“I didn’t know school could be like this.”
Watkinson School is a coed, independent, college-preparatory school in Hartford, Connecticut for grades 6 through PG that helps students excel and thrive — in the best colleges in the country and in their daily lives — by becoming their most authentic selves.
Admission Events
An Info Session is an excellent way to get a sense of what Watkinson has to offer. Info sessions will include
- Welcome with Head of School Teri Schrader and Director of Admission John Crosson
- Hear from faculty and administrators
- Q & A panel with current students
- Campus tour
During the summer, we have in-person, outdoor info sessions in the evening. These events include a barbecue, campus tour, and time with our private school leaders, faculty, and students.
We’d also love to welcome you to campus for coffee with Head of School Teri Schrader.
If you’d like to hear more about affordability and financial aid, consider joining one of our Financial Aid video calls. Families have found these remote sessions very helpful in understanding the admission and enrollment process.
“Watkinson creates real excellence
instead of excellent sheep”
What happens at Watkinson is specific, individual, authentic achievement, based on who you really are and what you really want.
Says Grade 9/10 Academic Dean Chris Kozey: “In general the educational system creates a slick but ultimately superficial resume. If, instead, you want your child's resume to tell the story of how they developed skills and interests, chased down passions and have achieved things as a natural extension of those passions — that’s what Watkinson can offer.”
Tuition & Financial Aid
We know independent school is a huge investment for any family — a worthy and important investment, but still a very serious commitment. That’s why we are equally serious about working as hard as we can to enroll and assist the most outstanding and qualified students each year. Our need-based financial aid hopes to provide the opportunity for those families who are unable to afford the full cost of tuition to attend. While we are not able to guarantee financial aid for all students, more than 60% of our students receive some level of financial aid each year.
Watkinson financial aid packages are direct grants, with no repayment required.
Tuition for the 2026–27 School Year
8th to 12th grade — $53,400
Academy — $35,100
International — $55,700
The Clarity Application
Watkinson School’s financial aid program is designed to make a Watkinson education possible for all families who qualify based on demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. Parents may use the Clarity application to help determine financial need based on the information shared in the application, including assets, income, expenses, and debts.
Clarity offers a user-friendly interface, quick completion (under 30 minutes), mobile optimization, and automatic IRS data transfer to enhance convenience for our families. You can save your progress and return at any time. At the end of the application, there is a $60 fee to submit.
The stories behind the statistics
Watkinson is proud of our statistics: an amazing 96% family retention rate; college acceptances and financial aid offers from the best schools in the country; accreditation surveys that return massively high satisfaction levels from students and parents.
To understand what those numbers actually mean, browse the Watkinson Story Vault. Over 75 videos, sortable by topic, will put you in touch with the real experiences of real people.
The Watkinson Story Vault
Watkinson has 140+ 5-star reviews on Niche.com from parents and alumni
Last fall, Watkinson was featured on a national tv program about empowerment in education.
Latest News
Watkinson is pleased to announce that English teacher Millie Maggio ’13 will present a session at the fifth Experiential Learning Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia produced by the Caucasus & Central Asia Association of IB World Schools (CCAAIBWS) running from May 1-3, 2026. Maggio will be speaking about developing a community AI ethos. The conversation will both consider best practices for bringing students into broad conversations about the ethical ramifications of AI, and also a discussion of the benefits and threats…
Congratulations to the students below for being selected for the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards! The Connecticut Regional Scholastic Awards is a professionally juried event that recognizes only the best Connecticut student artwork. This year, seven Watkinson students had 11 artworks selected for the show; this is notable given that Watkinson has 220 students and is competing against large, regional public schools. The work of the Gold Key winners qualifies to be judged for the national competition. • Charley G.…
Watkinson annual MLK Day is a half day of programming including special classes prepared by Watkinson faculty and guest presentations. This year's campus guests include the 2024-2025 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco. In addition, community activist and leader Melina Floyd and competitive dancer Jayla Davis-Pullen will present. An important Watkinson tradition, the day is always held on the Friday preceding the national holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and work. PRESENTER BIOS Stephanie Pacheco is the 2024-2025…