Thayer Academy

Located next to Braintree's historic district and just up the hill from the MBTA’s final Red Line stop is the historic 34-acre campus of Thayer Academy. Since 1877, our coeducational day school for grades 5-12 (Middle School, grades 5-8; Upper School, grades 9-12) has been an enabling and ennobling environment where each student is affirmed, supported, and challenged to take on responsibilities, ambitions, and achievements. Thayer continues to be a place where tradition and innovation meet, and where students form lifelong relationships with one another and with inspiring teachers who care deeply about their students' personal growth and academic success.

Thayer Academy's mission is to inspire a diverse community of students to moral, intellectual, aesthetic, and physical excellence so that each may rise to honorable achievement and contribute to the common good. Founded in 1877 at the bequest of Braintree native, general, and philanthropist Sylvanus Thayer, the Academy prides itself on its vibrant and varied community. We are a urban/suburban school that has embraced opportunity and diversity from our founding class nearly 140 years ago--one that was co-educational, rooted locally, and granted with a tuition-free mandate to provide for an education to any who sought one. This history of diversity is reflected today with a student body hailing from more than 70 towns in Massachusetts and several countries around the world. And with more than 35% of students receiving financial aid, Thayer is a socio-economically diverse community that looks and feels like the world beyond our doors.

Thayer is rooted in the intentionally holistic education of our students, who are viewed not solely as athletes or academics, but as whole individuals with affinities and talents in many areas. Unique to Thayer, because of deliberately coordinated scheduling, it is possible to be both a varsity athlete and sing on stage in the school musical--students here are not forced to choose one path or another. The resulting community you’ll find at the Academy is vibrant and affirming, the culmination of students working together in the classroom, on the playing fields, and on the stage. There is a supportive and collaborative camaraderie that pervades our halls and campus--one where students view their classmates as partners, encouraging one another to discover their hidden talents and develop them into lifelong strengths.

Following in the philanthropic footsteps of our founder, Thayer graduates are similarly charged with positively impacting the world. They graduate prepared to achieve success, and they go on to excel at the top universities and postgraduate schools in the world. Our alumni lead lives of distinction in all areas of society, as leading researchers, CEOs of charitable foundations and global companies, groundbreaking startup entrepreneurs, philanthropists, leaders of industry, high ranking officers in the military, professional athletes, musicians, authors, media personalities, and artists. For many of our graduates, Thayer was the place where they first achieved their personal best, allowing each of them--as our motto declares--to rise to honorable achievement and contribute to the common good. And, with an engaged alumni network more than 5700 strong and growing, Thayer connections continue to enrich and inform and educate, years and decades after Commencement.

Since it first opened its doors, Thayer Academy has fostered a co-educational environment that affords equal access to students from a broad range of socio-economic circumstances, so they may pursue and develop their talents, interests, and passions. A leader in its commitment, Thayer’s investment in socio-economic diversity has increased through the years, and today, more than 35% of our student body receives financial assistance. This level of support compares favorably with peer schools. Thayer Academy has been successful in increasing the number of historically underrepresented groups within its student body, and we remain committed to maintaining and further enriching a diverse school community.

At Thayer Academy, students at both the Middle and Upper School can expect to be challenged and stretched by all their teachers in the myriad art, science, math, and humanities courses we offer. With an average class size of 14, a student-faculty ratio of 6:1, and invested faculty advisors, the Academy’s classrooms are collaborative spaces, guided by teachers who care deeply for their students. This is an atmosphere where individuals are encouraged to try things outside of their comfort zones, without needless anxieties and pressures to conform.

All told, the academic life at Thayer Academy is rich, engaging, and focused on drawing out the personal best from each individual student. The robust college counseling resources at the Pulsifer College Counseling Center also support our students and help them find the best school to fit their academic interests and goals. It is no surprise that our graduates become well-rounded, independent, intellectually curious thinkers who embrace collaboration, and who are well prepared for college and the world beyond.