Deerfield gives financial aid on need only. This guide covers what we could confirm for families applying this fall for September 2027 entry.
Tuition for 2026-27
Boarding tuition is $79,940 and day tuition is $57,850. Tuition covers room and board, textbooks, use of a MacBook Air and use of the Academy health center. Deerfield offers three payment options: one installment due August 1, two installments due August 1 and December 1, or a monthly plan for a small fee.
These are 2026-27 figures. Deerfield says it will move to a single tuition rate with no additional fees when the West Campus Dorm opens in fall 2027. The new amount was not on the pages we read, so ask the admission office for it in writing.
How aid works
Aid is need-based, and Deerfield says it meets 100% of demonstrated need for admitted students. Grants are outright awards with no repayment. Deerfield does not give aid for athletic or academic performance or any other merit.
Aid is common here. Deerfield says that for more than 40 percent of prospective families, applying also means applying for aid. For 2026-27, 38% of current families receive aid, and 35% of aid recipients pay nothing.
Under Deerfield's Financial Aid Initiative, domestic families making up to $150,000 pay $0. To qualify, families must live and work in the U.S., have two years of verifiable W-2 income only, and have assets consistent with their income. All other families, including international families, can still apply for need-based aid.
Deerfield also says applying for aid can affect admission. Its aid budget is generous but limited, so it cannot always accept every admissible aid applicant.
The aid timeline
| Date | What happens | | --- | --- | | September 1, 2026 | Clarity Financial Aid begins accepting applications. | | January 15, 2027 | All aid applications are due in Clarity. New aid applicants from Canada and other countries upload their income documents by this date, and returning aid families have an earlier date. | | February 15, 2027 | U.S. tax filers with W-2 income upload those documents. | | March 10, 2027 | Admission and aid decisions are available. | | April 10, 2027 | Deadline to accept an aid offer. |
Every legal parent or guardian, including step-parents, must complete an application. New applicants use the same name as on the admission application. The Clarity fee is $65, and Deerfield does not waive it, though Clarity has its own waiver guidelines. Grants are reviewed every year, so families reapply annually.
What to do next
Gather tax documents in September, not January, so the aid forms do not compete with essays. Read our aid guide for the full list, and put the dates on your timeline. Deerfield lists a financial aid contact on its aid page for questions about your own situation.
What Deerfield has not published
- The 2027-28 tuition amount.
- Typical amounts for costs beyond tuition. Deerfield says some students get help with airfare, health insurance, lessons, athletics and travel, but does not list figures.
Sources
- Financial aid, Deerfield Academy
- Start your application, Deerfield Academy
- West Campus Dorm, Deerfield Academy
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