Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School) vs. Bennett Day School
Should you attend Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School) or Bennett Day 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
Gold Coast Prep (formerly Chicago Grammar School) ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Illinois for:
Category
Attribute
Acceptance Rate
Extracurriculars
Bennett Day School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Illinois for:
Category
Attribute
Student Body
Overview
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.
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..
Grades Offered
PK-8
PK-12
Blue Ribbon School
No
No
Offers Post-Graduate Year
n/a
No
Learning Difference Programs
No
No
Year Founded
2005
2014
Students Body
Total Students
33 students
431 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
Co-ed
% Students of Color
50%
40%
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Nursery Students
-
12
Pre-K Students
2
67
Kindergarten Students
2
39
Grade 1 Students
5
41
Grade 2 Students
3
34
Grade 3 Students
-
34
Grade 4 Students
2
31
Grade 5 Students
5
24
Grade 6 Students
2
25
Grade 7 Students
2
43
Grade 8 Students
9
17
Grade 9 Students
-
28
Grade 10 Students
-
9
Grade 11 Students
-
15
Grade 12 Students
-
12
Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
5 teachers
63 teachers
% Faculty with Advance Degree
60%
75%
Average Class Size
10
15
Number of AP Classes
n/a
10
Student-Teacher Ratio
7:1
7:1
List of Courses Offered
n/a
Matric. DataMatriculation Data
n/a
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
(uniform polo shirt)
(uniform polo shirt)
Casual
Finances and Admission
Admission Deadline
None / Rolling
Dec. 15 / rolling
Tuition Cost
$25,500
$40,125
Tuition Notes
Preschool 9300 part time and 17000 full time
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
% on Financial Aid
33%
30%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$10,000
$15,000
Acceptance Rate
60%
n/a
Admissions Director
Phillip D. Jackson
Laura Maheshwary
Admissions Associate
n/a
Starrin Kinser-Petersen
Sports
Total Sports Offered
n/a
7
Extracurriculars
Total Extra-curric.Total Extracurriculars
13
6
Extra-curric.Extracurriculars
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
Club or Organization:
FIRST RoboticsGender鈥揝exuality Alliance (GSA)
NewspaperStudent Council
Theater ClubYearbook