Top private schools near New York, NY: 4 ranked lists
There is no single best school. These lists rank schools near New York on measures parents ask about, from federal data and tuition we verified on each school’s own website.
We looked at the 344 private schools in New York or within 6 miles of downtown. Each list below uses one measure, says where it comes from and shows the top 10. A school can rank high on one measure and not appear on another, so read the lists together. We leave out any list with fewer than 5 qualifying schools, and no school can pay to appear or move up.
- Most graduates going on to a 4-year college (129 ranked)
- Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher (282 ranked)
- Largest schools (325 ranked)
- Lowest published tuition (11 ranked)
Most graduates going on to a 4-year college
Share of each high school’s graduates who went on to a 4-year college, as the school reported it. Only the 129 high schools that reported a figure are ranked; schools that did not report are left out, not ranked last. 40 reported 100%, so ties are listed by enrollment, largest first.
| # | School | Graduates to a 4-year college | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dalton School | 100% | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 2 | Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School | 100% | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
| 3 | Poly Prep Country Day School | 100% | PreK-12 | 6 mi |
| 4 | Lycee Francais de New York | 100% | PreK-12 | 7 mi |
| 5 | Trinity School | 100% | K-12 | 9 mi |
| 6 | Yeshivat Ateret Torah | 100% | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 7 | The Chapin School | 100% | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 8 | The Brearley School | 100% | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 9 | Spence School | 100% | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Grace Church High School | 100% | PreK-12 | 5 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey (as each school reported it). Showing 10 of 129 ranked schools.
Smallest classes: fewest students per teacher
Students per full-time-equivalent teacher, lowest first, among the 282 schools with at least 50 students (so very small schools do not fill the list). This ratio is the closest measure of class size in the federal data; actual class sizes can be larger.
| # | School | Students per teacher | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gillen Brewer School | 2.2 students per teacher | Ungraded | 8 mi |
| 2 | Gan Yisroel | 2.3 students per teacher | PreK-7 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Mary McDowell Friends Upper School | 2.4 students per teacher | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Corlears School | 2.4 students per teacher | PreK-5 | 6 mi |
| 5 | Children's Academy | 2.4 students per teacher | K-12 | 7 mi |
| 6 | The Birch Wathen Lenox School | 2.7 students per teacher | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 7 | The Lang School | 2.8 students per teacher | K-12 | 5 mi |
| 8 | St. Davids School | 2.9 students per teacher | K-8 | 8 mi |
| 9 | Shefa School | 2.9 students per teacher | 1-8 | 6 mi |
| 10 | Lascuola Ditalia New York | 2.9 students per teacher | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 282 ranked schools.
Largest schools
Kindergarten to grade 12 enrollment each school reported, largest first. Pre-K children are not counted in the federal figure.
| # | School | Students (K-12) | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beth Rachel School for Girls | 2,509 students | Transitional 1st-8 | 3 mi |
| 2 | Bais Rochel School | 2,005 students | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 3 | United Talmudical Academy of Boro Park | 2,005 students | K-12 | 4 mi |
| 4 | Beth Rivhak School | 1,996 students | PreK-12 | under 1 mi |
| 5 | Yeshivah of Flatbush | 1,980 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 6 | Bnos Zion of Bobov | 1,966 students | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 7 | Bais Ruchel Dsatmar Girls School | 1,922 students | PreK-7 | 3 mi |
| 8 | Xaverian High School | 1,688 students | 6-12 | 5 mi |
| 9 | Dalton School | 1,330 students | K-12 | 8 mi |
| 10 | Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School | 1,138 students | PreK-12 | 9 mi |
Source: 2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey. Showing 10 of 325 ranked schools.
Lowest published tuition
We have a verified tuition figure for 11 of the 344 schools near New York, so a school missing here may cost less. Ranked by the cheapest grade band each school publishes; required fees can be extra.
| # | School | Published yearly tuition | Grades | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good Shepherd Catholic Academy | $5,450 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 4 mi |
| 2 | Al-Noor School | $7,400 to $8,300 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-12 | 3 mi |
| 3 | Nazareth Regional High School | $9,725, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 4 | Christ the King High School | $11,950, 2025-26 | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 5 | Xaverian High School | $12,975 to $19,300 (lowest: grades 6-8), 2026-27 | 6-12 | 5 mi |
| 6 | Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School | $12,995, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 2 mi |
| 7 | St. Edmund Preparatory High School | $15,350, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 4 mi |
| 8 | St. Ignatius Loyola School | $16,394 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | PreK-8 | 8 mi |
| 9 | Xavier High School | $27,915, 2026-27 | 9-12 | 6 mi |
| 10 | Basis Independent Brooklyn | $40,500 to $44,720 (lowest: K-5), 2026-27 | 2-12 | 4 mi |
Source: each school’s own website, checked by ChoiceFunded. Showing 10 of 11 ranked schools.
Questions parents ask
Which is the best private school in New York?
There is no single best school, and we do not rank schools by opinion or reviews. The right school depends on your child, your faith, your budget and your commute. The lists on this page rank the 344 private schools within 6 miles of New York on measures parents ask about, each with its source, so you can build a short list and then visit.
Which New York private high schools send the most graduates to a 4-year college?
40 of the 129 high schools near New York that reported a figure said 100% of their graduates went on to a 4-year college, among them Dalton School, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and Poly Prep Country Day School (2023-24 federal Private School Universe survey). The list on this page shows them largest first.
Can a school pay to appear on these lists or move up?
No. Every list is sorted by the measure it names, and the source is printed under each list. Sponsored boxes elsewhere on the site are labelled and never change these lists.
Where do the figures come from?
Enrollment, students per teacher and college-going come from the 2023-24 Private School Universe survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, as each school reported them. Tuition figures were read on each school’s own website, and the school’s page links the source.