Curriculum
Peruse the Commonwealth curriculum and imagine what it will be like to be a student in our classrooms, electric with intellectual inquiry. Below you can preview typical schedules, explore graduation requirements, and browse an exceptional array of college-caliber courses from each academic department.
95%
AP scores 3 or above; 77% scores 4 or 5 (2024)
Academic Departments and Course Catalog
Arts >>>
All students, from the veteran cellist to the beginner photographer, find fulfilling artistic outlets that fill our building with beauty.
Computer Science >>>
A foundation in the fundamentals future-proofs our computer science curriculum and prepares students for this fast-evolving field.
English >>>
Close reading uncovers worlds of meaning in a single word—and turns every Commonwealth student into a deep and critical thinker.
History >>>
By analyzing primary sources and conducting rigorous research, our students learn to think like historians and see connections across time.
Humanities and Social Sciences >>>
From Film Analysis to Economics to Psychology, our humanities curriculum reads like a college course catalog. In many ways, it is.
Languages >>>
For our students taking French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish, the spoken language is just the beginning.
Mathematics >>>
Commonwealth math classes nurture a love of problem solving and take our most passionate mathematicians as far as they want to go.
Science >>>
In our science classes and labs, the work is “minds on,” “hands-on," and animated by an eagerness to question and to know.
35
faculty members; 16 non-teaching staff members
86%
with advanced degree (31% with doctorate)
5:1
student-to-faculty ratio
1:1
faculty advising program
Commonwealth has helped me find more joy in learning than I had before, which overall helped me look for ways to enjoy things I might not have before, and I think that's a good way of looking at the world.
My Commonwealth experience would not be the way it is without all of the teachers who are so enthusiastic in their teaching that it becomes infectious. Even as a self-proclaimed “humanities student,” I still crave the feeling of successfully solving a math or physics problem because the teachers have made the content so enjoyable to learn.
Commonwealth has taught me to question everything. It’s not quite 'skepticism,' but just always questioning where things come from, what they mean, what assumptions a particular argument might ask you to make, and where your own opinions or leanings come from. There’s also the importance of really listening to people. That's something that I think the Commonwealth community does really well.
Sample Weekly Schedules
The typical Commonwealth schedule isn’t typical at all. Our students' many and varied interests pull them in myriad directions and keep our building humming with activity. Still, our sample schedules will give you a better sense of what your first years might look like at Commonwealth.
Graduation Requirements
Preview how Commonwealth students progress through our rigorous curriculum in four years, with ample support along the way.
Ninth Grade
Students come to Commonwealth from a variety of backgrounds, and our dedicated ninth-grade course work prepares them for their subsequent studies.
Advising
No student navigates Commonwealth alone. Your advisor can help with everything from this week's physics problems to thinking about college and beyond.
AP Exams
Commonwealth prepares students for a variety of AP exams, which can provide curricular and cost benefits in college. Get answers to your AP exam questions here.
