NYC's Best Private Schools: New Ranking Released

NEW YORK CITY — New York City isn't short on elite private schools, but some stand above the rest, a new ranking shows.

Niche released Tuesday its rankings of the best high schools across the nation with deep dives into metropolitan areas such as New York City.

Private institutions dominated the top 25 schools in the New York City area, with only three public schools making the upper tier, according to Niche's 2023 Best Schools list.

Trinity School on the Upper West Side not only topped the city's ranking, but was named the sixth-best private school in the United States.

Academic excellence comes with a substantial price tag: Trinity charges nearly $60,000 in tuition, according to the institution's website.

With one exception, the top five-ranked high schools in the New York City area come with tuitions befitting of an Ivy League. Those are:

1. Trinity School, Manhattan— Kindergarten-8: $58,385; 9-12: $58,495
2. Riverdale Country School, The Bronx — $52,575 ($61,305, with books, supplies, trips and other fees)
3. The Brearley School, Manhattan — $58,700
4. Regis High School, Manhattan — $0 (The Upper East Side institution is the only tuition-free Jesuit high school in the U.S., according to its website.)
5. Horace Mann School, The Bronx — $42,940-$59,800

Bronx High School of Science was the top-rated public school in the city on the list, coming in at 16th.

The new 2023 Best Schools and Districts Niche rankings provide insight for parents on 92,743 public schools, 30,112 private schools and 11,820 school districts nationwide.

Niche said its rankings differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance in that it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.

As in previous years, the Best Schools rankings include categories for boarding, charter and magnet schools as well as schools for STEM and the arts among many others.

You can view the full rankings here.