William Penn Charter School

What William Penn Charter School does

William Penn Charter School is an independent, nonprofit Quaker (Friends) school founded in 1689 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, making it the oldest Quaker school in the world and the fifth oldest school in the United States. It operates a Pre-K through Grade 12 educational program across three divisions — Lower School (Pre-K to Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12) — on a 47-acre East Falls campus serving approximately 1,000+ students drawn from 100+ zip codes across southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The school runs 80+ advanced courses, 80+ sports teams, 50+ student clubs, and a performing arts program, with specialized facilities including the 2025-opened Balderston Lower School, the 2021 Graham Athletics & Wellness Center, and the LEED Gold Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts.

The school's revenue model is anchored in tuition (ranging from $31,325 for Pre-K to $51,075 for Upper School) supplemented by need-based financial aid of $16.2 million in 2025-26 distributed to approximately 40% of students, alongside auxiliary revenue from summer camps (ages 3-17, including branded partnerships with the Philadelphia Phillies and 76ers), private bus transportation services, and fundraising/development income. Faculty credentials are high (86% with advanced degrees) and the student-teacher ratio is 5:1. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via campus tours, preview events, shadow days, and the PRISEC shared-application consortium, with marketing concentrated in website, Instagram, Facebook, and on-campus events.

The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees and led by a Head of School; on June 8, 2026, current Head Dr. Karen Warren Coleman announced her final year, with executive search firm Carney Sandoe & Associates engaged for an interim head of school for 2026-27. Major recent capital activity includes the $135 million Balderston Lower School (opened September 2025) and the 88,000 sq ft Graham Athletics & Wellness Center (opened 2021). No AI/ML capabilities, acquisitions, funding rounds, or external equity are disclosed; the school is a private nonprofit with no parent company.

Name

William Penn Charter School

Legal name

William Penn Charter School

Website

https://penncharter.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

William Penn Charter School is a nonprofit Quaker (Friends) school in Philadelphia, founded in 1689, serving 1,000+ Pre-K through Grade 12 students on a 47-acre East Falls campus with tuition, financial aid, and summer camp as primary revenue streams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Private Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

Keywords

• Private K-12 education
• Quaker school
• College preparatory
• Independent day school
• Pre-kindergarten education

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Annual tuition payments from families across three divisions: Lower School (Pre-K through Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6-8), and Upper School (Grades 9-12). Tuition ranges from $31,325 for Pre-K to $51,075 for Upper School. Approximately 40% of students receive need-based financial aid totaling $16.2 million in 2025-26.
2. Summer Programs: Penn Charter Summer Camps offering day camp, sports camp, and specialty camps for children ages 3-17 on the 47-acre campus, including partnerships with Phillies and 76ers
3. Transportation Services: Private bus service fees for Center City and New Jersey shuttle routes, ranging from $2,100-$6,175 per year depending on service type

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

William Penn Charter School is a private, independent, Quaker (Religious Society of Friends) college-preparatory school serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 on its Philadelphia campus. It offers a continuous Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School academic program supplemented by summer camps and auxiliary student services.

Product overview

William Penn Charter School is a pre-K to grade 12 independent Friends school founded in 1689, located in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood. The school offers comprehensive educational programs across Lower School (pre-K through grade 5), Middle School (grades 6-8), and Upper School (grades 9-12), with a focus on academics, arts, athletics, and service learning rooted in Quaker values. The school operates summer camp programs for children ages 3-17, featuring Day Camp, Sports Camp, Performing Arts programs, and specialty camps including STEAM/Robotics and cooking. Campus facilities include the Graham Athletics & Wellness Center (88,000 sq ft), the Kurtz Center for Performing Arts (LEED Gold), and the new Richard A. Balderston OPC '69 Lower School building (opened 2025).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lower School (pre-K through grade 5) Foundational K-5 (including pre-K) academic program within the Quaker educational framework, delivered in person on the Philadelphia campus for children in early childhood and elementary years.
• Middle School (grades 6-8) Intermediate academic program for grades 6-8, providing transition between elementary instruction and upper-school college-preparatory coursework in a Quaker values-based environment.
• Upper School (grades 9-12) College-preparatory secondary academic program for grades 9-12, providing rigorous coursework, character development, and preparation for admission to selective colleges and universities.
• Summer Camps and Summer Programs Seasonal summer camp and enrichment programs offered to students and families during summer break, leveraging the school's campus facilities and extending revenue beyond the academic year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% faculty with advanced degrees
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phillies Baseball AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Philadelphia Phillies for summer baseball camp program at Penn Charter, offering children ages 3-17 the opportunity to learn baseball skills with Phillies branding and visits from team mascot (Phillies Phanatic)
• 76ers Basketball CampcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Philadelphia 76ers for summer basketball camp program at Penn Charter campus
• Carney Sandoe & AssociatesminorOthersNationally recognized search firm engaged by Penn Charter Board of Trustees to identify an interim head of school for 2026-27 academic year following Dr. Karen Warren Coleman's announcement of her final year

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Shipley School: Independent pre-K through grade 12 school on the Philadelphia Main Line (Bryn Mawr). Direct competitor with comparable tuition, college-prep curriculum, and athletic/arts programs targeting similar families.
• The Agnes Irwin School: Independent pre-K through grade 12 girls' school in Rosemont, PA (Philadelphia Main Line). Direct competitor for college-preparatory independent school families in the same geographic catchment.
• Friends' Central School: Independent Quaker school serving Nursery through Grade 12 in Wynnewood, PA (suburban Philadelphia). Directly comparable Friends school mission, similar tuition tier, and overlapping student demographic.
• The Haverford School: Independent pre-K through grade 12 boys' school on Philadelphia's Main Line. Direct competitor for college-preparatory education with similar tuition, faculty credentials, and athletic programs.
• Episcopal Academy: Independent pre-K through grade 12 school in Newtown Square, PA (Philadelphia suburbs). Direct competitor for college-preparatory, faith-based independent school families with comparable tuition and athletic/arts offerings.
• Germantown Academy: Independent pre-K through grade 12 school in Fort Washington, PA. Direct Philadelphia-area competitor with similar enrollment scale, tuition tier, and college-preparatory positioning.
• Germantown Friends School: Philadelphia Friends (Quaker) school serving pre-K through grade 12 with similar Quaker values-based curriculum and college-preparatory focus. Most direct competitor given shared city, denomination, and educational philosophy.
• Springside Chestnut Hill Academy: Independent pre-K through grade 12 school in Philadelphia. Direct local competitor with comparable curriculum, athletics, and college-preparatory programming serving overlapping Philadelphia zip codes.

Broad incumbents

• Westtown School: Independent Quaker (Friends) boarding and day school serving pre-K through grade 12 in West Chester, PA. Comparable Friends school mission with boarding component expanding the addressable market beyond Philadelphia.
• Sidwell Friends School: Elite Quaker (Friends) school in Washington, DC serving pre-K through grade 12. Comparable in Quaker values-based curriculum, academic rigor, and elite college placement, with broader national recognition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/penncharter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/william-penn-charter-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/penncharter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 William Penn Charter School