The Private School X-Factor
For many Manhattan parents, getting their children into a top-tier private school is an endeavor that starts before the kids are even born. Wading through the rankings, reputations and educational standings to decide where to apply is just one step in the long process, and entire companies exist just to rate these schools and assist families in getting admitted to their top choices.
We won't step on their (very profitable) toes here - our list is designed to give a snippet of information on the private schools in your neighborhood. Our aim is to showcase the one or two things that set each of these schools apart from the pack. They're all academically rigorous and educationally presitigious, and most are similar in cost. But where might you look to send your bright young aspiring chef who's just as interested in food science as history, or the promising athlete who might have a shot at the 2026 Olympics as well as the Ivy League? One of the benefits of private school is that the small size allows the schools to offer specialties, something that sets them apart from their peers, and which will hopefully allow their students to do the same.
Our list was compiled by researching information provided by the schools as well as recent news coverage. We included, where available, stats on student population and tuition, too. We chose the most well-known private institutions on the Upper West Side.
K-6
212-663-6441
www.alexanderrobertson.org
Tuition: $32,500
The Alexander Roberstson School is the only school with a STEM curriculum produced by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and such programs have been singled out around the country as vital to ensuring American students' competitive advantage in the future.
The Calhoun School
433 West End Avenue
212-877-1700
N-12
www.calhoun.org
Enrollment: 750 students
7:1 student to faculty ratio
The Calhoun School is a progressive educational school that uses community service as a way to help students grown personally and to connect to classroom experience. This is done on Calhoun's belief that students learn best through experience and discovery. The school has recently made headlines with its renovation plans for its main 81st Street building.
The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue
212-316-7500
www.cathedralnyc.org
K-8
Enrollment: 284 students
6:1 student to faculty ratio
Tuition: $38,425
The school is known for its Choristers, a choir made up of students from grades 4-8, singing for services on Sunday mornings during the school year in addition to two full choral evensongs a month and at weekly school evensongs and even some professional engagements.
Collegiate School
260 West 78th Street
212-812-8500
www.collegiateschool.org
K-8
Enrollment: 653 students
Tuition: $43,400
Collegiate School is known for being the oldest school in the United States as well as being ranked the best K-12 all boys prep school in the nation. The school also announced relocation plans this year to a location between West End Avenue and Riverside Boulevard and between West 61st and 62nd Streets, with a targeted move date of 2016.
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School
5 West 93rd Street
212-749-6200
www.cgps.org
N-12
Enrollment: 1290 students
5.8:1 student to faculty ratio
Tuition: $39,990 - $41,940
Columbia Prep, the oldest non-sectarian private school in the United States, is known for its unique use of the board game chess. The game is introduced to kindergartners and, in first grade, the basic elements learned the previous year are expanded upon. Every school morning begins with Sunrise Chess where for one hour, students and parents "come on a voluntary basis for guided play and fun."
The Dwight School
291 Central Park West
212-724-2146
www.dwight.edu
N-12
Enrollment: 800 students
Tuition: $34,900 - $41,600
Dwight School is the only school in the city to offer the full International Baccalaureate Program, which is designed to address intellectual, social, emotional and physical development and well-being of students. It emphasizes breadth of knowledge and research and writing ability, critical thinking, and a model of creativity, action and service outside of the classroom.
The Mandell School
795 Columbus Avenue
212-222-2925
www.mandellschool.org
K-8, expanding each year
Enrollment: 112 students
Mandell places emphasis on community outreach, being a part of the students' curriculum from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade. Each school year, students are required to select a community service project that they develop with the help of the Mandell teachers.
The Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan
805 Columbus Avenue
212-427-9500
www.sssm.org
K-8
Enrollment: 140 students
As one of two Conservative Jewish schools in Manhattan, Solomon Schecter strives to combine general studies with an appreciation for Jewish culture and religion from learning Hebrew to participating daily in t'filah (prayer).
The Speyer Legacy School
15 West 86th Street
212-581-4000
www.speyerlegacyschool.org
K- 8, 8th grade beginning Fall 2015
Enrollment: 244 students
Tuition: $36,500 - $38,000
Speyer Legacy is the city's only private school exclusively for "advanced learners," or academically gifted children. The school champions their student debate team and argues that teaching debate skills is an integral part of academic development.
St. Hilda & St. Hugh's School
619 West 114th Street
212-932-1980
www.sthildas.org
N-8
Enrollment: 378 Students
5:1 student to faculty ratio
Tuition: $29,175 - $40,500
St. Hilda & St. Hugh's School is known for their green activities. They are one of a limited number of schools with their own greenhouse, where students grow their own fruits and vegetables that are then used in cafeteria lunches and students are often taken on environmental field trips.
The Studio School
117 West 95th Street
212-678-2416
www.studioschoolnyc.org
N-8
Enrollment: 110 students
Tuition: $34,440 - $35, 960
The Studio School focuses on the process of learning as well as the concept and method of working with "the group" as a learning tool.
The Trevor Day School
1 West 88th Street
212-426-3360
www.trevor.org
6-12 (N-5 is on East Side)
Enrollment: 436 students
Student-Faculty ratio 6:1
Tuition: $41,600
Trevor Day is known for its experiential learning education where students are encouraged to construct their own meanings as opposed to simple regurgitation. In the classroom, the students are in charge for the learning of the class with the teacher acting more like a facilitator to keep class structured.
Trinity School
139 West 91st Street
212-873-1650
www.trinityschoolnyc.org
K-12
Enrollment: 986 students
6:1 student to faculty ratio
Tuition: $42,540 - $43,320
Founded in 1709, Trinity is known for being the fifth oldest school in the United States and the oldest continually operational school in the city. In addition, Trinity has a full Classics department, which is often recognized as the strongest in the nation.
York Preparatory School
40 West 68th Street
212-362-0400
www.yorkprep.org
6-12
Enrollment: 350 students
7:1 student to faculty ratio
Tuition: $42,600 - $43,300
York Prep has no board of directors and accepts more than half of their applicants, which sets it apart from other private schools. They also boast a Beekeepers Society, where students help tend to hives on the rooftop of the school, learning environmental and biology lessons at the same time.