assemblies for public speaking, and STEAM curriculum in the Johnston STEAM Center; serves 301 students.
• Upper School (Grades 9-12) College preparatory high school program offering over 150 courses including AP classes, Senior Projects, Science Research Experience (REx), Jacobson Music Scholars Program, and comprehensive college counseling services; serves 427 students with 100% four-year college acceptance.
• DaVinci Program Weekly exploratory program in Middle School offering non-traditional quarterly courses such as 3-D Printing, Cooking in the Garden, Lego Robotics, Mock Trial, and Personal Finance Lab in a grade-free, student-driven environment.
• Science Research Experience (REx) Independent scientific study and internship program allowing students to spend the summer before senior year at professional and academic laboratories, with fall research presentations to the PDS community.
• STEAM Program Interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics program integrated across all divisions with dedicated STEAM centers featuring robotics, coding, 3D design, and project-based learning.
• Jacobson Music Scholars Program Selective music program for passionate junior and senior musicians preparing for college auditions through juries, solo recitals, and mentorship in honor of former music teacher Frank Jacobson.
• Senior Projects Self-designed learning experience where seniors pursue research or projects anywhere in the world, from university lab research to international teaching opportunities.
• Imagine the Possibilities (ITP) Annual visiting author/artist program bringing illustrators and poets to campus through the John D. Wallace, Jr. '78 Memorial Guest Artist Series Fund for interdisciplinary workshops across all grade levels.
• Sustainability & Environmental Education Program Environmental stewardship program featuring organic gardens, Isaac's Greenhouse, indoor/outdoor teaching kitchens, beehives, and composting initiatives saving 160,479 pounds of food waste from landfills since 2008.
• Service Learning Community service program embedding service opportunities across PreK-12 divisions, fostering empathy and civic responsibility through partnerships with local organizations and on-campus initiatives.
• College Counseling Comprehensive college guidance services including individual counseling, essay boot camps, standardized testing planning, mock interviews, and family programming starting sophomore year with 100% four-year college acceptance outcomes.
• Athletics Program Athletic program offering fall, winter, and spring team sports with accomplished coaching staff, outstanding facilities, and emphasis on teamwork and healthy competition across all skill levels.
• Performing Arts Theater, music, and dance program featuring productions in McAneny Theater, music ensembles, a cappella groups, and annual musical productions.
• Visual and Design Arts

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Class of 2025 accepted to four-year colleges
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016PDS became one of the first schools in a select consortium of nation's leading independent day and boarding schools to partner with UPenn on the Day School Teaching Residency Program (DSTR). This groundbreaking program enables aspiring educators to receive a master's degree in education while completing an intensive two-year teaching fellowship on the PDS campus. Penn Fellows work closely with experienced PDS teacher-mentors.
• ClaritysupportingTechnology or IntegrationPrinceton Day School partners with Clarity to process financial aid applications. Clarity uses a standard calculation to determine estimated family contributions toward educational expenses based on financial information provided. The platform includes GDPR and SOC2 certification with enterprise-level security.
• Echo Hill Outdoor SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for 8th grade students to attend Echo Hill Outdoor School in Worton, MD each fall. Students deepen understanding of scientific and ecological principles while strengthening class bonds through outdoor education experiences.
• Standard Application Online (SAO)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Standard Application Online platform for student profile submissions during the admissions process. Families complete the Student Profile Form through SAO and pay the application fee via this platform.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Veracross: Technology vendor providing the admissions, enrollment, and student information system used by PDS; relevant as an enabling technology provider rather than a direct competitor, and serves many peer independent schools.

Direct peers

• Stuart Country Day School: All-girls Catholic day school serving PreK-12 in Princeton, NJ; directly competes for Princeton-area families seeking independent school education, particularly at the Lower and Middle School levels.
• Pennington School: Independent day school for grades 6-12 in Pennington, NJ (adjacent to Princeton); competes in the same Mercer County feeder market with similar college-prep mission and tuition band as PDS.
• Riverdale Country School: PreK-12 independent day school in Bronx, NY where current PDS Head Kelley Nicholson-Flynn previously served as Head of Upper School; comparable model of progressive college-prep with signature programs and similar tuition scale in the Northeast independent school market.
• Lawrenceville School: Highly selective NJ boarding/day school for grades 9-12 just 6 miles from PDS; directly competes for top-tier academic applicants from the same feeder region and shares PDS's Harkness/collaborative pedagogy tradition (Head of School Nicholson-Flynn previously taught there for 14 years).
• Germantown Friends School: PreK-12 Quaker day school in Philadelphia, comparable to PDS in size (~1,100 students), mission ethos, and college-prep program structure; serves a similar affluent regional market.
• The Hun School of Princeton: College-prep day/boarding school for grades 6-12 in Princeton, NJ; directly competes with PDS for the same affluent Central Jersey families in the same geographic market with overlapping signature programs and tuition tiers.

Regional players

• Peddie School: Selective boarding/day school for grades 9-12 in Hightstown, NJ; competes for the same Central Jersey merit-focused families as PDS Upper School and overlaps on college-prep identity.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity School: Elite PreK-12 independent day school in NYC consistently ranked among the top US day schools; broader and more established than PDS but operates the same nonsectarian PreK-12 college-prep model at a similar premium tier.
• Sidwell Friends School: Highly selective PreK-12 Quaker-affiliated day school in Washington, DC; comparable nonsectarian-adjacent college-prep model, similar tuition scale, and similar emphasis on ethical character formation as PDS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/princetondayschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/princeton-day-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/princetondayschool/?hl=en
• Xx.com/PDSPanthers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Princeton Day School