[2] He attended the Academy of Pepperell for two years, after which he enrolled in a private school in Elmira, New York, where he studied mathematics, astronomy, geology, et cetera.
While studying at the college, Farrar roomed with Baxter, who later rose to become another prominent figure in the field of dentistry.
After graduating, Farrar spent four months in West Indies, and upon the failing health of his mother, he returned to Pepperell, Massachusetts.
He eventually returned to Philadelphia to pursue his MD degree, which he attained in 1874 from Thomas Jefferson University.
Farrar attended several dental meetings at that time and he was very vocal about advocating for orthodontics being established as a separate field from dentistry.