Kent Place School is an independent, college-preparatory, private all girls' day school in Summit, New Jersey, with a lower school (coed preschool and preK, all-girls K–5), middle school (grades 6–8), and upper school (grades 9–12). It was established in 1894 and has been ranked among the top all girls' schools in the United States.2025 Best All-Girls High Schools in America, Niche. Accessed September 7, 2025. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools.
Student body As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 636 students (plus 32 in PreK) and 93.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.8:1.School data for Kent Place School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025. Students of color represent over 50% of the student population. More than $4 million in financial aid is awarded annually,Financial Aid, Kent Place School. Accessed September 7, 2025 with 19% of students receiving financial aid.Financial Aid Guidelines For Current And Prospective Families 2025–2026, Kent Place School, published August 29, 2025. Accessed September 7, 2025.
Faculty and administration
School leadership In 2017, Jennifer C. Galambos became the 11th head of school at Kent Place School, succeeding Susan C. Bosland, who served as head of school for eighteen years. Kent Place School also has a Board of Trustees and a leadership team.Leadership Team, Kent Place School. Accessed September 7, 2025
Faculty In 2022, Kent Place School had 88 full-time faculty. Eighty percent of Kent Place faculty had 10 years or more of teaching experience, and 80 percent of the teaching faculty held advanced degrees. Fourteen had earned beyond a master's degree.
History Kent Place School was founded in 1894 when six businessmen from Summit, NJ, gathered to discuss the establishment of a school for girls that would offer an education comparable to that of their sons.Mission and History, Kent Place School. Accessed September 7, 2025 The school opened its doors in the fall of 1894 on an estate once belonging to New York State Chancellor James Kent (1763–1847). In 1963 The school accepted its first Jewish Student under the auspices of Ms Bell head of the primary school and Ms. Wolfe Headmistress at the time. The school began accepting boarding students in 1896, ending its boarding program in 1968.
Campus Kent Place School is located in Union County on a 26-acre campus in northern New Jersey, twenty miles west of New York City. Kent Place School is accessible by a variety of public transportation options. It has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the top 30 Green Power Users among K-12 schools nationwide.
The campus consists of several buildings that house the Lower, Middle, and Upper schools, as well as other support buildings.
Academics Kent Place School has a rigorous academic curriculum with classes offered across disciplines at varied levels. Kent Place offers AP classes, in addition to other college-level classes. The school offers interdisciplinary courses such as the Bioethics Project, Engineering and the Arts, Medicinal Chemistry, and Student-Designed Research.
External Programs Kent Place School offers external programs outside of its curriculum, open to students from any school: the Ethics Institute,The Ethics Institute Girls' Leadership Institute,Girls' Leadership Institute and Summer Camp.Summer Camp
Coed preschool and pre-kindergarten Kent Place School offers junior pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs for boys and girls ages 3–5. The pre-kindergarten curriculum introduces children to literacy and reading, math, languages, music, physical education, and movement.
Advanced Placement Kent Place Seniors have a history of being awarded AP Scholar distinctions. In 2024, 66% of the graduating class were AP Scholars.
College placement Kent Place School seniors have a 100% college enrollment rate. Of the Class of 2024:
21% admitted to Ivy League schools. Over 79% percent admit rate for early applications. Attended 49 colleges (37 private, 12 public) in 20 states, the District of Columbia, and Scotland. Seniors were admitted to an average of 8.1 colleges each. Nine students (out of the Class of 2024's 80 total) were in athletics at the Division I and III levels.
Athletics
The Kent Place School has 16 varsity sports, 10 interscholastic teams, and is a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletics Association (NJSIAA). 72% of Upper School students participate in athletics. The team's name is The Dragons, with Chumley the Dragon as the mascot.
The Upper School offers varsity-level teams in cross-country, soccer, tennis, field hockey, volleyball, basketball, swimming, squash, ice hockey, fencing, indoor track, lacrosse, softball, and outdoor track.
Upper School team awards include:
The field hockey team won the North II Group I state sectional championship in 1999.History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The spring track team was the Non-Public Group B state champion in 2013.NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The cross-country team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 2013.Girls Cross Country Championship History: 1972–2025, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2025. Accessed December 1, 2025. The track team won the Non-Public Group B indoor track championship in 2014.Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1922-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024. The girls' tennis team won the Non-Public A state championship in 2017 and 2019, defeating Pingry School in the tournament final both years.Girls Tennis Championship History: 1971–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed September 1, 2024. The 2017 team finished the season 21-1, including a 3-2 victory against Pingry for the Non-Public A title.Nalwasky, Chris. "Mike Manna of Kent Place is the NJ.com girls tennis state Coach of the Year for 2017", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 20, 2017, updated August 23, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2021. "The 2017 season for the Kent Place varsity girls tennis team was a magical one. Kent Place accomplished more than it ever had in the history of its program. The Dragons won their first ever Non-Public A title as they defeated Pingry, 3-2, in the group final. They finished 21-1, reaching the 20-win plateau for the first time as well as winning the Prep A Tournament and Moorestown Classic for the first time as well."
Arts Kent Place School curriculum includes visual arts, dance, theater, and music, choral, and instrumental instruction in all grades. The on-site Hyde and Watson theater seats 260, where Upper School students produce two fully-staged productions each year. There is also an on-campus dance studio and art gallery.
External Programs Kent Place School also offers three external programs independent from the school. Students do not need to be enrolled at Kent Place School to attend.
Girls Leadership Institute The Girls' Leadership Institute (GLI) is a summer program for 4th - 10th grade girls, with a goal to help them develop confidence and self-esteem while exploring leadership potential. GLI was established in 1996 as a summer program to help girls in 7th and 8th grades learn skills to develop strong leadership. In 2017, GLI expanded its programming to include more grades and ages.
The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School was founded in May 2007 as a program offered to students and adults looking to explore the process and practice of ethical decision-making in primary and secondary school communities. It is led by founding director Karen Rezach. Focus topics include bioethics, entrepreneurship, design for social innovation, and AI. Professional development offerings, school consulting, and parent workshops are also offered.
The Ethics Institute also supports the Kent Place Upper and Lower School Ethics Bowl teams. In 2018, the Upper School Ethics team was named the National High School Ethics Bowl champion. The Ethics Institute also publishes a student-run journal, The Lodestar.
Kent Place Summer Camp Kent Place Summer Camp is a coeducational, state-licensed, twelve-week day camp program for boys and girls ages 3 through 15 years old. It offers day, specialty, and travel camps.
Awards and recognition Kent Place School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Kent Place School has been part of One Schoolhouse since 2010, a consortium of independent schools across the country that offers a selection of online classes.
In 2007, The Wall Street Journal listed Kent Place School as one of the world's top 50 schools for its success in preparing students to enter top American universities. In 2025, Kent Place School was ranked first by Niche as the Best All-Girls High Schools in New Jersey, 3rd Best Private K-12 Schools in New Jersey, 14th Best All-Girls High Schools in America, and 54th Best Private K-12 Schools in America.2025 Kent Place School Rankings, Niche. Accessed September 7, 2025. Kent Place School is recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as one of the top 30 Green Power Users among K-12 schools nationwide.
Kent Place School has won various InspirED School Marketers Brilliance Awards for Kent Place magazine, website, and printed material of viewbook/prospectus and brochures.
Kent Place School high school students consistently receive recognition from the College Board for college-level achievement on Advanced Placement (AP) examinations.
Notable alumnae
Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur (born 1971), author and activist who works with Malaria No MoreWeekend Wisdom: Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur '92 , Kent Place School. Accessed October 25, 2019. Erika Amato (born 1969), actress, singer and founder of Velvet ChainErika Amato - Biography , Velvet Chain. Accessed September 12, 2013. "After Erika graduated from Kent Place School in Summit, N.J, she attended Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York."Haas, Pia. "Meet Erika Amato as Lela Rogers in Backwards In High Heels." , Westchester Broadway Theatre, August 18, 2015. Accessed September 21, 2015. "I grew up in Mountainside, NJ and went to the all-girls Kent Place School, in Summit." Peggy Bacon (1895–1987), painter, illustrator and writer"Oral history interview with Peggy Bacon, 1973 May 8", Smithsonian Institution. Accessed October 25, 2017. "So they put me up, so to speak, to boarding school, Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey. And I loved it. Everybody thought I'd have an awful time because I led such a queer life."McQuiston, John T. "Peggy Bacon, 91, Illustrator And Author Of Gentle Satires", The New York Times, January 7, 1987. Accessed September 12, 2013. "She graduated from the Kent Place School, in Summit, N.J., in 1913, and studied at the Art Students League of New York, where she was an instructor in painting, drawing and composition from 1935 to 1936 and 1948 to 1952." Emily Barton (born 1969), novelistStaff. , Courier News, March 7, 2007. Accessed April 27, 2012. "Emily Barton, former resident of Westfield, and now an accomplished author of two award-winning novels, visited Kent Place School for a book signing event." Sarah D. Bunting (class of 1990), writer, founder of Television Without Pity"Class Noted", Keeping Pace with Kent Place, Spring / Summer 2010. Accessed September 19, 2024.