What Fay School does

Fay School is a private co-educational day and boarding school serving students from Kindergarten through Grade 9, founded in 1866 in Southborough, Massachusetts, and recognized as the oldest junior boarding school in the United States. The institution operates on a 66-acre campus with state-of-the-art classrooms, two libraries, athletic facilities, art studios, a theater, music rooms, and a 7,000+ square foot Center for Creativity and Design, alongside homelike dormitories providing 24-hour faculty supervision for boarding students. Academics are organized into three divisions (Primary K-2, Lower School 3-6, Upper School 7-9), supported by signature programs including a public speaking curriculum starting in third grade, the Vox Inventum innovation program, design thinking instruction, a Dedicated Service learning curriculum, and the Character Matters character development initiative. Total enrollment is 475 students, with approximately 150-157 boarding students drawn from over 25 countries and day students from 50+ Massachusetts towns, served at a 6:1 student-to-teacher ratio by a faculty of which 90% hold master's degrees and many of whom live on campus.

The business model is tuition-driven, with annual recurring fees for day and boarding students (including a five-day boarding tier), supplemented by revenue from FaySummer seasonal camp, the Early Learning Center for ages 2+, fee-based transportation services, and donations raised through The Fay Fund and planned giving. Over $5.5M is committed annually to financial assistance. Go-to-market is a traditional admissions motion built on campus tours, admission events, regional admission travel, and a multi-channel digital presence (blog, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) targeting prospective families, with secondary school placement supported by three dedicated counselors and a network of 100+ feeder schools that visit campus annually. The school is a Massachusetts nonprofit governed by a Board of Trustees with no parent company or institutional investor ownership, and operates adjacent sub-brands FaySummer and Early Learning Center as wholly-owned operating extensions of the core academic platform.

Name

Fay School

Legal name

Fay School

Website

https://fayschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fay School is a private co-educational day and boarding school in Southborough, MA, serving 475 students in Kindergarten through Grade 9, including 150+ boarders from 25+ countries, with a 6:1 student-teacher ratio and 90% master's-level faculty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Southborough

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Fay School generates primary revenue through tuition fees charged to day and boarding students. Tuition covers academic programs, athletics, arts, and before/after-school care at no additional cost.
2. Donations and The Fay Fund: Annual charitable giving through The Fay Fund supports school programs and financial assistance. The school actively solicits donations from families, alumni, and community members.
3. Summer Programs: FaySummer offers summer camp programs including full-day and extended-day options with special interest, sports, and academic immersion choices.
4. Transportation Services: Fee-based transportation services for boarding families including travel dates and shuttle services to/from Fay.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fay School is a private co-educational day and boarding school for students in Kindergarten through Grade 9 located in Southborough, Massachusetts. The school sells a full academic and residential educational experience, including tuition-based day and five-day/seven-day boarding programs, signature curricula (Public Speaking, Creativity and Design, Vox Inventum, Character Matters), athletics, arts, English Language support, Learning Services, and secondary school counseling. It also operates FaySummer (summer camp) and an Early Learning Center as ancillary fee-based offerings.

Product overview

Fay School is a private day and boarding school for students in Kindergarten through grade 9. Founded in 1866 and located in Southborough, MA, it is the oldest junior boarding school in the United States. The school operates as a unified educational platform combining academic programs (Primary School K-2, Lower School 3-6, Upper School 7-9) with a residential boarding program for grades 7-9, supported by specialized programs including English Language Program, Learning Services, World Languages, Athletics (20 competitive sports), and Arts. The school features distinctive signature programs: Public Speaking (beginning in grade 3), Creativity and Design (with 7,000+ sq ft Center for Creativity and Design), Vox Inventum (innovation program), Circles of Connection (small class community model), Dedicated Service (grade-level service learning), Character Matters, and the Ninth Grade capstone program. Additional offerings include FaySummer summer camp, Early Learning Center (ages 2+), Secondary School Counseling, Digital Literacy, and Study Skills courses. The school integrates third-party platforms for family communication (Veracross Portal), dining services (Flik Dining), and athletic livestreaming (Hudl).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FaySummer: Summer camp program at Fay School offering full-day and extended-day summer camps with special interest, sports, and academic immersion options
• Early Learning Center

Products and services

• Primary School (Kindergarten - Grade 2) Foundational early childhood education program for Kindergarten through Grade 2, emphasizing foundational academic and social-emotional skills through structured and play-based learning. For prospective day families with young children.
• Lower School (Grades 3-6) Elementary/middle school program for grades three through six, providing core academic curriculum with leadership, service learning, and extracurricular activities. For day families.
• Upper School (Grades 7-9) Middle school program serving day and boarding students in grades seven through nine with rigorous academic curriculum, college preparation, and leadership development. For day and boarding families.
• Boarding Program (Grades 7-9) Full and five-day boarding options for grades 7-9 with on-campus dormitories, 24-hour faculty supervision, homelike environments, and residential life programming. For boarding families, including international families.
• English Language Program Targeted English language instruction for non-native speakers to develop English reading, writing, and speaking skills through immersion and formal classes. For international boarding and day students.
• Learning Services Academic support services including Learning Specialists, reading specialists, and speech and language pathologists providing individualized support for students with diverse learning needs from Kindergarten through Grade 9. For families of students with learning differences.
• Center for Creativity and Design Program Design thinking and digital fabrication program housed in a 7,000+ square-foot center, teaching problem-solving skills and enabling students to design and create using digital fabrication tools. For all Fay students.
• Public Speaking Program Signature public speaking curriculum beginning in third grade that develops students' ability to craft arguments, speak persuasively, and present with confidence through annual speech contests. For all Fay students.
• Athletics Program Comprehensive athletic program with 20 competitive and 10 intramural athletic options, emphasizing participation and character development for all skill levels. For all Fay students.
• Arts Program Visual arts, music, drama, and dance education offered to all students with facilities including art studios, Harris Theater, and music rooms. For all Fay students.
• Secondary School Counseling College preparatory counseling with three dedicated counselors assisting Upper School students with secondary school applications, interviews, and placement at top schools. For Upper School families.
• Transportation Services Fee-based transportation services for boarding families including shuttle services to/from Fay, such as the Chestnut Hill/Wellesley/Natick route. For boarding families.
• FaySummer Summer camp program offering full-day and extended-day camps with special interest, sports, and academic immersion options for children ages 10 and older. For prospective summer camp families.
• Early Learning Center Separate early childhood education center serving children ages 2 and up with dedicated facilities and programming. For families with toddlers and preschoolers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates are accepted to top secondary schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cradles to CrayonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond grade students participate in day-long service trips at Cradles to Crayons, a local nonprofit that collects and distributes clothing and school supplies to disadvantaged children. Students actively help with sorting clothes and toys, providing hands-on service learning.
• Community Harvest ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLower School students volunteer at Community Harvest Project farm in Grafton, tending the farm. Students learn about food insecurity in Central Massachusetts, and 100% of the food from Community Harvest Project is donated to local organizations.
• Special Olympics of MassachusettscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEighth graders volunteer at Young Athletes, an early childhood play program for children with and without intellectual disabilities ages 2 to 7. They also serve as volunteers at the Special Olympics annual state basketball tournament hosted at Fay.
• Habitat for Humanity (Operation Playhouse)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpper School students participate in building and decorating children's outdoor playhouses for families in need through Habitat for Humanity's Operation Playhouse project.
• Head Start (Worcester)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNinth graders partner with Head Start in Worcester to learn about early childhood education needs and participate in service learning focused on education and self-realization.
• Veterans Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLower School students conducted a food drive to support Veterans Inc. in Worcester as part of community service learning.
• Department of Children and Families (Massachusetts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLower School students and families participate in annual Department of Children and Families Gift Drive, donating gifts to children and families throughout Massachusetts.
• Southborough Senior CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpper Schoolers have forged connection with Southborough Senior Center, hosting musical events with sing-alongs and academic events where seniors share experiences.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Brooks School: Brooks is a coeducational boarding school (grades 9-12) in North Andover, MA. It is one of the schools that actively recruits Fay graduates and competes for the same Massachusetts boarding families at the secondary level.
• Deerfield Academy: Deerfield is a premier coeducational boarding school (grades 9-12) in Deerfield, MA. It is geographically adjacent to Fay and competes for regional feeder families at the secondary level.
• St. Mark's School: St. Mark's is a secondary boarding school (grades 9-12) in Southborough, MA — directly in Fay's own town — and serves as a frequent destination for Fay graduates, making it a key downstream placement and brand-comparison peer.
• Middlesex School: Middlesex is a coeducational boarding school (grades 9-12) in Concord, MA. It shares Fay's New England private school ethos and is a frequent placement destination for Fay graduates.
• Groton School: Groton is a coeducational boarding school (grades 9-12) in Groton, MA. It is a recurring placement destination for Fay graduates and operates in the same elite New England boarding market.
• Northfield Mount Hermon: NMH is a coeducational boarding school (grades 9-12 and PG) in Gill, MA. It is a frequent secondary destination for Fay graduates and competes for the same New England boarding family base.

Direct peers

• The Fenn School: Fenn is a boys' day and boarding school (grades 4-9) in Concord, MA. It is a direct competitor for both day and boarding students in the same Massachusetts feeder market as Fay.
• Eaglebrook School: Eaglebrook is an all-boys junior boarding school (grades 6-9) in Deerfield, MA that competes head-to-head with Fay for the same pool of junior boarding families across similar signature programs.
• Indian Mountain School: Indian Mountain is a coeducational junior boarding and day school (grades 4-9) in Lakeville, CT. It targets the same junior boarding cohort with comparable athletics, arts, and signature programs.
• Bement School: Bement is a coeducational K-9 day and boarding school in Deerfield, MA — the closest direct peer to Fay, with a near-identical grade range, boarding model, and New England private school positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FaySchoolMA
• Facebookfacebook.com/8467791383
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fay-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/fayschoolma

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Fay School