School dossier · Charlotte, NC
11 research areas
An introduction to Charlotte Country Day School, in the school’s own words. Press play to watch.
One portal. Everything runs through Veracross: the inquiry starts your file, you apply in the portal, and it generates a checklist personalized to your child's grade.
Dates are cycle-specific. Every date below is the 2027–28 entry cycle, corroborated by the CAIS consortium brochure. Cycle dates shift year to year — verify before acting.
Six published steps in every band — start your journey → submit an application → complete an entrance test → meet with a faculty member → provide supporting materials → follow your progress. What changes is step 3 (which test), the application deadline, and which decision track you land on.
The Veracross inquiry form opens your file and is where inquiry, event RSVP and application all live in one place.
The portal generates a checklist personalized to your grade level and is where you book a campus visit.
9:30 a.m. on the Cannon Campus — the one open house the school names for this band. Recommended, not marked required.
Two weeks earlier than every other grade. "A $100 fee is required as part of your child's application."
Listed as its own line on the school's timeline — and it falls after the Jan 2 application deadline, not before it. Not a typo: apply first, then the recommendation follows.
Both due on the same date. The screening is the WPPSI-IV, booked and paid for directly with a CAIS-designated psychologist ($300, separate from the school's $100 fee) — appointments open the day after Labor Day. The classroom visit is your child's, on campus.
Step 4 of the shared process — "each applicant meets with a grade-appropriate member of our faculty."
Decisions release Feb 26 and your response is due Mar 5. The enrollment contract carries a deposit of 10% of tuition, credited toward the total; families with an aid application in play pay a reduced deposit that is refundable if the award falls short.
This band runs on an entirely earlier calendar — applications are due Jan 2 rather than Jan 15, decisions release Feb 26 rather than April 9. It also carries two requirements the older bands do not: a separately deadlined teacher recommendation and a classroom visit for your child.
Clarity application ($65 fee) due Jan 15 if you are a prospective family — the Nov 1 date the school also publishes is for families already enrolled, so it is not yours. Awards are need-based only (there are no merit scholarships), both custodial and non-custodial parents submit, "admission decisions are made separately from financial aid decisions," and any award arrives with the enrollment contract.
| JK / Kindergarten | Grades 1–4 | Grades 5–12 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application due | Jan 2, 2027 | Jan 15, 2027 | Jan 15, 2027 |
| Entrance test | CAIS screening — WPPSI-IV | CAIS screening — WPPSI-IV (Gr 1), WISC-V (rising Gr 2–4) | ISEE — school testing day Feb 6, 2027 |
| Teacher recommendation | Own deadline — Jan 15, 2027 | Via portal checklist — no separate deadline | Via portal checklist — no separate deadline |
| Child's visit | Classroom visit, due Feb 1, 2027 | Meeting with a faculty member | Meeting with a faculty member |
| All materials due | Feb 1, 2027 | Feb 26, 2027 | Feb 26, 2027 |
| Decision & response | Feb 26 → response Mar 5 | Apr 9 → response Apr 16 | Apr 9 → response Apr 16 |
| Campus | Cannon | Cannon | Bissell (5–8) · Cannon (9–12) |
| Named open house | Oct 14, 2026, 9:30 a.m. | None published — book a visit | Nov 5, 2026, 1:30 p.m. (grades 9–12) |
| Constant in every band | $100 application fee · the Veracross portal and its personalized checklist · a meeting with a grade-appropriate faculty member · a 10% enrollment deposit credited toward tuition | ||
Charlotte Country Day publishes ten Lower School subject areas, described narratively per grade, rather than named courses. There is no Lower School course catalogue.
Intentionally weave together literacy, math, science, and social studies instruction.
Focuses on the Five Pillars of Reading — phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension — embedded throughout the day.
Develops number sense, spatial awareness, and math language through active exploration and hands-on games toward rigorous problem solving.
Hands-on investigation via the scientific method across physical, life, and earth sciences — from seasonal change in JK to the solar system by Grade 4.
Examines people in relation to their past, present, and future, their environment, and their society.
All students are exposed to both French and Spanish, progressing from the sound of each language to the four language skills plus basic writing by Grade 4.
Weekly immersion in art, music, and drama to instill a love of the arts and build design-thinking skills.
A daily opportunity to move, play, and learn, developing gross motor, body control, and spatial awareness skills.
Engineering, coding, robotics, 3D printing, and multi-media design used to solve design problems collaboratively.
Supports a growing love of reading and builds toward the full research cycle, applied in the Grade 4 Exhibition project.
Country Day publishes named Middle School courses only for mathematics; other disciplines are published as grade-level subjects. There is no Middle School course catalogue.
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, concluding with basic geometry.
The number line, values, operations with decimals and fractions, ratio and percent, and algebraic expressions and equations.
Number sense, fractions, factors, exponents, simplifying expressions, and solving and graphing linear equations.
Number sense, fractions, factors, exponents, linear equations, ratios, proportions, percent, probability, and statistics.
The same topics as Pre-Algebra covered in greater depth and at a faster pace.
Algebra foundations, linear functions and systems, exponents, polynomials, quadratics, radicals, and an introduction to geometry.
Foundational expressions, equations, and linear functions for students needing additional preparation.
Full high-school Algebra I covering linear functions and systems, exponents, polynomials, quadratics, and radicals.
Placement for students who completed Honors Algebra I, studying deductive reasoning, proofs, trigonometry, and coordinate geometry.
An integrated program featuring cross-curricular reading to enhance understanding of the world and writing to communicate key ideas and opinions.
Students journey through the past learning about the creation and development of communities in global civilizations.
Further develops basic communication skills through the study of literature, reading strategies, and process writing.
Builds understanding of global geography and cultures while investigating the major turning points shaping the world through inquiry-based learning.
Uses both classic and contemporary literature to help foster a love of reading and writing.
Examines U.S. history from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth, from Reconstruction through Watergate.
Students become working scientists, making authentic connections to the world and constructing solutions using the engineering design process.
Examines topics through the lens of Forces of Change while using the scientific method and the engineering design process.
Inquiry-based study of the human body covering energy, body systems, cells, genetics, natural selection, and energy transformations.
An introduction to the multidisciplinary field of environmental science, using case studies to evaluate environmental issues.
Scaffolded across the Middle School with design-thinking and prototyping work.
A proficiency-oriented course practicing reading, writing, listening, and speaking in interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes.
Develops language competency and cultural awareness through thematic units using authentic websites, videos, print, and maps.
Offered as one of the Middle School language options alongside French and Spanish.
Foundational visual-arts instruction expanding individual skill sets across the Middle School years.
An instrumental ensemble in wind and percussion performance.
A vocal ensemble developing singing skills and musical understanding.
Instrumental ensemble training for string players.
Performing-arts instruction developing creative thinking and self-expression.
Musical fundamentals and concepts for all fifth-grade students.
A daily class focused on individual fitness improvement, cardiovascular endurance, physical strength, and exposure to various sports.
Instruction on human growth and development including reproductive systems and childbirth.
Focuses on nutrition, emphasizing "Food is Fuel" and how bodies use energy.
Identity, stress management, coping skills, mental well-being, and decision making, including social-media impacts.
Human growth and development, decision making, and reproductive systems.
Life-skills development addressing values, friendships, cooperation, decision-making, and social skills.
A curriculum addressing decision-making and communication skills.
Library-based research and digital-citizenship skills.
Each student is assigned a faculty advisor providing academic and personal guidance and serving as a school-family communication link.
First of a two-year foundations sequence, introducing advanced literary study through argument-building and examination of poetry, short stories, and longer texts.
Studies classic and modern texts through how literature reflects the desire to understand oneself in relation to the world.
A selected survey covering the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Modernism, culminating in an autobiographical portfolio.
College-level study of rhetoric and composition, with students expected to sit the AP exam.
College-level literary analysis across genres and periods, with students expected to sit the AP exam.
Required first year for IB juniors, expanding experience with a broad range of genres, periods, and styles.
Second year of the two-year IB Language & Literature commitment.
Senior English for students continuing from English 11 outside the AP and IB tracks.
A semester elective in original composition.
English-language-support courses, alongside ESL American History and ESL World History, which may substitute for English or History credit.
The foundational algebra course.
Standard-level geometry.
Accelerated geometry; requires 90 in Algebra I plus teacher recommendation.
The second-year algebra course.
Accelerated Algebra II; requires 90 in Geometry or 83 in Honors Geometry.
A compressed two-subject course open only to sophomores who completed Honors Geometry in ninth grade.
A bridge course extending algebra into trigonometry.
An alternative mathematics pathway.
Standard precalculus.
Accelerated precalculus; requires 90 in Algebra II or 83 in Honors Algebra II.
A survey of both calculus and statistics concepts.
College-level statistics; qualifying students should choose either AP Calculus AB or AP Statistics, not both.
Post-BC-Calculus statistics using the R language; requires 83 in BC Calculus or concurrent enrollment.
First-semester college calculus.
The full-year college calculus sequence; requires 87 in Honors Precalculus or Honors Algebra II/Precalculus.
IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation at standard level.
IB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches at standard level; requires 83 in Honors Precalculus.
Multivariable calculus doubling as IB Analysis Higher Level; requires 83 in BC Calculus.
An introductory integrated science course.
Required of all students in ninth or tenth grade; the core high-school biology requirement.
College-level biology; prerequisites Biology I and Chemistry I.
IB biology at standard level.
IB biology at higher level.
College-level environmental science covering eutrophication, acid rain, ozone depletion, and climate change, with mandatory field trips.
A survey of contemporary environmental issues drawing on the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, culminating in team debates.
Marine biology concepts including trophic dynamics and marine ecosystems, with an expected overnight Charleston data-collection trip.
The body’s major organ systems with in-depth study of the skeletal and muscular systems; dissection is mandatory.
Deeper study of the nervous, blood, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems; dissection is mandatory.
Develops conceptual understanding of chemistry; requires Biology I and concurrent Algebra II or higher.
Accelerated chemistry; requires 87 in Biology and 87 in a math course.
College-level chemistry; requires previous or concurrent Precalculus.
IB chemistry at standard level.
IB chemistry at higher level.
Introductory physics.
Accelerated physics; requires previous or concurrent Precalculus.
Calculus-based college physics in mechanics and electricity and magnetism; requires previous or concurrent AP or IB Calculus.
Constellations, celestial navigation, telescope design, electromagnetic radiation, and solar-system bodies, assessed by a major project.
Biological and biochemical methods of criminal investigation including forensic pathology, entomology, anthropology, and DNA profiling.
Physical-science forensics including glass and matter analysis, toxicology, bloodstain pattern analysis, fire investigation, and firearms identification.
Replicates a semester of undergraduate organic chemistry with a full synthetic lab component; requires AP or IB Chemistry.
Structural mechanics, material science, and digital electronics through projects from digital keyboards to a wirelessly controlled robotic hand.
Primary research on protein folding and 3D-printed dynamic models, working with professors nationally with potential to publish.
Introduces basic historical thinking through in-depth study of several crucial themes.
The second required history course, typically taken in tenth grade.
Accelerated Modern World History; requires 87 in 9th Grade History.
IB history at standard level.
Required of all graduates, usually completed junior year.
College-level US History satisfying the graduation requirement; requires 87 in Modern World History.
IB higher-level history through which IB students typically fulfill the US History requirement senior year.
College-level psychology, with preference given to seniors.
IB psychology at standard level.
College-level human geography.
College-level European history, with preference given to seniors.
College-level American government and politics, with preference given to seniors.
The origins, evolution, and varieties of ancient civilizations from c. 3000 BCE to c. 1000 CE using primary sources and archaeological findings.
Adolescent psychosocial development and the mental-health challenges adolescents face, including protective factors and intervention strategies.
Major themes from slavery in Africa and the Americas through abolition, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Critical analysis of several forms of social oppression and alternative ways of understanding social relations.
Open to IB and non-IB students; requires previous or concurrent Precalculus.
A five-level Honors-only Mandarin sequence; entry requires 87 in a current French, Spanish, or Latin class.
Non-honors second-level Mandarin.
The IB Mandarin course.
A five-level French sequence building proficiency across all four skills.
Accelerated French; requires 93 in the current language class or 85 in current Honors.
College-level French language and culture; requires 87 in Level 4 Honors.
IB French at higher level.
A five-level Spanish sequence.
Accelerated Spanish.
College-level Spanish language and culture.
IB Spanish at higher level.
A five-level Latin sequence.
Accelerated Latin.
College-level Latin.
The IB Latin course.
A non-audition choral ensemble.
Honors-level concert choir.
A select choral ensemble admitted by audition, open to Grades 10–12.
The concert wind band.
Honors wind band admitted by audition.
The string and full orchestra ensemble.
Honors orchestra admitted by audition.
Beginning keyboard instruction.
A percussion performance ensemble.
Develops the ability to recognize and describe melody, harmony, texture, rhythm, form, history, and style; requires an entrance proficiency exam.
Introduces the tools of acting through disciplined work on voice, speech, movement, and the actor’s use of self.
Advanced acting and directing across Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Adler, and Meisner approaches in workshop format.
A capstone project course for advanced students in acting, directing, or improv.
In-depth study of short- and long-form improvisation plus sketch writing.
Advanced improvisation building on Improvisation I.
IB theatre at standard or higher level.
A four-level sequence in two-dimensional art and drawing.
A four-level sequence in digital design and photography.
A four-level sequence in three-dimensional and sculptural work.
A studio course in architectural design.
Portfolio-based independent studio work following Level IV; requires portfolio evaluation.
A portfolio course emphasizing art-making as informed and critical decision-making.
An AP portfolio course in digital and photographic arts.
An AP portfolio course addressing sculptural issues and purposeful decision-making.
Significant works of art and architecture in European and non-European traditions from cave paintings to the twenty-first century.
A two-year IB visual arts course; portfolios due February of sophomore year for admittance.
Students produce The Postscript, learning page layout, photo and copy editing, and writing.
A leadership option for returning yearbook staff serving as team leaders and editors.
The breadth of computer science including Python programming, web page design, data analysis, phone apps, and ethical issues in computing.
Follows the College Board syllabus in Java, emphasizing problem-solving, object-oriented methodologies, algorithms, and container classes.
Data structures in Java, then student-designed projects presented before the academic council; requires AP Computer Science.
A required transition course covering goal setting, time management, decision-making, media literacy, leadership, wellness, and identity development.
A junior-year IB core course analyzing personal and shared knowledge using the knowledge framework.
Builds confidence before an audience and proficiency organizing content for varied speech categories, interviews, and active listening.
The IB core also requires the Extended Essay, a major research paper completed junior year, and Creativity, Activity & Service.
Weightlifting technique, functional movement, nutrition, injury prevention, and goal setting; satisfies one of two annual co-curricular credits.
Practices three days a week with winter-term scrimmages; credit based on attendance.
Travel begins in 6th grade, run by an Office of International Studies the school dates to 1988, with sister-school exchanges and homestays in Québec City, Arequipa and Southampton, and faculty-led Upper School trips over spring break and in the summer. The school counts 27 countries visited by students on its global travel experiences since 2015, across six continents.
Middle School experiences begin in 6th grade, from sister-school exchanges to language and history trips, with a published grade, group size and selection method for each. Upper School trips are faculty-led over spring break and in the summer, and change from year to year. Each 2027 Upper School trip gives priority to students of the matching language and is open to all.
Since 1992, Country Day has built sister-school partnerships in numerous countries; its current partners are in Canada, Peru and the United Kingdom. The two-week exchanges include homestays, sightseeing and some classes, and sister-school students visit Charlotte during the school year. The Southampton exchange has run since 1991 and the Québec exchange since 2017.
Students from Jinrui School in Shanghai spent a week at the Middle School in early 2025.
The school counts 11 exchange program partnerships, including the Rotary Club, AFS-YES and the U.S. State Department's Kennedy-Lugar YES program.
Families can host a visiting student through the International Parents Group, for a few days, weeks or a semester.
Trip financial aid requires a Parents' Financial Statement on file with Admissions, plus the Global Programs Financial Aid Application by the trip's deadline. Upper School trips give priority to students of the matching language and are open to all. In the Middle School, the Southampton exchange selects by project proposal and interview, and France and Italy use a lottery if oversubscribed.
Country Day is home to families and students who represent a wide range of cultures and nationalities, and its International Parents Group supports global families who are new to the school, and often new to the country.
At Country Day, global mindedness is about far more than travel: students in all three divisions discuss the world beyond our borders. The Office of International Studies organizes the program around four pillars.
The program leans on competitions and on Charlotte's international community, under the Office of International Studies' motto, "Global starts Local." The school counts 23 wins across Academic WorldQuest, Euro Challenge and Model UN conference competitions.
Country Day dates its global program to a 1977 endowment and its first International Studies program to 1988, and claims a run of North Carolina firsts since — each below as the school states it.
Among Charlotte private schools, Country Day stands out for how early and how concretely travel begins — six published Middle School experiences from 6th grade — and for sister-school exchanges running since 1991.
Country Day’s Educational Resource Program “assists students in grades junior kindergarten through grade 12,” with one-on-one learning support in the Lower and Middle Schools, academic coaching in the Upper School, and accommodations for students with a documented disability. Sessions are billed to the student’s account: $82 for 45 minutes in the Lower School, $85 a session in the Middle and Upper Schools.
Accommodations are for “students with documented disabilities,” which a licensed service provider must document “through a full psychoeducational evaluation.” Learning-support sessions are different: the Lower School says a psychoeducational evaluation “is not required for services,” and Middle School support is open to students “both with and without formal testing.”
The school’s pages do not mention 504 plans or IEPs. A full psychoeducational evaluation is the only evaluation accepted for formal accommodations: “A simple doctor’s note or medical diagnosis (e.g., ADHD or anxiety) does not provide enough information to justify accommodations.” Supports an outside provider suggests “are considered recommendations and are not mandated.”
“Students are eligible only for Country Day-approved accommodations; accommodations outside this list are not granted.” The approved list covers classroom accommodations, Country Day tests and standardized-test requests.
A speech-language, occupational therapy or auditory processing evaluation “may receive school approved accommodations for one year.”
In special-education law (IDEA), speech, OT, PT and counseling are called “related services.”
Both providers “operate independently” of the school. Screening forms go home through the Lower School; the school does not say whether screening is offered in the Middle or Upper School.
40 people. Scroll the list to see everyone.
Each division’s ERP director is the first contact for learning support and accommodations. The school also lists a shared nurses’ inbox, nurses@charlottecountryday.org.
Research current as of October 25, 2026.
Fifteen affinity groups enumerated across all three divisions — every one open to all students — under a single umbrella forum, with a student leadership corps behind it. A more developed structure than most peer schools publish, running from first grade through twelfth and extending to parents.
Roughly half the junior and senior classes mentor weekly, and the entire Upper School runs the Special Olympics Spring Games — a tradition since 1984. Scale and longevity are the story here: these are whole-community commitments, not sign-up-sheet clubs. Service is not tracked as a graduation hours requirement.
Sustained weekly mentoring of Rama Road Elementary students — one lunch hour a week, every week. The school's flagship service organization, and a real relationship rather than a one-off event.
Academics pause: students, faculty and staff host the Mecklenburg County Spring Games on the Cannon Campus as buddies, timekeepers and event crew — every year since 1984, across nearly four generations of Country Day families.
Every senior completes a one-day immersion in professional life through job shadowing and mentorship — many hosts are Country Day parents and alumni — connecting interests to careers since 2017.
The school also names 20+ service-learning partnerships, including Goodwill Industries, ourBridge, The Learning Collaborative, Friendship Trays and Loaves and Fishes.
Six selective recognition societies spanning scholarship, service, music, visual art and theatre. These are outcomes of achievement elsewhere in the program — a student earns their way in; nobody signs up.
| Society | Division | What it recognizes | Feeds from |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cum Laude Society | Upper School | Top-tier scholarship — founded 1906 and modeled after Phi Beta Kappa | the classroom |
| National Honor Society | Upper School | Academic achievement, service, leadership, character | classroom + service |
| National Junior Honor Society | Middle School | The Middle School counterpart to NHS | classroom + service |
| National Art Honor Society | Upper School | Visual-arts achievement | The Arts |
| Tri-M Music Honor Society | Upper School | Music achievement | The Arts |
| International Thespian Society | Upper School | Theatre achievement | The Arts |
Model UN is the flagship, with repeat conference awards. Open any row for the full research note and its source.
Country Day’s best-documented competitive program. At MUNCH (March 2025) seventeen students competed and six earned awards, including four Outstanding Delegate honors; a Virginia conference produced a Best Delegate award. Both Middle and Upper School delegations are active.
Robotics is confirmed by name via student profiles in the news archive, but no public competition results (FIRST, VEX, or similar) surfaced for the Upper School program.
About 45–50 Upper School clubs and activities, spanning governance, academics, service, and affinity groups. Filter by category to see the clubs in each area.
A 45,730 sq ft dedicated fine arts center, a separate 400-seat theater, and both AP and IB arts ceilings — an unusual dual framework. The school reports 70+ performances and exhibits a year across JK–12, eight ensembles, and roughly 39 Upper School fine arts courses annually. Three dedicated drama directors, one per division, staff the pipeline.
Two Blumey wins in 2022 including Best Direction, back-to-back NCTC state championships, and a director named North Carolina’s best K-12 theatre educator. But the recent Blumey trend runs the other way: roughly nine nominations in 2023 and 2024, five in 2025, and none at all in 2026 from a 59-school field.
Who runs it: Jenny Goodfellow directs Upper School theatre, with Karl Hoffman as technical director, Linda Booth choreographing and Jaclyn Orchard on costumes. Country Day staffs three dedicated drama directors — one per division: Krista Maggart (Lower), Aaron Mize (Middle), Goodfellow (Upper). That staffing substantiates the JK–12 theatre claim better than the "100% participation" statistic does, since participation is a curricular artifact of required drama from JK rather than a measure of elective demand. The technical-theatre track is externally corroborated: students were named Blumey Stage Management finalists in both 2023 and 2024.
The 400-seat Gorelick Family Theater is the main house, supplemented by the Black Box Theater in the Hance Fine Arts Center — so performance, rehearsal and studio work never compete for the same room.
Honest context: Country Day is a consistent, credible Blumey contender rather than a current front-runner: nominated every year from 2022 through 2025, it converted that into zero wins after 2022, then drew a blank in 2026. Its high-water mark is genuinely strong — two wins including Best Direction. Individual performer development looks repeatable rather than lucky: Sabrina McGovern earned lead-category nominations in three consecutive cycles, and five different students placed in five performance categories in 2025. On NCTC, the school claims five state championships, but only one play title could be verified — The Crane Wife, a second consecutive championship, placing it in fall 2018 with the prior title in fall 2017 (title unknown). The other three years and titles could not be found, and Country Day did not place at the 2025 state festival, so all five predate 2025. Treat "five championships" as the school’s claim. The strongest independently verified credential here is about teaching, not trophies: NCTC named Jenny Goodfellow North Carolina’s 2022 K-12 Theatre Arts Educator — confirmed on NCTC’s own awards page. For scale, the NCTC festival draws 3,500+ students from 100+ schools across 130+ productions.
Eight ensembles across Middle and Upper School, tiered into honors and open-enrollment sections, feeding conservatory summers and national honor bands. The school reports students earn recognition at 20+ state and regional music events a year; no itemized list of those events or results is published.
Chris Rydel directs Upper School instrumental music; no choral director or arts department chair is named on the public pages. Important caveat: the school’s "8 ensembles" headline spans Middle and Upper School combined, and the pages never state which groups are audition-only — the honors/open split above is inferred from the "Honors" and "Chamber" labels. Confirm on a tour.
Two baseline claims did not survive verification and are deliberately absent: the Middle School Chamber Orchestra’s "top state adjudication ratings" (no festival, year or rating could be located) and the "20+ music events" figure as an itemized record.
Two working wet darkrooms, a ceramics studio with wheels and kilns, and sculpture in glass and metal — the hands-in-material side has not been traded for screens. Nine studios and rooms across three campuses, topping out in AP art courses (including AP Sculpture) and IB art courses.
Stacy Utley teaches Upper School art; no visual arts or arts department chair is named publicly. The school cites recognition at the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at both regional and national level, the National Congressional Art Competition, the Mint Museum Sculpture Exhibition, the Matthews Art Fest and the Rube Goldberg Competition — but specific years, student names and Gold/Silver Key counts are not published, so no number is given here. A National Art Honor Society chapter and its service projects could not be found and are not claimed. No dated 2025-26 exhibition schedule is publicly retrievable.
The deepest arts facilities of any school in this set, a dual AP-and-IB ceiling, and a statewide-honored theatre director — with a Blumey record that has cooled sharply. The open questions are about the undocumented NCTC championship count and the 2026 nomination shutout — both good tour material.
72 teams across 26 sports, with about 85% of students in grades 7–12 playing — and 155 state championships all-time. A 130-person athletics staff supports the broadest participation rate in the Charlotte private-school field.
Middle School splits several sports into Green and White squads. The published "72 teams / 26 sports" figure counts boys’ and girls’ programs separately; enumerating the team directory yields roughly 65 — a counting convention difference, and both figures are the school’s own. Country Day runs two campuses: Cannon (Upper/Lower School and main athletics) and Bissell (Middle School).
Girls tennis has won four straight NCISAA titles, and field hockey took its 16th — but the girls swimming dynasty ended in 2026. Country Day won four state titles in each of 2023–24 and 2024–25, then two in 2025–26 with two more runner-up finishes.
What they didn't win: girls swimming and boys lacrosse, both lost as runner-up (Providence Day and Durham Academy) · girls cross country, girls track, boys tennis and boys lacrosse (Durham Academy) · volleyball (North Raleigh Christian) · girls lacrosse, girls soccer and football (Providence Day) · both golf titles and wrestling (Charlotte Latin) · baseball (Charlotte Christian) · girls basketball (Cannon) · boys basketball (Forsyth Country Day).
Field Hockey: 2025–26: 20–1 with an 88–6 goal differential and a perfect 12–0 at home. The sole loss was 0–1 to Charlotte Latin on October 7, avenged 1–0 in the state final on October 25. MaxPreps ranked the team #22 nationally and #2 in NC — though MAX Field Hockey’s own final national top 25 contains no North Carolina team, so treat the national figure as MaxPreps-specific.
Girls Swimming: The two-year reign ended in 2026: Providence Day scored 420 to Country Day’s 328 at the D1 meet. Taylor Klein set an NCISAA record in the 100 fly at 53.16 and has committed to Stanford.
Boys Lacrosse: 2026: 19–3, outright CISAA champions and MaxPreps’ No. 1 team in NCISAA Division I, but lost the state final 6–5 in overtime to Durham Academy. Goalkeeper Owen Timperman finished with more than 960 career saves, a program record.
51 college commitments across 2024–26, 28 of them Division I and 9 Power 4 — with swimming as the clear engine. The school reports roughly 15 seniors committing per year over the last five years.
Swimming supplies five of the nine Power 4 commits — including all three from the class of 2026, to Stanford, Florida and Purdue. Six commitments went to Ivy League programs, a share matched by no other school in this comparison and consistent with Country Day’s academic profile.
Swimming is unambiguously the Power 4 engine — five of nine P4 commits, and every 2026 P4 signee. Football and basketball, the sports that dominate national recruiting coverage, produced one D1 commit each across three classes. For most Country Day families the pipeline runs through Olympic and racquet sports into academically selective programs, not through the revenue sports.
No Country Day athlete appears in a national top-100 composite for football or basketball in the classes reviewed — consistent with a school whose elite output is swimming, tennis and distance running, which those databases do not rank. The school does hold 7 of the 22 NCISAA Division I state swimming records, more than any other school in the division, and recorded 13 USA Swimming All-American nominations from eight swimmers in a single state meet.
247 Nat'l and 247 State are each athlete's 247Sports Composite rank in their recruiting class. 247Sports ranks only football and basketball, so a dash means no published rank, not an unranked athlete in a ranked sport. Each number links to the athlete's 247Sports profile.
Level labels and conferences were added by the researcher from each college’s NCAA status; they are not on the school’s published roster. P4 = SEC · Big Ten · ACC · Big 12.
A two-time Super Bowl champion, an ATP world No. 29, an NFL running back and a USL Goalkeeper of the Year. The Athletics Hall of Honor was revived in October 2024 after roughly two decades dormant.
The winningest lacrosse coach in North Carolina history and a Hall-of-Fame tennis coach with 38 state championships — both still on staff. Athletic Director: Masanori Toguchi Jr., in the role since July 2021 after eleven years as founding AD at Hough High School.
Inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2024, a USTA-NC Mary Milam Award winner, and named to the Charlotte Observer’s all-time top-10 Mecklenburg County coaches across all sports. He has coached four professionals, including a US Open doubles semifinalist, and the Rankin Courts scoreboard was dedicated in his name in 2022. His son C.C. Davis ’99 now coaches boys tennis alongside him.
A 1983 Country Day graduate who helped organize North Carolina’s first high school lacrosse league in 1988 — five teams, now roughly 150 — and founded the Charlotte Lacrosse Jamboree for brain-tumor research in 1996. Inducted into the NILCA Hall of Fame in 2023, he has produced 200+ college players and 20+ USA All-Americans. He retires after the 2026 season, which passes the continuity-anchor role to Calvin Davis Jr.
Worth knowing: Country Day turned over four head-coaching jobs in the 2025–26 cycle — boys basketball, girls basketball, boys tennis and baseball — with Brad Touma’s lacrosse retirement still to come and the girls basketball seat vacant as of this research. That is unusually high churn for a department otherwise defined by multi-decade tenures, and worth asking about on a tour. Track coach Alvin Pearman is a former NFL running back who returned to teach at his old school.
A $30.5M athletics build opened in 2022 — a 700-seat natatorium and a 1,200-seat performance gym — anchored by an OrthoCarolina sports-medicine partnership. Five named certified athletic trainers across two campuses, more than any other school in this comparison.
Broadcast & game day: Home events stream free on Hudl Focus with no account required, via bucs.link/bucssportslive; the Klein Aquatic Center streams separately on the Bucs Sports YouTube channel. Country Day no longer carries the NFHS Network for home events. Schedules publish with RSS and iCal feeds. No Sports Information Director is named publicly.
The OrthoCarolina partnership is the differentiator among Charlotte private schools — Cannon uses Novant, Charlotte Christian uses Atrium, and Providence Day keeps care fully in-house. The combined Klein and Harris project totalled 77,737 sq ft and roughly $30.5M, funded by a $10M lead gift from the Klein family, the Dowd Foundation and two anonymous donors.
Across the six top-ranked NC public universities, Charlotte Country Day School’s applicants were admitted at a pooled 46.7% over the last five entering classes — 328 acceptances from 702 applications. NC State University is the hard one: 22.9% in Fall 2025 — 11 of 48 — against far higher rates at the less-selective universities. These are UNC-system figures published by the state, not the school’s own.
| Rank | University | Applied | Accepted | Admit rate from this school | 5-yr avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | UNC-Chapel Hill Flagship · Chapel Hill | 69 | 20 | 29.0% | 37.7%316 applied · 119 in |
| #2 | NC State University Flagship STEM · Raleigh · the most selective of the six | 48 | 11 | 22.9% | 29.9%194 applied · 58 in |
| #3 | UNC Charlotte Hometown campus | 16 | 14 | 87.5% | 81.8%66 applied · 54 in |
| #4 | East Carolina University Greenville · eastern NC · largest admit rates of the six | 11 | 11 | 100.0% | 94.1%34 applied · 32 in |
| #5 | UNC Wilmington Coastal · mid-selectivity | 17 | 10 | 58.8% | 59.3%59 applied · 35 in |
| #6 | UNC Greensboro Piedmont Triad | 12 | 11 | 91.7% | 90.9%33 applied · 30 in |
Read each row as a joint figure: the rate at which that university admitted this school’s applicants — not the university’s overall admit rate, and not a measure of the school’s own selectivity. Applied/Accepted are the Fall 2025 entering class; the 5-yr column pools Fall 2021–2025 as sum(accepted)/sum(applied), so a heavy year counts more than a light one. Counts travel with every rate because several cells are single-digit.
530 AP exams in 2025 at 93% scoring 3+ and 74% at 4 or 5 — and the school publishes those results discipline by discipline, weak spots included. Country Day was the first school in North Carolina to offer the IB Diploma, so a student has two legible routes to maximum rigour rather than one, and the profile names the ceiling course in every discipline.
| Class | National Merit & College Board honors |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 Semifinalists · 5 Finalists · 13 Commended · 1 NMSC Special Scholarship (C.D. Spangler Foundation) |
| 2025 | 2 Semifinalists · 2 Finalists · 5 Commended — a conspicuous trough between two normal years |
| 2024 | 7 Semifinalists · 7 Finalists · 2 Commended · 1 Scholar, 1 College-Sponsored Scholar |
| 2022 | 11 Semifinalists · 13 Commended |
| 2021 | 9 Semifinalists · 8 Commended — 17 in the 97th percentile or above |
| 2018 | 7 Semifinalists · 8 Commended |
The Class of 2025 line is the school’s own published figure but sits three times below the classes on either side of it, so it is flagged rather than smoothed. Note also that Semifinalist announcements land in the autumn of senior year, which is why a September 2025 post describes the Class of 2026. College Board National Recognition Program counts are not published in any year.
Five full-time counselors for 548 Upper Schoolers — roughly 28 seniors each — with more than 100 years of combined admissions experience between them. A director change lands in July 2026, but it sits on top of a decade of institutional memory: two of the five have been in this office since at least 2015–16.
The Class of 2026 submitted 1,107 applications to 203 institutions — about eight per student. Transcripts and the school report are owned by a dedicated registrar, and testing accommodations are handled by the Educational Resource Program rather than the college office.
The Class of 2026 — 141 seniors — enrolled at 70 institutions across 23 states, DC and Canada, with 32 students to UNC–Chapel Hill alone. The published list is a four-year cumulative acceptance list of ~320 institutions; only the bolded names represent somewhere a Class of 2026 student actually enrolled.
| Tier | On list |
|---|---|
| Ivy League — absent Harvard, across the 2023–2026 list | 7 / 8 |
| “Ivy Plus” — Stanford and Duke enrolling | 13 / 17 |
| Top-75 National Universities | 71 / 75 |
| Top-75 Liberal Arts — includes all three federal service academies | 44 / 75 |
| Power Four | 61 / 68 |
| HBCUs — Historically Black Colleges & Universities | 18 / 107 |
Treat the “34 Morehead-Cain recipients” figure carefully: the College Counseling landing page shows it beside Class of 2026 statistics, but the Class of 2026 produced exactly one Morehead-Cain Scholar. The 34 is a cumulative, all-time count whose window the school never states. Robertson Scholars and NC State Park Scholars appear only in the 2015–16 profile and should not be presented as current pipelines.
The IB Diploma is the structural differentiator — a second route to maximum rigour — and the Senior Externship turns 175+ local employers into a network only this school has. What Country Day does not have is a required capstone or research thesis; its spike-building is programme breadth rather than a single mandated credential.
There is no required internship, capstone or independent research thesis. The Senior Externship is a single day and is never stated to be mandatory, though 136 of ~141 seniors taking part implies it is near-universal in practice.
The school does not publish its disciplinary-disclosure policy — whether and how Honor Council findings or suspensions reach the secondary school report. Given published NACAC membership, that omission is a sharp tour question.
The quintile table is the honest answer for the middle of the class — the fourth fifth sits at a 3.513 GPA with a 1220 SAT, the fifth at 2.991 and 1110. Country Day publishes what most schools hide, and its acceptance list matches that spread: Princeton and MIT at one end, Cape Fear and Central Piedmont community colleges at the other.
| Percentile | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | — | 1155 | — | 1385 | — | — |
| SAT EBRW | — | 585 | — | 700 | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | 590 | — | 690 | — | — |
The middle-50% endpoints ARE the 25th and 75th percentiles, so those columns are real; the 10th, 50th and 90th are shown as “—” because the school has never published them, and neither has it ever published a mean or the number of testers.
| Percentile | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT composite | — | 24 | — | 31 | — | — |
| ACT English | — | 23 | — | 32 | — | — |
| ACT Math | — | 22 | — | 29 | — | — |
For long-run context, the Class of 2015 composite middle 50% was 26–31 against 24–31 here: the floor fell two points while the ceiling held. Plausibly a test-optional composition effect, but the school offers no explanation.
All five quintiles are the school’s own published figures — nothing is interpolated — and tying each fifth to a median SAT and ACT was new in the 2025–26 profile. Grades reflect work done at Country Day only, as of the end of junior year. Over ten years the distribution has stretched at both ends: the top-quintile mean rose from 4.198 to 4.540 while the bottom-quintile floor fell from 2.546 to 2.076.
A deep, stable office and an unusually candid profile — Country Day hands admissions readers more usable context than almost any peer, then declines to publish its own test scores. The strengths are structural and durable; the gaps are disclosure choices, which is exactly what a tour can put pressure on.
Extended Day covers JK through grade 8 to 6:00 p.m., with five separate pickup tiers — the finest-grained coverage ladder of any school here. Upper School has no Extended Day at all, and no before-school care is published for the school year. The unusually early 1:15 p.m. JK dismissal is backstopped by its own 2:00 p.m. tier.
Prices on the bars are the full-time monthly rate — 5 days a week, the most common case. Country Day contracts 1–5 days a week, and the cheaper day-counts are substantially less; open The Cost Planner below to price any of the 13 published combinations.
PUBLICATION GAPNo before-school care is published for the school year, despite an 8:00 a.m. start across all divisions. Morning care exists only for summer camps.
PUBLICATION GAPSchool holiday and break coverage is not published at all, and the full-day conference-day rate is described only as "a separate cost".
Thirteen published rows across five pickup times and five day-counts — a family pays close to only what it actually uses. Every cell below is published on the open web, with no "call for pricing". Note the range: the same child costs $60/month at the cheapest tier and $900/month at the fullest.
| Grade · pickup slot (monthly) | 1 day VERIFIED | 2 days VERIFIED | 3 days VERIFIED | 4 days VERIFIED | 5 days VERIFIED |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60 | $115 | $175 | $210 | $255 | |
| $115 | $210 | $310 | $360 | $450 | |
| $140 | $255 | $340 | $450 | $510 | |
| $200 | $360 | $470 | $570 | $670 | |
| $255 | $450 | $610 | $725 | $900 | |
| $60 | $115 | $175 | $210 | $255 | |
| $90 | $175 | $230 | $310 | $340 | |
| $140 | $255 | $340 | $450 | $510 | |
| $208 | $360 | $489 | $615 | $725 | |
| $90 | $175 | $230 | $310 | $340 | |
| $175 | $310 | $405 | $490 | $610 | |
| $60 | $115 | $175 | $210 | $255 | |
| $140 | $255 | $340 | $450 | $510 |
Billed monthly by the Business Office as an incidental charge. Contracts run 1–5 days a week. One contract change per semester, and no changes at all in August or December.
PUBLICATION GAPNo Extended Day sibling discount is published, and no financial-aid policy for Extended Day exists: it is billed as an incidental charge, which places it outside the tuition-assistance envelope even though about 30% of students receive tuition aid. Summer programs, by contrast, do have their own aid application.
Extended Day is framed around working families — "more than 50 percent of our two-parent families are dual income," and the program is built to match. The school publishes the components of the afternoon but never sequences them with clock times. What it does publish precisely is the enrichment structure: each division’s class begins exactly at its own dismissal bell.
"Our Extended Day program provides a warm, structured environment for students from JK through grade 8. Whether attending daily or dropping in occasionally, students enjoy a mix of homework time, outdoor play, games, enrichment, and a healthy snack." The school’s own feature describes it as "a home away from home filled with connection, creativity, and exploration", and names real activities — collaborative art, board games, Lego building, and playground time with Peaches, the school dog. Upper School students, who have no Extended Day of their own, appear in the program as cross-grade helpers.
PUBLICATION GAPThe enrichment catalog is invisible to prospective families. The school advertises "more than 25 after-school enrichment classes" — music, art, science, chess, karate, cheerleading, field hockey, baseball, volleyball, SAT/ACT prep, coding, drama, robotics — but the class list lives behind the UltraCamp portal, which returned zero results when checked. No public page gives names with days, grades and fees.
PUBLICATION GAPNo hour-by-hour daily schedule is published, no Extended Day staff-to-child ratio is given, and Middle School is not described as a distinct program — grades 5–8 sit under the same JK–8 umbrella.
The most flexible and most transparently priced after-school program in this set — and the one whose enrichment offering you cannot actually see before you enrol. Coverage stops hard at grade 8, the cost curve is steep at the top, and Extended Day appears to sit outside financial aid.
132 priced camps across eight weeks, including a dedicated farm campus tier no other school here offers. The season runs June 1 to July 24, 2026. Two of the eight weeks are shortened — for Juneteenth and for July 3 — and are priced down.
60 of the 132 published rows are listed below, sampled across every category, tier and week. The full listing is the school’s own 2026 catalog PDF, linked in the sources. Note that these are session-level rows: a camp running three weeks appears three times in the school’s count, so the 132 covers roughly 85 distinct camp titles. The school separately markets the program as "over 150 exciting camp options".
| Camp | When | Grades | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farm CampFull Day - Farm On the school’s own farm — the tier that sets Country Day apart from the other five schools here. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 8-12; July 6-10 | Grade 1–Grade 4 | $ 600.00 |
| Outdoor Adventure CampFull Day - Farm The farm campus’s outdoor programme, offered in four of the eight weeks. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 1-5; June 22-26; July 13-17 | Grade 1–Grade 7 | $ 600.00 |
| Youth Fly FishingFull Day - Farm Fly fishing on the farm, for the oldest farm band. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 1-5; July 13-17 | Grade 5–Grade 9 | $ 600.00 |
| La Finca Farm CampFull Day A Spanish-immersion farm camp, priced at the standard full-day rate rather than the farm premium. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 8-12; June 15-18; June 22-26 | Grade 1–Grade 9 | $ 560.00 |
| Outdoor Adventure Camp · four-day weekFull Day - Farm The farm adventure camp in the shortened July 3 week, priced down. | 4-day wk 9 am–4 pm June 29-July 2 | Grade 1–Grade 7 | $ 480.00 |
| Camp BuccaneerFull Day The school’s traditional full-day camp, offered in four weeks. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 8-12; June 15-18; June 22-26 | JK–Grade 5 | $ 560.00 |
| Camp Buccaneer · four-day weekFull Day The traditional camp in the shortened July 3 week. | 4-day wk 9 am–4 pm June 29-July 2 | JK–Grade 5 | $ 460.00 |
| Camp Summer Fest All DayFull Day The other full-day traditional option, offered in four weeks. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 1-5; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 560.00 |
| Camp TrailblazerFull Day The middle-school full-day camp. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 8-12 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 560.00 |
| Flow Motion AthleticsFull Day A full-day athletics camp. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 1-5 | K–Grade 6 | $ 560.00 |
| CAMMP: Robotics & CodingFull Day (STEM) Full-day robotics and coding. | M–F 9 am–4 pm July 6-10 | Grade 1–Grade 4 | $ 560.00 |
| Musical TheatreFull Day Full-day musical theatre, offered in two weeks. | M–F 9 am–4 pm July 6-10; July 13-17 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 560.00 |
| Broadway Bound with Ms. Maggart!Full Day Full-day theatre with a named faculty member. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 22-26 | Grade 2–Grade 5 | $ 560.00 |
| MTB 101 - Wheelie Fun CampFull Day Full-day mountain biking. | M–F 9 am–4 pm June 22-26 | Grade 2–Grade 4 | $ 560.00 |
| Put on a PlayFull Day The closing week’s full-day theatre camp. | M–F 9 am–4 pm July 20-24 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 560.00 |
| Writing College EssaysMorning/Afternoon (academic, premium) Rising seniors only — the school’s one premium academic tier, offered both morning and afternoon in the same week. | M–F 9 am–12 pm & 1–4 pm June 8-12 | Grade 12–Grade 12 | $ 410.00 |
| Summer Swim Camp (Full Day)Swim At the Klein Aquatic Center. Requires 25 yards of continuous freestyle and backstroke; instructor ratio "at least 5:1". | Monday–Friday drop-off 8:45 am, pick-up 5:00 pm June 22–26; July 13–17 | Ages 7–12 | $425 |
| Summer Swim Camp (Half Day)Swim The half-day aquatics option, on its own separate cancellation policy. | Monday–Friday drop-off 8:45 am, pick-up 12:45 pm June 22–26; July 13–17 | Ages 7–12 | $250 |
| Camp Summer Fest AMMorning The morning half of the traditional camp, offered in four weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 1-5; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| TAP TennisMorning Morning tennis, offered in the first two weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 1-5; June 8-12 | JK–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Bucs Basketball CampMorning Morning basketball with the school’s coaching staff. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 1-5; July 6-10 | K–Grade 7 | $ 280.00 |
| Bucs Soccer & Goalkeeper CampMorning Soccer with dedicated goalkeeper coaching. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | K–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| BUCS Soccer CampMorning The general soccer camp, offered in three weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 15-18; July 13-17; July 20-24 | K–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| CSF SoccerMorning A partner-run soccer camp spanning age 4 to grade 8. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26; July 6-10 | Age 4–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Country Day Wrestling CampMorning Wrestling across a wide grade span. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26 | Grade 1–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Field Hockey Development CampMorning Field hockey, K through grade 9. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 13-17 | K–Grade 9 | $ 280.00 |
| Girls Lacrosse CampMorning Girls lacrosse for the middle grades. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 2–Grade 6 | $ 280.00 |
| Girls Buccaneer BasketballMorning Girls basketball, run for two different grade bands in different weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; July 13-17 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| MS VolleyballMorning Middle-school volleyball. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| MS BUCS CheerMorning Middle-school cheerleading. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 4–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| BUCS Baseball Pitching & CatchingMorning Position-specific baseball instruction. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Little Sluggers Baseball CampMorning Baseball for the youngest campers. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Running CampMorning Distance running, K through grade 8. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | K–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Pickle Pros with Carter & MaggieMorning Pickleball with named instructors. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26; June 29-July 2 | Grade 2–Grade 7 | $ 280.00 |
| MATI Karate Drills & SkillsMorning Partner-run karate. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26 | K–Grade 6 | $ 280.00 |
| CAMMP: Upper Grades Robotics & CodingMorning (STEM) The middle-school robotics and coding half-day. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Storytime STEMMorning Science paired with picture books, for the youngest band. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; June 22-26 | JK–Grade 2 | $ 280.00 |
| Math ExplorersMorning Early maths enrichment. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 1 | $ 280.00 |
| Fun with PhonicsMorning Early literacy, offered in four separate weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; June 22-26; July 6-10; July 20-24 | K–Grade 1 | $ 280.00 |
| Fun with ChessMorning The widest grade span in the catalog — grade 1 through 12. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; June 15-18 | Grade 1–Grade 12 | $ 280.00 |
| Eureka!Morning General science and invention. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Guts, Goo, and Gross ScienceMorning Hands-on messy science. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 20-24 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Secret Agent LabMorning Forensics and codebreaking. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 6-10 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Rosie's RivetersMorning Building and making. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 13-17 | Grade 2–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Little Sprouts Science LabMorning Science for the youngest campers. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 13-17 | Age 4–Grade 1 | $ 280.00 |
| Making with Mr. MoxleyMorning Maker camp with a named faculty member, run for two grade bands in different weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; July 6-10 | Grade 1–Grade 2 | $ 280.00 |
| Cooking Around the WorldMorning Culinary camp with an international theme. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; June 22-26 | Grade 1–Grade 3 | $ 280.00 |
| Camp StorytellersMorning Creative writing and storytelling. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Grade 2–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Mini BroadwayMorning Theatre for the very youngest. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | Age 4–K | $ 280.00 |
| Pop VocalsMorning Vocal camp, run for two grade bands in different weeks. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12; June 15-18 | Grade 5–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Charlotte Ballet Academy DanceMorning Run in partnership with Charlotte Ballet Academy. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26 | Age 4–Grade 1 | $ 280.00 |
| Move to the MusicMorning Movement and music, offered morning and afternoon. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26; July 20-24 | Age 4–Grade 1 | $ 280.00 |
| Glitz & Glam DIY CampMorning Craft and design. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26 | Grade 1–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Jr. Beaders & Jewelry Makers!Morning Beading and jewelry for the younger band. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 8-12 | K–Grade 2 | $ 280.00 |
| Sports SpectacularMorning A multi-sport sampler. | M–F 9 am–12 pm June 22-26; June 29-July 2 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Princesses of the Sea Unite!Morning Themed camp for the younger band. | M–F 9 am–12 pm July 6-10 | K–Grade 3 | $ 280.00 |
| Camp Summer Fest PMAfternoon The afternoon half of the traditional camp. | M–F 1–4 pm June 1-5; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Ready, Set, Tumble: Gymnastics!Afternoon The most-repeated camp in the catalog — offered in six of the eight weeks. | M–F 1–4 pm June 1-5; June 8-12; June 15-18; June 22-26; June 29-July 2; July 13-17; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| CSF Indoor SoccerAfternoon The indoor soccer camp, offered in four weeks. | M–F 1–4 pm June 22-26; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24 | Age 4–Grade 8 | $ 280.00 |
| Kids Adventure ArtAfternoon Afternoon art, offered in three weeks. | M–F 1–4 pm June 8-12; June 29-July 2; July 20-24 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Buccaneer VolleyballAfternoon Volleyball for the youngest band. | M–F 1–4 pm June 8-12 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Shipwreck IslandAfternoon A themed adventure camp. | M–F 1–4 pm June 8-12 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| 8 Intruments in 5 DaysAfternoon An instrument sampler. (The typo in the camp name is the school’s own.) | M–F 1–4 pm June 8-12 | Grade 1–Grade 4 | $ 280.00 |
| Literacy, Lyrics & LemonadeAfternoon Reading and songwriting, offered morning and afternoon in different weeks. | M–F 1–4 pm June 22-26; July 6-10 | JK–Grade 2 | $ 280.00 |
| Crazy ChemworksAfternoon Afternoon chemistry. | M–F 1–4 pm July 13-17 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Spy AcademyAfternoon The afternoon counterpart to Secret Agent Lab. | M–F 1–4 pm July 6-10 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| The Lost GemAfternoon A puzzle-and-quest camp. | M–F 1–4 pm July 13-17 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 280.00 |
| Galaxy DefendersAfternoon A four-day-week space-themed camp. | 4-day wk 1–4 pm June 29-July 2 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 230.00 |
| Coach Shelley's PE GamesAfternoon A four-day-week games camp with a named coach. | 4-day wk 1–4 pm June 15-18; June 29-July 2 | JK–Grade 4 | $ 230.00 |
| S.T.E.A.M.Afternoon A four-day-week STEAM camp. | 4-day wk 1–4 pm June 15-18 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 230.00 |
| Pokemon Trainer AcademyMorning A four-day-week themed camp, offered in both short weeks. | 4-day wk 9 am–12 pm June 15-18; June 29-July 2 | K–Grade 3 | $ 230.00 |
| Rise of the RobotsMorning (STEM) Four-day-week robotics. | 4-day wk 9 am–12 pm June 29-July 2 | Grade 1–Grade 5 | $ 230.00 |
Country Day’s rates are unusually clean — one half-day price, one full-day price, and a farm premium on top. Eight weeks are available. Two of them are four-day weeks and cost less; the tiers below are the five-day rates.
| Camp tier | Per week |
|---|---|
The June 15-18 and June 29-July 2 weeks only. | $230 |
The single published half-day rate — morning or afternoon. | $280 |
At the Klein Aquatic Center; separate cancellation terms. | $250 |
The one premium academic camp in the catalog. | $410 |
Drop-off 8:45 am, pick-up 5:00 pm. | $425 |
The single published full-day rate. | $560 |
The farm campus premium — a tier no other school here has. | $600 |
Super Care is $160/week — the school’s bundled rate covering morning, lunch and afternoon care when a camper is registered for both a morning and an afternoon camp. That is $60 less than the three toggles above separately. Late pick-up after 5 pm is $1/minute.
If a half-day camper eats lunch on campus, a lunch option must be registered — it is not optional. Two of the school’s own pages disagree on whether food is included at that price; see the flag below.
PUBLICATION GAPNo sibling or multi-week discount is published for 2026. A 2020 brochure offered 10% for pairing a morning and an afternoon camp with Super Care; nothing like it appears in any current source, so it should not be assumed to still exist.
PUBLICATION GAPThe school publishes nothing about refunds after June 5 — only that withdrawals before it are refunded in full.
| Band | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Kindergarten | $21,185 | $22,190 | $23,350 | $24,515 |
| Kindergarten | $22,220 | $23,275 | $24,500 | $25,725 |
| Grades 1–4 | $26,280 | $27,530 | $28,930 | $30,375 |
| Grades 5–8 | $28,295 | $29,640 | $31,145 | $32,700 |
| Grades 9–12 | $29,480 | $30,880 | $32,450 | $34,075 |
The school states that every band rose 5.0% from 2025–26 to 2026–27. The archived 2025–26 figures are close to, but not identical to, what a naive 2026–27 ÷ 1.05 calculation would produce — the school rounds each band to a clean figure. Examples:
| Band | 2026–27 ÷ 1.05 (derived) | Actual published 2025–26 | Actual increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Kindergarten | $23,347.62 | $23,350 | 4.99% |
| Kindergarten | $24,500.00 | $24,500 | 5.00% |
| Grades 1–4 | $28,928.57 | $28,930 | 4.99% |
| Grades 5–8 | $31,142.86 | $31,145 | 4.99% |
| Grades 9–12 | $32,452.38 | $32,450 | 5.01% |
This confirms the school's "5.0%" claim is accurate to rounding, and it validates using the real published figures rather than the derived ones in any year-over-year chart.
| Band | 2023–24 → 2024–25 | 2024–25 → 2025–26 | 2025–26 → 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Kindergarten | +4.74% | +5.23% | +4.99% |
| Kindergarten | +4.75% | +5.26% | +5.00% |
| Grades 1–4 | +4.76% | +5.09% | +4.99% |
| Grades 5–8 | +4.75% | +5.08% | +4.99% |
| Grades 9–12 | +4.75% | +5.08% | +5.01% |
These percentages are derived arithmetic from the sourced dollar figures and are clearly labeled as such; the dollar figures themselves are all directly sourced.
Unpublished ≠ deficient. "Not published" flags a transparency gap — never a judgement that the aid programme is small or unwelcoming.
Published ≠ current. Every dollar figure carries the school year it applies to. Undated school figures are flagged, not guessed.
K–12 aid only. The $13M in college scholarships from the School Profile is university money — excluded throughout. Not financial advice.
Meters show how fully each section could be answered from published evidence — a disclosure score, not a rating of the school.
Five bands cover all 14 grades — the school has never priced individual grades. Tuition covers "the core educational experience including technology," per the school's wording. 2025–26 rates are the school's own published figures, recovered from archived copies of the tuition page.
Scale $0–700. A bounded estimate per division, not an itemised fee schedule — covers textbooks & supplies (gr. 5–12), activity fees, and athletic fees. Enrolment deposit: 10% of tuition, credited toward tuition due.
All six unpriced items appear on the school's own billing list — real costs, billed monthly, rates visible only on a family's statement. These are the highest-value questions for the business office.
Clarity · $65 fee at submission · under an hour, mobile-friendly, fully translated into Spanish. Docs: 1040, W2s, recent pay stub — tax records pull in automatically.
Both custodial and non-custodial parents must file through Clarity regardless of legal settlements; missing information from either parent may prevent an award.
No appeals process · no mid-year change-of-circumstance policy. Hazard: a stale portal page still names the old SSS platform — the live admissions page (Clarity) is the one to trust.
Published donor gift levels and their projected annual distributions — design targets, not awards actually granted.
Donor gift level → intended share of a student's tuition. Roughly $6,000/yr more can be attached for ancillaries — the same categories Section 02 flags as unpriced. Awarded on demonstrated need via Clarity.
A family cannot apply for an academic, arts or athletic scholarship — the school does not offer one. Individual endowed funds carry published criteria (e.g. full tuition + ancillaries for an entire career; four years for a scholar-athlete; K–4 full tuition).
Sibling discounts · employee tuition remission · clergy/military/first-responder discounts · indexed or sliding-scale tuition · how many named scholarships are granted each year, and at what size.
Late-payment policy · mid-year withdrawal obligation · plan fees or interest · third-party lenders · tuition refund insurance — these live in the enrolment contract, which is not public.
Every band moved +5.0% from 2025–26 to 2026–27 — a uniform increase across the table (see the Section 01 chart). Two data points don't make a pattern. Aid vs tuition growth can't be assessed: tuition is year-tagged, the aid figures are not.
Nothing is published for families above the typical aid threshold but below comfortable full payment — no sliding scale, no indexed tuition. A gap shared by most independent schools, not a finding about this one.
Each is unanswerable from published sources and materially affects what a family pays or receives.
