Understanding Friends Select School Tuition: A Comprehensive Guide

Friends Select School (FSS) is an all-gender Quaker school located in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Situated at 17th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Friends Select provides a dynamic and supportive environment rooted in Quaker values. This article delves into the various aspects of Friends Select School, with a particular focus on tuition, financial aid, and the overall value proposition of the institution.

Friends Select School: An Overview

Founded on Quaker principles, Friends Select School maintains a close relationship with the Central Philadelphia Friends Meeting and the Monthly Meeting of Friends of Philadelphia, which convenes at the Arch Street Meeting House. The school's main Parkway Building, constructed between 1967 and 1969, has undergone several renovations to modernize its facilities. In 2022, a separate Upper School STEAM Building was added at 1520 Race Street, expanding the school's capacity and resources.

Historical Context

The origins of Friends Select School trace back to 1885 when a new school building was being completed on 16th Street above Arch Street. This building was designed to accommodate 60 scholars of each sex in the upper schools and 20 in each of the primary grades. By 1886, both the boys' and girls' select schools had relocated to this new building at 16th and Cherry Streets, on land that had previously served as a Quaker burial ground. In 1916, the construction of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway was completed.

Campus Development

The school has seen several expansions and renovations over the years. An additional building was constructed in 1892, and a covered passageway connected the two buildings in 1894. In the late 1950s, a modern gymnasium was added. A significant decision was made to demolish the old Friends Select School and construct a new school building and office building on the same site. During this construction, classes were temporarily held at the Central Branch of the YMCA. The current Parkway Building was started in 1967 and completed in 1969. An adjacent campus building was located across the street at 1700 Race Street.

The school owns the entire city block on which the Parkway Building is located. The Three Parkway Building was originally leased to the Pennsalt Chemicals Corporation, later renamed Pennwalt, through a 99-year ground lease to help finance the construction of the current school building.

Read also: Evolving Friendship Dynamics

Recent Improvements

Friends Select School has undertaken a multi-year campus improvement initiative known as the Advance Friends Select: Transformation Campaign. Renovations to the Parkway Building have included updates to the lobby, Lower School classrooms, the Gilroy Roberts Art Studio, the rooftop athletic field, the gymnasium, and the Blauvelt Theatre. The Parkway Campus Expansion Project was completed in January 2026 and expanded Friends Select’s campus into the neighboring Three Parkway Building, adding approximately 32,000 square feet of space on the building’s second and third floors.

Academic Programs and Divisions

Friends Select School is divided into three main divisions: Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School.

Lower School

Friends Select School’s Lower School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The program emphasizes foundational academic skills and reflects the school’s Quaker affiliation. Instruction is informed by experiential and inquiry-based learning approaches. Students participate in core academic subjects and specialist teachers in areas such as science, art, music, world languages, physical education, and STEAM. The curriculum incorporates thematic studies, collaborative projects, and age-appropriate service learning. Students also participate in Meetings for Worship, a practice rooted in Quaker tradition.

Middle School

Friends Select School’s Middle School serves students in fifth through eighth grades. The curriculum includes core academic subjects such as English, mathematics, social studies, and science, alongside instruction in art, music, physical education, and world languages. Middle School world language offerings include Spanish, Mandarin, and Latin. Students also participate in performance electives such as drama, orchestra, chorus, or percussion. Middle School students may take part in student committees and clubs. Committees are student-led groups focused on school life and community activities. Students also join at least one club during the school day, with offerings that have included models and figures, rock band, cubing, yarn arts, and walking. Co-curricular involvement is an integral part of each middle schooler's experience. It may include the literary magazine, mainstage theater, student government, peer tutoring, movie night and more.

Upper School

Friends Select School’s Upper School serves students in ninth through twelfth grades and offers a college-preparatory curriculum informed by the school’s Quaker affiliation. The program combines required core coursework with elective and experiential learning opportunities. Academic departments include English, history, science, mathematics, world languages, the arts, experiential learning, physical education, and health. Upper School students may participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs, athletics, service projects, internships, and student publications, including the school newspaper, The Falcon. The school also hosts an annual, student-led Social Justice Week that includes guest speakers, discussions, and experiential learning activities. Friends Select offers opportunities for cultural exchange and language immersion through partnerships with institutions in the United States and abroad. Faculty advisers counsel students on academic and social issues. A grade dean, a faculty member who monitors student progress and oversees the grade's advisory structure, remains with the class through graduation. Upper school students select co-curricular activities from a variety of options. Opportunities include two mainstage productions each year, instrumental music and choir performances, student government, and such organizations as the Multicultural Student Union, the Jewish Student Union, the Falcon (student newspaper), The Cauldron (arts and literary journal), Worship & Ministry, the Operation Smile Club, Model UN, and the Mock Trial Team. In ninth and tenth grades, all students are required to participate in at least one season of after-school sports or in one theatrical production.

Read also: Newtown Friends School Overview

Arts and Athletics

The art curriculum, often interdisciplinary and multicultural, centers on engaging lessons based on the elements and principles of art and design. A major focus each year is the Lower School Artist Study. Music is a multi-tiered program offering singing, Orff instruments, movement and at least two stage performances per year. These revolve around thematic studies, or might simply be songs, skits, or dances that develop from students’ collective creativity. For a period each year, the lower school studies a special artist, one whose life provides an interesting story and whose artwork has a special appeal to children. Artists chosen recently have included ceramist, naturalist, painter and printer Walter Inglis Anderson, sculptor and teacher Selma Burke, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, illustrator and author Charles Santore, ceramist Josefina Aguilar, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and designer and director Julie Taymor. The objective is to experience the vision of an individual artist, learn ways that art is used in various cultures and come to appreciate the choices that each artist makes in terms of work and life. Each student artist creates his or her own artwork based on the themes and techniques of the artist being studied. All middle school students take visual arts and music each year. In addition, students can choose to participate in orchestra, ensemble, chorus, or drama. These are performing ensembles. Students complete at least two fine arts courses. Offerings in the performing arts include Choir, Introduction to Directing, Instrumental Ensemble and American Music in the 20th century. In year two of the Interdisciplinary Sequence, ninth grade students study at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There, students select a work of art from the Medieval to Renaissance periods as their research focus. The athletic program, open to students in grades five through twelve, helps students build a sense of self-esteem and of community through teamwork and individual accomplishment.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Friends Select School

Understanding the tuition structure and financial aid options is crucial for families considering Friends Select School.

Current Tuition

For the academic year, Friends Select School's yearly tuition is $50,750. This positions Friends Select as a top-ranked school in Philadelphia, offering a comprehensive educational experience from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

What Tuition Covers

Friends Select tuition includes fees for trips, yearbooks, laboratory science, and other opportunities typically billed as add-ons by other schools. All lower schoolers participate in a meal plan, which costs $1675.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Friends Select School awards financial aid based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. If Friends Select is the right learning community for your student, the school works to ensure that the cost fits within a family’s budget.

To apply for financial aid, families must complete an application through Clarity. After creating an account with Clarity, the application typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete and is mobile-friendly. There is a $60 fee to submit the application, and families can share their application with additional schools that accept the Clarity application for no additional charge. Divorced or separated parents/guardians must submit separate Clarity applications.

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year, Friends Select will offer full scholarships to two new students annually through a grant from The Children’s Education Initiative. Scholarship recipients will receive support from The Children’s Education Initiative to cover tuition and associated costs for kindergarten through eighth grade, with Friends Select covering tuition and associated costs for grades nine through twelve.

Additional Financial Support

Germantown Friends School (GFS) assists families in bridging individual affordability gaps that may exist with the cost of tuition. GFS also offers non-tuition financial aid (NTFA) to give students a full experience inside and outside the classrooms. GFS awards nearly $9.95 million in financial aid each year to students in PreK through Grade 12. Acceptance of financial aid awards is confirmed by returning the signed enrollment agreement(s) and submitting the non-refundable deposit(s) by the stated deadlines.

Applying to Friends Select School

The admission process at Friends Select School is designed to be thorough and supportive, ensuring that prospective students and their families find the right fit within the school community.

Admission Timeline

For students starting school in September 2026, applications are accepted beginning August 1, 2025. The main admission season runs from September through early January.

Application Steps

Attend an Open House: Visiting Friends Select School is a wonderful introduction to the school. Several times a year, the school opens its doors to prospective families.
Complete the Online Application: The next step is to complete and submit the online application along with payment of the $65 application fee to the admission office. For international students, there is a $140.00 application fee.
Parent/Guardian Visit: Once the completed application form is received, the admission office will schedule a parent/guardian visit to discuss the student and their educational aspirations, as well as the admission process in more detail.
Student Interview and Tour: Schedule a family visit. This will be a time to discuss the student and educational aspirations for them, and to discuss the admission process in more detail. There will also be the chance to learn more about Friends Select. The student will also join for their student interview, and families will have the option to take a private tour.
Teacher Recommendation: For preschool applicants, have the student’s current preschool teacher complete and submit the Teacher Recommendation Form after October 1.
Standardized Testing: Receive score reports from either the ISEE or SSAT, two national independent school admission tests. Friends Select’s school code in SSAT is 3328 and 393320 in ISEE.
Psycho-Educational Evaluation Report (if applicable): If the student has a psycho-educational evaluation report, copies of the report are welcomed and encouraged to be submitted as an added component of the application process. If an applicant is accepted and if the school has not already received a copy of the report, it is required at that time and before enrolling in order to determine if the student is eligible for the kinds of accommodations the program is able to provide.
International Students: Complete and submit the online application for International Students along with a $140.00 application fee. After the application is received, the admission office will contact to schedule a parent/guardian interview and an onsite classroom visit for the applicant, during which time the student will participate in classroom activities and complete both a Math and an English language assessment.

Additional Requirements for International Students

International students may also need to schedule a TOEFL or a TOEFL Jr., and a SSAT or ISEE test. English as a Second Language/English Language Learner (ESL/ELL) classes are offered for an additional fee.

Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate of Friends Select School is 25%, which is lower than the national average of 81%. The average acceptance rate in Philadelphia, PA is 77%.

The Friends Select Experience

Friends Select School is more than just an educational institution; it is a community rooted in Quaker values and dedicated to fostering the growth of each student.

Quaker Values and Community

Members of the Friends Select community believe in the Quaker values of respect for all, simplicity, the peaceful resolution to conflict, and a constant search for truth. The school works to achieve a balance between the needs of individuals and the community, in an atmosphere of cooperation and concern for the betterment of all. It values the rich diversity of its urban setting and the opportunities and challenges it provides for the education of its students.

Location and City Integration

Friends Select School incorporates its location in Center City Philadelphia into its curriculum through partnerships with local institutions. Students have access to universities, museums, cultural organizations, social service agencies, and government offices. The school’s programs connect classroom learning to experiences in the surrounding community. Some partnerships are long-standing, such as a ninth-grade research project at the Philadelphia Art Museum and middle school service-learning with Historic Fair Hill. Other experiences involve short-term or project-specific collaborations with local organizations.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)

Friends Select School has implemented programs to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) across its Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions. The school organizes affinity groups for students, as well as peer mentorship programs such as the Big Sibs/Little Sibs Program for students of color. Lower School students participate in an annual DEI Book Awards program, which is open to the school community and the public. The school’s Family Association organizes events such as a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Family Experience and provides opportunities for families to engage in DEIB programming.

Wellness Program

Friends Select School’s Wellness Program, established in 2015, provides support and education on mental health and well-being to students, faculty, and families. Topics addressed by the program include mental health, learning styles, peer relationships, social media and internet use, academic pressures, and the college application process.

Why Choose Friends Select?

Friends Select School offers a unique educational experience that combines rigorous academics with a supportive and inclusive community. As one employee and parent of two alums put it, "I say yes to Friends Select because, as an employee and parent of two alums, I love it here! We are right in the middle of the city; it is who we are." The school encourages the whole of life and nurtures professional growth, providing opportunities to try new roles and courses. It fosters a sense of self and purpose, equipping young people with academic skills and the ability to speak their truths and follow their passions.

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