How to Get Into Phillips Exeter Academy: Deadlines, Cost, Aid and College Matriculation
By Rona Aydin
What is Phillips Exeter Academy’s acceptance rate?
Exeter does not publish one. Its admissions page lists “355” new students “entering in 2026” but no applicant or admit count (Exeter Admissions), and we found no current acceptance rate on its other admission pages or its Profile for Colleges. The most recent figure we found on an Exeter site is an Exeter at a Glance fact sheet dated September 2021, which lists 3,527 completed applications in 2021 and 389 students admitted, or 11.0% (Exeter at a Glance, September 2021). We found no Exeter figure for any later year. For 2026-27, Exeter reports an enrollment of “1,096”, “including 890 boarders and 206 day students” (About Exeter), so boarders make up 81.2% of the school by our calculation.
Where do Exeter graduates go to college?
Exeter publishes a combined list for 2024 to 2026 that sorts colleges into two size groups, plus a separate international list, with no exact counts: “The following list includes Exeter’s College Matriculation from 2024-2026” (Exeter College Matriculation). It does not publish a single-year Class of 2026 list.
| College | Exeter matriculation group, 2024 to 2026 |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | 10 or more students |
| Yale University | 10 or more students |
| Princeton University | 10 or more students |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 10 or more students |
| Columbia University | 10 or more students |
| University of Pennsylvania | 10 or more students |
| Brown University | 10 or more students |
| Dartmouth College | 10 or more students |
| Cornell University | 10 or more students |
| University of Chicago | 10 or more students |
| Stanford University | Fewer than 10 students |
The Profile for Colleges says 99% of graduates attend a four-year institution, that “class rank is not reported,” that “grades and grade point averages (GPA) are unweighted,” and that “Test scores are not recorded on the transcript” (Exeter Profile for Colleges). Our guide to the best feeder schools for the Ivy League compares Exeter with other schools that publish lists.
What does Exeter cost, and how does financial aid work?
For 2026-27, Exeter lists tuition of $71,797 for boarding students and $56,077 for day students, plus an estimated $900 for books and supplies (Exeter tuition and costs). Its financial aid page says “Families making less than $150,000 pay no tuition,” that 49% of students receive financial assistance, and that “we meet 100% of the demonstrated need for every admitted student with grants that you do not pay back” (Exeter financial aid). The $150,000 statement covers tuition; the page does not say it covers other costs. Exeter says its “admissions decisions are made without any regard for your family’s financial circumstance.” The Profile for Colleges gives average grants of $60,036 for boarding students and $39,715 for day students.
When are Exeter’s application deadlines for fall 2027?
- Deadline. “Our application cycle for the 2027-28 school year is underway.” The admission application and the financial aid application are both due January 15, 2027 (Exeter How to Apply).
- Decisions. “Decisions are released March 10.” Exeter does not publish a reply date on the pages we checked.
- Platform. Applicants use the Gateway to Prep Schools application for the candidate profile, recommendations and transcripts, and the Exeter Applicant Portal for the interview, student essays and parent statement.
- Testing. A test score is required at every grade: the SSAT or ISEE Upper Level for grade 9; one of the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, PreACT or ACT for grades 10 and 11; and one of the PSAT, SAT, PreACT or ACT for grade 12 and postgraduates. For grades 9 to 11, Exeter says results must come from tests taken no earlier than one year before the January 15 deadline.
What is the Harkness method at Exeter?
Harkness is Exeter’s discussion-based way of teaching: “Twelve students and one teacher sit around an oval table and discuss the subject at hand” (Exeter Harkness). The Harkness page says the oval table design was “developed by philanthropist Edward Harkness,” and the History page says his donation to the Academy in 1930 “transformed the school” (Exeter history and traditions). Exeter was founded in 1781 by John and Elizabeth Phillips, lists “450+” courses on its home page, and reports a 6:1 student to teacher ratio in its Profile for Colleges. It describes its library as “the world’s largest high school library” (About Exeter); we did not find a figure to confirm the comparison.
How does Exeter compare with Phillips Academy Andover?
| Exeter | Andover | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1781 | 1778 |
| Enrollment, 2026-27 | 1,096 (890 boarding, 206 day) | 1,167 (858 boarding, 309 day) |
| Boarding tuition, 2026-27 | $71,797 | $79,800 |
| Day tuition, 2026-27 | $56,077 | $63,840 |
| Students receiving aid | 49% | 47% |
| Published income threshold | Families making less than $150,000 pay no tuition | None; no income ceiling for full scholarships |
| Application deadline, fall 2027 | January 15, 2027 | February 1, 2027 |
| Decision release | March 10 | March 10 |
| Testing | Required at every grade | Required (SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT or ACT) |
| Latest acceptance rate on the school site | 11.0% (2021 fact sheet) | 14% (2015 news release) |
By our calculation, Exeter’s 2026-27 boarding tuition is $8,003 lower than Andover’s, and its deadline comes 17 days earlier. Both schools release decisions on March 10. Our guide to getting into Phillips Academy Andover covers Andover in detail.
How should families approach an Exeter application?
The view of Oriel Admissions is that Exeter applicants should plan around its published process: a January 15, 2027 deadline for both the application and financial aid, a required test score, and an interview and essays in the Exeter portal. Exeter’s financial aid deadline is the same January 15 date, so every family seeking aid applies before decisions are released on March 10. Our guides to the top boarding schools and to Lawrenceville, in New Jersey, cover schools that, in our experience, families often consider alongside Exeter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Into Phillips Exeter Academy
Exeter does not publish a current acceptance rate. The latest figure we found on an Exeter site is a September 2021 fact sheet listing 3,527 completed applications and 389 students admitted, or 11.0%. Its admissions page reports only that 355 new students entered in 2026.
The admission application and the financial aid application are both due January 15, 2027. Exeter releases decisions on March 10.
Exeter requires a test score at every grade. Grade 9 applicants submit the SSAT or ISEE Upper Level; grade 10 and 11 applicants must submit one of the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT, PreACT or ACT; grade 12 and postgraduate applicants submit the PSAT, SAT, PreACT or ACT.
Tuition is $71,797 for boarding students and $56,077 for day students, plus an estimated $900 for books and supplies. Exeter says 49% of students receive financial aid.
Exeter says families making less than $150,000 pay no tuition. The statement covers tuition; the financial aid page does not say it also covers other costs. Exeter meets 100% of demonstrated need with grants.
For 2024 to 2026, Exeter lists Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell and the University of Chicago in its group of 10 or more students, and Stanford in its group of fewer than 10.
It is the discussion-based teaching Exeter uses. Its home page says most Harkness classes are made up of 12 students and one teacher, who sit around an oval table and discuss the subject. The table design was developed by Edward Harkness, whose 1930 donation, Exeter says, transformed the school.
Oriel Admissions suggests working back from the January 15, 2027 deadline: book a required test no earlier than one year before that deadline, complete the Gateway and Exeter portal parts, and submit the financial aid application on the same date. We also suggest comparing Exeter with Andover and other boarding schools on cost and aid.
Sources: Exeter Admissions, Exeter How to Apply, Exeter financial aid, Exeter tuition and costs 2026-2027, Exeter College Matriculation, Exeter Profile for Colleges, About Exeter, Exeter history and traditions, Exeter Harkness, Phillips Exeter Academy home page, Andover School Profile 2026-27, Andover tuition and financial aid, Applying to Andover, Andover Admission FAQs, Exeter at a Glance, September 2021. All read October 27, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
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