Cincinnati Country Day School

Founded in 1926, Cincinnati Country Day School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school serving early childhood (18 months) through grade 12 students.
The school emphasizes educational excellence, character development, extracurricular involvement, and integrated technology. With a rich academic curriculum and superior technology program, CCDS inspires a passion for learning and independent thinking through a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, personal integrity, and service to others.

Quick Stats (2024)

  • Top Ranked OH School
  • Grades: Nursery/Preschool-12
  • Enrollment: 854 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $24,555
  • Acceptance rate: 65%
  • Average class size: 15 students
  • Application Deadline: Dec. 1 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

School News

  • CCDS is the Only Private School in Cincinnati to Receive Top AP Award - 11/14/2023
    Cincinnati Country Day School has been awarded "Platinum with Access" in the 2023 AP School Honor Roll, issued by the College Board. This award recognizes the consistently high scores achieved ...moreby our students on AP exams and the school's clear and effective commitment to equitable access. In receiving this award, Country Day not only ranks top among private schools in the city but is the only co-educational private school in the state to receive the award the other recipients being all-girls' schools in Columbus and the Cleveland area. "This award is a testament to the exceptional quality of teaching and commitment to principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion that Country Day prioritizes as fundamental characteristics of the student experience," says Jenn Weinheimer, head of Upper School. "We are proud that this commitment has been recognized at a national level."Among public schools in Ohio, only Walnut Hills and Wyoming High School received the Platinum with Access award. While several local schools, both public and private, received a Platinum award, they failed to earn the AP Access Award, which means specifically that "the percentage of AP exam takers who are underrepresented minority and/or low-income students mirrors the school's overall student demographics." "This award is so exciting because it recognizes the things that are at the core of the Country Day experience: excellent classroom instruction from teachers who care about and encourage every student," says Sarah Beyreis, director of college counseling. "It's wonderful to have national recognition for who we are. One of the things I've always loved about Country Day is its genuine diversity; our students bring so many different life experiences to our classrooms. It makes life on campus very rich, and it prepares our students beautifully for the kind of diversity they will encounter in college and in life. I feel especially proud of this award because it represents who we are." According to the College Board, the AP School Honor Roll offers schools recognition across four levels of distinction: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Schools on the AP School Honor Roll may also earn the AP Access Award, honoring schools that demonstrate a clear and effective commitment to equitable access to advanced coursework. hide
  • Girls Soccer Wins Back-to-Back State Championship Title! - 11/11/2023
    The girls soccer won the Division III state championship, defeating Ottawa-Glandorf - the same team they beat in last year's state final - 1-0 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.Megan ...moreZimmerman `24 scored the game's only goal in the 18th minute. Elizabeth Zimmerman `24, who scored the winning goal last year, recorded the assist. Goalkeeper Alyssa Easter `26 recorded two saves in the shutout as the team repeated as state champions. hide
  • Lemelson-MIT Awards CCDS Students with an Invention Grant - 10/24/2023
    Cincinnati Country Day School was awarded a Lemelson-MIT (LMIT) InvenTeam grant in the amount of $7,500 to create an invention geared towards improving road bike safety. Country Day, which was ...morerecently ranked the #1 best high school for STEM in the Cincinnati area by niche.com, is one of only eight high schools nationwide to be selected to have an InvenTeam this year."We are thrilled and proud to receive this prestigious grant," says Jamie Back, InvenTeam co-educator, STEAM teacher, and Makerspace coordinator. "It's a big responsibility, but because our InvenTeam is such a diverse group, we have been able to come up with innovative and unconventional solutions. We are prepared to make a difference with our invention and the support of this esteemed program."InvenTeam members include Ayaan Arif `25, Alex Back `25, Donovan Gray `25, Kate Kranias `26, Lucia Murdoch `25, Ashley Odom `25, Kevin Pearson `25, Jason Starodub `26, and Samantha Wu `26."There's something special about working on a team versus being by yourself," says Kranias. "Working together and watching an invention come together as something that will actually help bicyclists will be really satisfying."According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, over 100,000 bicyclists are injured or killed every year in the United States. In addition, the National Safety Council reported that the number of preventable deaths from biking accidents increased 44% between 2011 and 2020. Many driver-related bicycling accidents are caused by a lack of visibility, even in daylight. To help reduce these deaths and injuries, the Cincinnati Country Day School InvenTeam is inventing a solution to improve road bike safety by increasing cyclist and driver awareness of each other."I enjoy biking a lot, so it's cool to be part of a team that has the opportunity to solve a problem that cyclists face on a national scale," says Starodub. "The direct impact we can make in our community and the overall impact we can make for cyclists everywhere is really special to me."Jamie Back and Angela Barber-Joiner, director of belonging & wellbeing and InvenTeam co-educator, initiated Country Day's InvenTeam application process in the spring, and their proposal was one of 28 accepted across the country This team of students worked over 70 hours during the summer, school lunchtimes, free bells, weekends, and after school to prepare the final proposal in time for the September deadline."We are grateful for the support we have received from so many people in our Country Day community," says Barber-Joiner. "But I must extend a special thank-you to Country Day parents, Justin and Lisa Shafer, who were inspired by the team's success in the application phase and made a generous gift to the school to provide the meals, snacks, and supplies for our InvenTeam meetings. I know I speak on behalf of the team when I say that their generosity helped fuel our productivity!"Grant recipients were selected by a respected panel of university professors, inventors, entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and college students, including former InvenTeam members now working in the industry."We put an incredible amount of time and thought into the grant application, and to have it selected as one of eight schools nationwide makes it totally worth it," says Arif. "I am looking forward to continuing the process of inventing a solution, which has been very rewarding so far. We started with three unrelated ideas this past summer and by early spring we'll start seeing an actual solution and that's an amazing thing to be a part of."Over the next eight months, the Cincinnati Country Day School InvenTeam will develop a solution to the problem."The InvenTeams are focusing on solving problems that impact their local communities," says Leigh Estabrooks, Lemelson-MIT's invention education officer. "Teams are focusing their technological solutions their inventions on inequities in health and wellbeing, environmental issues, and safety concerns. These high school students are not just problem-solvers of tomorrow, they are problem solvers today helping to make our world more equitable, healthier, and safer."In early July, the Cincinnati Country Day School InvenTeam participated in brainstorming activities to identify a plethora of ideas with the goal of defining an invention space that could lead to solving an existing problem in the community. While meeting with community members and organizations, one of the school's valued community members reached out to the team with a possible idea. Ashley Ward, recently retired assistant to the head of school, shared personal details about a bike accident in 2014 that took the life of Fred Carey, a much beloved English teacher, dean of students, parent, and alumnus. Carey was hit from behind by an intoxicated driver during a daytime bike ride.The team will build a working prototype that will be showcased at a mid-grant technical review locally in February, and then again as a final prototype during EurekaFest, an invention celebration taking place in June 2024, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts."This is such an exciting time for alumni, parents, and community members to connect with the school. This recognition by LMIT shows the promise of our students and all they can accomplish," says Barber-Joiner. "With connected and engaged alums and community members who are doing this work, the possibilities for success are limitless. We have already been celebrated as one of only eight schools in the entire country; it's an incredible validation of the hard work and commitment of our students. With the power of our whole community behind us, we'll be unstoppable."Click here to watch a video that showcases the work the InvenTeam has done so far.(Pictured left to right in the photo above: Jamie Back, Ashley Odom, Jason Starodub, Lucia Murdoch, Kate Kranias, Alex Back, Samantha Wu, Ayaan Arif, Kevin Pearson, Donovan Gray, Angela Barber-Joiner.)Celebrating 20 Years of the High School InvenTeams Grant InitiativeThe InvenTeams initiative, now in its 20th year, has enabled 17 teams of high school students to earn U.S. patents for their projects. Intellectual property education is combined with invention education offerings as part of the Lemelson-MIT Program's deliberate efforts to remedy historic inequities among those who develop inventions, protect their intellectual property, and commercialize their creations. LMIT's ongoing efforts empower students from all backgrounds, equipping them with invaluable problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their academic journeys, professional pursuits, and personal lives. LMIT has worked with 3,883 students across 296 different teams nationwide throughout the past 20 years.About Cincinnati Country Day SchoolCincinnati Country Day School (CCDS) is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school founded in 1926. The school enrolls more than 860 students, 18 months to 18 years, from 65 zip codes throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. Located in the beautiful suburb of Indian Hill, students enjoy strong academics through hands-on learning, meaningful personal growth opportunities, enriching diversity initiatives, state-of-the-art technology, engaging arts, and competitive sports on the pastoral 60-acre campus. The school's mission is to create leaders who, through the discovery of their own abilities, kindle the potential of others and better a dynamic world. For more information, visit www.countryday.net.About the Lemelson-MIT ProgramThe Lemelson-MIT Program (LMIT) is a national leader in efforts to prepare the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs. Our work focuses on the expansion of opportunities for people to learn ways inventors find and solve problems that matter to improve lives. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion aims to remedy historic inequities among those who develop inventions, protect their intellectual property and commercialize their creations. Jerome H. Lemelson, one of U.S. history's most prolific inventors, and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation and administered by the School of Engineering at MIT, an institution with a strong ongoing commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for K-14 STEM education. For more information, visit Lemelson.MIT.edu. hide
  • Country Day Named #1 in the Cincinnati Area - 09/26/2023
    We are thrilled to announce that Niche has ranked Cincinnati Country Day School as the #1 best private high school, #1 best private K-12 school, and #1 best high school ...morefor STEM in the Cincinnati area."We are pleased to be ranked #1 in a multitude of categories that showcase our entire program, including K-12, high school, and STEM education," says Robert Zimmerman `98, head of school. "Most of all, this is a testament to our world-class faculty and staff. We take the most pride in our relationships, not our rankings, as they best reflect how we know, nurture, and inspire our students."In Ohio, the school also ranked #4 best private K-12 school, #5 best private high school, and #5 best high school for STEM.The school has earned these rankings by scoring highly in many factors that aim to capture what it's really like to attend Country Day. hide

Top Rankings

Cincinnati Country Day School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Ohio for:

School Overview

Grades Offered
Grades Nursery/Preschool-12
ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Year Founded
1926
Summer School Offered
Yes
Summer Program Details
Awards
 Blue Ribbon School - Selected in 2003

Student Body

Total Students
854 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
8%
State avg.: 24%
Students by Grade
Cincinnati Country Day School Student By Grade

Academics and Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
130 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
7:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
78%
Average Class Size
15 students
Number of AP Courses
17 courses
List of Courses Offered
Average SAT score
1360
Average ACT score
29
Matriculation DataMatric. Data
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Uniform K-4; Dress Code 5-12

Tuition and Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
Dec. 1 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
Tuition Notes
Tuition ranges from $6650 to $26380 depending on the grade/program.
% on Financial Aid
30%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$14,400
Acceptance Rate
65%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Aaron B. Kellenberger
Admissions Associate
Jennie Bedel (ECH-Grade 4)
Endowment Size
$33 million

Sports

School Notes

  • Lower School (18 months - grade 4; including pre-kindergarten, Montessori, and kindergarten)
  • Middle School (grades 5 - 8)
  • Upper School (grades 9 - 12)
Source: Verified school update

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Cincinnati Country Day School cost?
Cincinnati Country Day School's tuition is approximately $24,555 for private students.
What is the acceptance rate of Cincinnati Country Day School?
The acceptance rate of Cincinnati Country Day School is 65%, which is lower than the national average of 89%. Cincinnati Country Day School's acceptance rate is ranked among the top private schools in Ohio with low acceptance rates.
Does Cincinnati Country Day School offer a summer program?
Yes, Cincinnati Country Day School offers a summer program. Visit their summer school page for more information.
What sports does Cincinnati Country Day School offer?
Cincinnati Country Day School offers 16 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cheering, Crew, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball and Wrestling. Cincinnati Country Day School is ranked as one of the top 20% of private schools in Ohio for most sports offered.
What is Cincinnati Country Day School's ranking?
When is the application deadline for Cincinnati Country Day School?
The application deadline for Cincinnati Country Day School is Dec. 1 / rolling (applications are due on Dec. 1 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).

School Reviews

  5.00 out of 5  (5 reviews)
5  
We love this school and the community that comes with it. Our son is in his second year. We expect he will graduate from high school here. Outstanding!
- Posted by
5  
My daughter transferred to Country Day in second grade and is beyond happy. The community welcomed us immediately and warmly. She is academically challenged, engaged with learning, and a joyful little human. I love how she is encouraged to pursue her passions and get involved. She is trying new things and honing her skills in ways we never could have imagined. I think my favorite thing is that she is supported by everyone on campus and known and nurtured by both her friends and the adults. I could not ask for anything more for my child's educational experience.
- Posted by
5  
Actually, a grandparent. My granddaughter thrived at CCDS, and was admitted to an outstanding college where she was prepared to do rigorous college academic work. She thrived, too, in the extracurricular arts program.
- Posted by
5  
Our daughter transferred from a parochial school to CCDS in 2nd grade and the teachers and faculty made the transition incredibly smooth. She is now in 3rd and we couldn't be happier with the CCDS experience. The teachers are amazing, and helpful and strive to challenge the students academically. The campus is beautiful and the community is very welcoming as well. Our daughter is a curious learner and we can see the results over the past few years. She comes home happy every day and seems to love her time at Cincinnati Country Day School.
- Posted by
5  
The teachers know the kids so well. They are able to individualize instruction and include emotional and social growth in our childrens'' development plans. Classes are fun for the kids because the teachers use inventive means to teach what must be learned. Students have art, phys ed, swimming, science, library and language pull-out in the lower school. Middle school (grades 7 and 8) require participation in school sports each season as a phys ed requirement. It's a great way to get the kids to step outside their comfort zone and find a new interest.
- Posted by

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Quick Stats (2024)

  • Top Ranked OH School
  • Grades: Nursery/Preschool-12
  • Enrollment: 854 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $24,555
  • Acceptance rate: 65%
  • Average class size: 15 students
  • Application Deadline: Dec. 1 / rolling
  • Source: Verified school update

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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Cincinnati, OH is $9,005 for elementary schools and $14,580 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Cincinnati, OH is 88% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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