Bennett Day School vs. Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School)
Should you attend Bennett Day School or Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School)? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
School Overview
Top Rankings
Bennett Day School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Illinois for:
Category
Attribute
Student Body
Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School) ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Illinois for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
Extracurriculars
Overview
Bennett Day School is an independent PreK-12 school located in Chicago's West Loop/Fulton Market neighborhood.
The world your child will inherit is changing faster than ever, and education must evolve with it.
Bennett is built for what's next, cultivating the human advantages: curiosity, resilience, empathy, collaboration, creativity, that technology can never replace.
Here, learning comes to life through student-driven inquiry, real-world problem solving, and cross-disciplinary projects that build adaptable, collaborative, and socially conscious thinkers.
Our focus on process and overcoming challenges develops a growth mindset and the essential skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Bennett students don't have to choose between an engaging, purpose-driven education and strong college outcomes; they can have both.
Our graduates are curious, capable, and confident learners who go on to thrive at top colleges and universities across the country and around the world..
GCP Preschool-JK program provides a loving and caring experience inspired by Reggio Emilia approach to early education.
GCP provides a rigorous classical liberal arts education that teaches children to think. GCP is unique in that it provides a classical liberal arts education beginning in elementary school.
The GCP motto, Sapere Aude-Dare to Know, represents both the process and the endpoint of a classical liberal arts education. Rather than waiting until high school or college, GCP students form the mindset for critical thinking and learn cultural literacy from the very beginning of their educational journey.
They are taught the integrative nature of knowledge. Their broad education includes history, literature, art, and the systematic natures of language (English, Latin and Spanish), as well as math, science, and logic.
This rigorous curriculum, with a well defined program for the development of critical thinking, is designed to create the global leaders of tomorrow.
The children`s education is further enhanced with both national and international travel.
The GCP program is well designed for the academically talented or gifted student.
Grades Offered
PK-12
PK-8
Blue Ribbon School
No
No
Offers Post-Graduate Year
No
n/a
Learning Difference Programs
No
No
Year Founded
2014
2005
Students Body
Total Students
431 students
33 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
% Students of Color
40%
50%
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Nursery Students
12
-
Pre-K Students
67
2
Kindergarten Students
39
2
Grade 1 Students
41
5
Grade 2 Students
34
3
Grade 3 Students
34
-
Grade 4 Students
31
2
Grade 5 Students
24
5
Grade 6 Students
25
2
Grade 7 Students
43
2
Grade 8 Students
17
9
Grade 9 Students
28
-
Grade 10 Students
9
-
Grade 11 Students
15
-
Grade 12 Students
12
-
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
63 teachers
5 teachers
% Faculty with Advance Degree
75%
60%
Average Class Size
15
10
Number of AP Classes
10
n/a
Student-Teacher Ratio
7:1
7:1
List of Courses Offered
n/a
Matric. DataMatriculation Data
n/a
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Casual
(uniform polo shirt)
(uniform polo shirt)
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline
Dec. 15 / rolling
None / Rolling
Tuition Cost
$40,125
$25,500
Tuition Notes
For the 2026-27 school year...
PreK/JK: $38,100
JK (Age 4): $34,450
SK (Age 5): $35,150
1st-8th: $35,850
9th-12th: $37,850
Preschool 9300 part time and 17000 full time
% on Financial Aid
30%
33%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$15,000
$10,000
Acceptance Rate
n/a
60%
Admissions Director
Laura Maheshwary
Phillip D. Jackson
Admissions Associate
Starrin Kinser-Petersen
n/a
Sports
Total Sports Offered
7
n/a
Extracurriculars
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
6
13
Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
Club or Organization:
FIRST RoboticsGender鈥揝exuality Alliance (GSA)
NewspaperStudent Council
Theater ClubYearbook
Club or Organization:
Arts and Music Programs:
Recreational Athletic Programs:
ChessComputer Programming
Cooking ClubDance Club
Games ClubLatin Classics Team
Math ClubSTEM Fun
Arts and Music Programs:
Chamber ChoirMusic Lessons
Spanish Guitar
Recreational Athletic Programs:
FitnessSwim Club