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At a Glance

Committed to the pursuit of truth through faith and reason, St. Sebastian's is a Catholic independent day school for 380 young men in grades seven through twelve.

History

Named after the martyred soldier-saint, “St. Sebastian’s Country Day School” was founded in 1941 by Cardinal William O’Connell, Archbishop of Boston. Under the vision of Cardinal O’Connell, St. Sebastian’s would not only develop the mind and body, but also the soul of its students, adding a third dimension to the country day school model . The School’s spiritual mission continues to be at the heart of a St. Sebastian’s education.

Campus
  • 26 acres in Needham, MA
  • Seven major buildings, including Academic Building & Church, Science, Math & Library Center, Art & Academic Center, Administration Building, Hockey Rink, West Campus Center and Gymnasium; four athletic turf and grass fields each season; and a six-court outdoor tennis facility.
  • Recent enhancement includes 32,000 sq/ft. Science, Math and Library Center, featuring 8 science labs, 8 math classrooms, 3 computer rooms, and a library expansion.
Faculty
  • 65 faculty members
  • 60% of faculty hold advanced degrees
  • Student/Faculty Ratio is 7:1
Academics
  • Average Class Size of 10
  • Advanced Placement courses offered: 21
  • All freshmen take Freshman Writing, a required daily writing course, in addition to the traditional Freshman English course. The benefits of this intensive focus are immediate and dramatic.
  • During the course of an academic year, every student in the school writes and delivers a Chapel speech before a group of his peers. Students in the lower grades address their classmates in weekly Chapel services. Seniors present their speeches to the entire School community on Monday mornings.
College Matriculation

Members of the last five graduating classes have most commonly enrolled at Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, Providence College, Villanova University, The University of Notre Dame, and Northeastern University.
See the full Matriculation list here.

AP Scholars

Fifty-two St. Sebastian’s students were recognized as AP Scholars, including 18 Scholars with Distinction (scoring 3 or higher on at least five exams, with an average score of at least 3.5), 8 Scholars with Honors (scoring 3 or higher on 4 or more exams, with an average score of at least 3.25), and 25 Scholars (scoring 3 or higher on three or more exams). One student was named National AP Scholar, granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

Scholastic Art Awards

Two St. Sebastian's students earned Honorable Mention Recognition in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

In addition to these awards, over 250 portraits of disenfranchised or orphaned children have been sent to 24 countries participating in The Memory Project. Students have also created 3 murals at the Italian Home for Children.

Athletics
  • 13 interscholastic team sports include football, soccer, cross country, hockey, basketball, skiing, ultimate, wrestling, squash, lacrosse, baseball, golf and tennis
  • 46 interscholastic teams play at the varsity, JV, third, fourth and fifth level, allowing for participation across all skill levels
  • St. Sebastian’s competes in the Independent School League (ISL)
Clubs & Activities
  • 30+ student-run clubs and activities including political, cultural, arts, and academic organizations all offering opportunities to develop special interests and talents and gain leadership experience
  • 6 student publications
Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year: $58,200
  • 30% of students receive need-based financial aid. In 2019-20, $3.6 million was expended.
School Nickname

Arrows

School Colors

Red & Black

Accreditation

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Affiliations

College Entrance Examination Board
Education Records Bureau
Independent School League
International Boys' School Coalition
National Association of Independent Schools
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Secondary School Admission Test Board
Association of Independent Schools of New England

FACTS AND FIGURES

67

Towns represented by the student body

65

Faculty members, with the majority holding advanced degrees

10

The average class size;
7:1 student ratio

100%

of all families with demonstrated need receive financial aid

13

Varsity Sports

27

Faculty & Staff Have Worked Here for 20 Years or More

21

AP Courses