Sidwell Friends School
| Sidwell Friends School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
United States | |
| Coordinates | 38°56′21″N 77°04′29″W / 38.939217°N 77.074628°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, Day, College-prep |
| Motto | Eluceat Omnibus Lux ("Let the light shine out from all") |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Quaker |
| Established | 1883 |
| CEEB code | 090200 |
| Head of school | Bryan K. Garman |
| Faculty | 257 |
| Grades | PK–12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrollment | 1,152 |
| Color(s) | Maroon & Black |
| Athletics conference | MAC (boys) ISL (girls) |
| Mascot | Fox |
| Team name | Quakers |
| Publication | The Oat (the satirical student newspaper) Quarterly (the art magazine) Student Political Review (student editorial newspaper)) Sidwell Business Review (student editorial newsletter) |
| Newspaper | Horizon |
| Endowment | $81.1 million (2024) |
| Tuition | Lower school: $53,470–$56,080 Middle school: $59,440 Upper school: $59,920 (2025-26) |
| Website | sidwell.edu |
Sidwell Friends School is a private, college preparatory, Quaker school located in Bethesda, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through high school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas W. Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" (English: Let the light shine out from all), alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light.
The school is private, but its admissions process is merit-based. As documented on the school's website, it gives preference in admissions decisions to members of the Religious Society of Friends but otherwise does not discriminate on the basis of religion. Sidwell "accepts only 7 percent of its applicants." The school accepts vouchers under the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.
The school has educated children of notable politicians, including those of several presidents. President Theodore Roosevelt's son Archibald, President Richard Nixon's daughters Tricia and Julie, President Bill Clinton's daughter Chelsea Clinton, President Barack Obama's daughters Sasha and Malia, President Joe Biden's grandchildren when he was Vice President and Vice President Al Gore's son, Albert Gore III, graduated from Sidwell Friends.