United States · Lawrenceville, New Jersey · Founded 1810
The Lawrenceville School
The house system, Harkness teaching, a campus by the designer of Central Park and Princeton next door.
The character
Lawrenceville combines the English house system with American academic breadth: the houses compete, the tables are round, the science building is new and Princeton's lectures are a bicycle ride away. It is confident, well resourced and slightly less famous than the New England big four, which keeps admission a little more open.
Good for
Academic all-rounders, families near New York and Philadelphia, the house spirit
Less suited to
Children who want mountains or a lake
Getting in
Application by 15 January, SSAT, essays, interview; admission rate around 20 percent. Entry at grades 9 to 11.
What it costs in total
At about $ 80,000 a year for boarding, the 4 years from 14 to 18 add up to roughly €327,000 in today’s money including typical extras, before fee increases, tutoring and flights. The Education Cost Calculator adds inflation, extras and a second child.
Fees are rounded 2025/26 figures from the school’s own schedule and change every year. The school’s current fee sheet prevails. The picture is an impression of the setting, not a photograph of the campus.
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