"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
-
Author Visit Brings Imagination to Life
Friends welcome acclaimed author and illustrator K-Fai Steele for a day of inspiration and artistic exploration. -
Honoring World Quaker Day
Celebrating World Quaker Day was a wonderful opportunity to reflect together on the Quaker values that guide our School, to honor our rich history and to understand and learn about the global community of Quakers of which we are part. -
Facing History
Seventh graders recently participated in a powerful joint History/goLead field trip with Black Gotham Experience. This immersive journey allowed students to explore the layered history of New Netherland, British New York, and the early years of New York City. -
Fostering Civic Engagement and Critical Dialogue During the Election Season
Friends School’s efforts to prepare students for the election go beyond political learning—they aim to cultivate thoughtful, compassionate, and informed citizens who are equipped to contribute to the common good. -
Off to the (Hopper) Races!
Chupzi Lema’s MS Creative Computing students designed multiple prototypes to discover the most effective way to move a robot without wheels. In this hands-on class, students prototype legs and get ready to race against their peers. -
Fostering Play and Education with Safe, Outdoor Learning Environments
Open Streets for Schools, a Department of Transportation program, closes streets surrounding public and independent schools. This is the fifth year Friends Seminary has had the opportunity to participate in the program, which offers a safe outdoor extension of the campus for the academic year -
Integrating Environmental Stewardship and Artistic Innovation
Students in Andrea’s art class focused on creating their own homemade paper using real plant material and recycled materials in the School. -
Into the Wild
Grade 8 students traveled with their advisors to Camp Mason, NJ, staying overnight in cabins on the campgrounds. The Middle School trip is a longstanding tradition and an important event for Friends Seminary. -
Leading: The James Turrell Skyspace at Friends
Designed by James Turrell, Leading provides a spiritual setting conducive to silence and contemplation—a Meeting Room in the sky. This work of art is the first skyspace attached to a K-12 school anywhere. -
Class of 2024 College Destinations
Friends is proud to announce the college matriculation of the class of 2024. Click through to see where this year's senior class will be headed next fall. Congratulations to the class of 2024!
1/12
239
YEARS OF QUAKER EDUCATION
Founded ten years after the birth of our nation, Friends Seminary is the oldest continuously operated, independent, co-educational school in New York City.
790
STUDENTS
| 259 | Lower School (K-4) |
| 227 | Middle School (5-8) |
| 304 | Upper School (9-12) |
41% |
STUDENTS OF COLOR |
1
CENTER FOR PEACE EQUITY AND JUSTICE
Grounded in the Quaker values of equality, diversity and community engagement, CPEJ supports academic, social, and cultural programs which contribute to wider movements for social change.
4,570
ACTIVE ALUMNI
33
ATHLETIC TEAMS
15 Varsity, 3 Junior Varsity, 14 Middle School
Baseball, Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Spring and Indoor Track, Cross Country, Volleyball
92%
of graduates were accepted to one of their top three schools.
25
Most Attended Institutions (2020-2024)
Boston University
Brown University
Colgate University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Duke University
Emory University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College
Haverford College
Kenyon College
University of Michigan
Middlebury College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
University of Pennsylvania
Rice University
University of Southern California
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Washington University- St. Louis
Wesleyan University
Yale University
1
MISSION
To prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
179
FACULTY and STAFF
| 90% | Faculty hold advanced degrees |
| 8:1 | Student/faculty ratio |
| 15 | Average Upper School class size |
15
STEPS TO NATURE
Stuyvesant Square, a beautiful four-acre park, borders the east end of campus, and punctuates the tranquility that surrounds our neighborhood.
10,694
SERVICE HOURS
Community Engagement and Service are integral parts of the culture at Friends. In 2023-2024, Upper School students collectively logged more than 10,000 service hours.
| 15,000+ | Hours of service completed by the entire Friends community, including students K-12, employees and parents. |
22
Immersive Global Education Travel Programs
Since 2017 students have traveled to 22 international and domestic destinations through our Global Education Program.
MORE THAN
15
CLASSES IN MUSIC, THEATER AND DANCE
Including: Acting, Playwriting, Directing, Public Speaking, Choreography, Technical Theater, Musical Theater, and Jazz, Orchestra and Choral ensembles.
9
ANNUAL PRODUCTIONS AND CONCERTS
MEAN SAT SCORES
| 1478 | Composite |
| 734 | Reading and Writing |
| 744 | Mathematics |
MEAN ACT SCORES
| 34 | Composite |
$6.9
MILLION
FINANCIAL AID BUDGET
23%
OF STUDENTS
RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
1
TRANSFORMED CAMPUS
COMPLETED SEPTEMBER 2019
Highlights Include:
- 100% ADA accessibility
- New Upper School Building
- Two new Middle School floors
- Upper School Commons and Terrace
- Turfed Skyfield
- Center for Peace, Equity and Justice
- New flexible classrooms
- Fitness Center
- Academic Center
- Music Suite
- Dance and Yoga Studio
- K-6 Makery
- Collaborative spaces
- K-12 Rooftop Greenhouse and Garden
- K-12 Multipurpose Great Room
Other Campus Highlights:
- 1860 landmarked Meetinghouse
- K-12 Gym with 80 ft. Climbing Wall
- Library and Media Center
- Six K-12 Science Labs
- Lower School Library
- Digital Media Lab
- 7-12 STEM lab
- Two Visual Arts Galleries
- Blackbox Theater
45+
STUDENT-LED ORGANIZATIONS
5
WORLD LANGUAGES ANCIENT AND MODERN
Friends was the first NYC independent school to introduce Arabic in 2008.
$40.3
MILLION
ENDOWMENT AS OF
JUNE 2023
$57
MILLION
OPERATING BUDGET
(2022-2023)
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.
Friends Seminary — the oldest continuously operated, coeducational school in NYC — serves college-bound day students in Kindergarten-Grade 12.