Our mission is to equip children to lead a life of becoming growing, thriving and flourishing through the development of intellect and character.
Quick Stats (2024-25)
- Top Ranked OH School
- Grades: Prekindergarten-8
- Enrollment: 257 students
- Yearly Tuition: $12,000
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Average class size: 12 students
- Application Deadline: Jan. 16 / Feb. 20 / rolling
- Source: Verified school update
Top Rankings
Birchwood School of Hawken ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Ohio for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
School Overview
School Membership(s)School Assoc.
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-8
Year Founded
1984
School Calendar
Student Body
Total Students
257 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Students by Grade
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
54 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
5:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
46%
Average Class Size
12 students
List of Courses Offered
Matriculation DataMatric. Data
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Khaki, navy, or black pants with white, forest green, or navy top
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Admission Deadline
Jan. 16 / Feb. 20 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
$12,000
Tuition Notes
2021-2022
Full-Time Preschool: Seedlings or Sprouts
5 Days/Week 8:15 am-3:15 pm Tuition – $8,970
Registration Fee – $760*Part-Time Preschool: Seedlings
3 Days/Week 8:15 am-3:15 pm Tuition – $6,125
Registration Fee – $760*
5 Mornings/Week 8:15-11:15 am Tuition – $7,435
Registration Fee – $760*Part-Time Preschool: Sprouts
4 Days/Week 8:15 am-3:15 pm or
5 Mornings/Week 8:15-11:15 am Tuition – $7,435
Registration Fee – $760*Kindergarten
Tuition – $10,815
Registration Fee – $760*Grades 1 - 3
Tuition – $15,090
Registration Fee – $1,090*Grades 4 - 5
Tuition – $15,550
Registration Fee –$1,145*Grades 6 - 8
Tuition – $16,735
Registration Fee – $1,200*
% on Financial Aid
30%
Acceptance Rate
70%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Linda Miyares
Admissions Associate
Cindy McNaughton
School Notes
- Birchwood School of Hawken is a preschool through eighth grade private, independent school for students of all abilities. Our focus is academic. We provide a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes habits of industry within small classrooms, offering individual attention to each student. In addition,
- Birchwood provides programs forgifted and profoundly giftedstudents endorsed by theCenter for Talent Developmentat Northwestern University. Parents exploring education options for their children will want to be familiar with the five distinguishing features that make Birchwood School of Hawken unique:
- Highest Academic Standards for Primary, Elementary and Middle Schools
- At Birchwood, parents will find academic standards that are benchmarked at state, national and, where appropriate, international levels. The impact on student achievement is evident. Birchwood students consistently gain local, state, and national recognition for their academic achievements. In addition, graduates are considered some of the "best prepared" for high school in Northeast Ohio. Our school environment nurtures, supports, and honors high academic achievement. At Birchwood, it is "cool" to study hard and excel.
- Exceptional Education for Gifted Learners
- High academic standards extend to gifted students. For over 30 years Birchwood has been working with this special population to meet their cognitive, affective, and social needs. While some schools offer "gifted" programs, Birchwood relies on teaching specialists in each subject so that gifted learners may advance as far their intellect and interest allows. There are no academic ceilings, hence, we do not merely implement a gifted program, we develop talent. Such a challenging and rigorous environment simultaneously develops sturdy work habits and productive attitudes toward academics enabling gifted learners toreach their highest potential.
- Teaching & Training the Habits of Industry
- Knowing that work habits and achievement ethics are just as important to success as a strong intellect, Birchwood has developed a systematic approach to teaching and training good habits. Birchwood presents a detailed training program that compliments teaching and empowers lessons so that they become habits. This effort runs throughout grade levels and is reinforced with special classes and supplementary programs that focus specifically on the development of good habits.
- Individual Attention from Subject Specialists
- At Birchwood individual attention has unique meaning. Since classes are departmentalized beginning in the first grade, our teachers are responsible for only one subject (sometimes two in the primary grades) and they teach that subject at several grade levels. Consequently individual attention from these specialists not only meets affective needs, but their personal efforts translate into robust, content-specific, timely guidance and instruction for each student.
- A Globally Diverse Environment
- The Birchwood community is one of the most diverse in Northeast Ohio. Seventy percent of our students are children of immigrants from around the world. Each day our students live and study with Asians, Middle Easterners, Europeans, South Americans, and Americans of all races. Their daily experience enables them to connect and learn about diversity and multiculturalism, and they discover, embrace, and learn to appreciate the common threads in all humanity.
Source: Verified school update
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Birchwood School of Hawken cost?
Birchwood School of Hawken's tuition is approximately $12,000 for private students.
What is the acceptance rate of Birchwood School of Hawken?
The acceptance rate of Birchwood School of Hawken is 70%, which is lower than the national average of 88%. Birchwood School of Hawken's acceptance rate is ranked among the top private schools in Ohio with low acceptance rates.
What is Birchwood School of Hawken's ranking?
Birchwood School of Hawken ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Ohio for: Lowest average acceptance rates.
When is the application deadline for Birchwood School of Hawken?
The application deadline for Birchwood School of Hawken is Jan. 16 / Feb. 20 / rolling (applications are due on Jan. 16 / Feb. 20 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).
In what neighborhood is Birchwood School of Hawken located?
Birchwood School of Hawken is located in the Jefferson neighborhood of Cleveland, OH.
School Reviews
5 6/3/2016
My husband attended this school when it first opened. Decades later, we've decided to move from out of state so he could teach at Birchwood School and so our children could attend. I like that the student body is diverse ethnically, but the majority of students share a home culture where education is highly valued. The curriculum emphasizes character building, work habits and goal-setting. The founders of the school really care about each individual student realizing their full potential and discovering their unique gifts. The academic rigor was a bit of a shock to our first-grader, who had been used to "coasting" in his previous public school. But after a year in the Birchwood culture, he's developing work habits I never would have been able to instill in him on my own. My preschooler loves his teacher, and I can tell that she genuinely cares for each of her students. Overall, the school feels like a very tight-knit community.
5 1/8/2013
We "shopped" for schools all over the Cleveland area. Birchwood stood out and we love the school more and more every day. The administration and teachers are unbelievably devoted and knowledgeable.
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