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Best 10 International Schools in New York City

International Education in New York City

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With the United Nations headquarters in its centre and a reputation as one of the most diverse cities in the world, New York has a choice of international schools, but not as many as its size may make you expect.

There are a couple of reasons for this. As a predominantly English-speaking city, there is no language barrier for most expats in New York. In many other countries parents would have no choice but to send their child to an international school, as all other schools would teach through the country’s native language.

In addition to this, New York has plenty of well known and very well regarded private schools. These schools offer the same high standards of education and excellent facilities as international schools, and make for a worthy alternative in many parent’s eyes.

The deciding factor in choosing an international school in New York rather than a private school is often the curriculum. The majority of NYC’s international schools teach the International Baccalaureate, which is taught across the globe. Private schools teach the American curriculum, which is also popular around the world, but not nearly as widespread.

For expat families who intend to move to another city in a couple of years, consistency in their child’s education is key. The International Baccalaureate means students can pick up exactly where they left off without missing anything, anywhere in the world.

Either way both international and private schools in New York are thought of as the ‘elite’. Students who come through either often go on to attend Ivy League universities in the United States or their equivalents in other countries. Whichever school you end up choosing, you can be sure that the quality of education, teachers, facilities, extra curricular activities and everything else will be second to none.

Because of this however, waiting lists are common and applications can have multiple stages. This is especially true of the most well known schools. Competition for places can be intense and parents are usually advised to apply at least a year in advance. On the plus side, most of them have rolling admissions, so your child can join at any time in the schools year.

Be prepared for an initial tour of the school campus, followed by an interview with the principal or senior admissions staff. After that, don’t be surprised if the school requires your child to take an aptitude test. Some schools even ask for a letter of recommendation on top of all of the above! Every school is different however, and some have a less stringent admissions process than others.

Below, we have compiled the top 10 international schools in New York City according to our users. However, there are another 11 schools to choose from in the city. You can find the best international school for your child by personalising your results. Just fill in your search criteria, and we will calculate a personal score for every international school in New York City based on your requirements.

Recommended Schools

Nord Anglia International School New York

We are a British international school in the heart of a thriving New York City. Our vision is to shape a generation of creative and resilient global citizens - a generation that will change our world for the better.
Curriculum
British, International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
2 to 14
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $29,500
to: $49,900

Pine Street School

Pine Street School is NYC's only IB World School offering Spanish and Mandarin Immersion, Nursery to 8th Grade.
Curriculum
IB
Languages of instruction
English, Chinese, Spanish
Ages
1 to 14
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $45,500
to: $56,070

Best 10 International Schools in New York City

Out of a total of 21 International Schools in New York City.

Based on the aggregated preferences of our users in the last 30 days.

The École

The École is an independent, French-American bilingual school serving an international community of Maternelle-to-Middle school students in New York City.
Curriculum
American, French
Languages of instruction
English, French
Ages
2 to 14
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $41,200
to: $42,700

La Scuola d'Italia

La Scuola d’Italia is an independent Italian/English bilingual school (Pre-K – 12) imbued with the best features of the Italian and American educational systems. Its unique culture stems from its bicultural identity and multicultural environment where acceptance and diversity, equity and respect, are the principles that naturally shape the life of the bilingual school.
Curriculum
IB, American, Italian
Languages of instruction
English, Italian
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $26,000
to: $34,000
Reviews
(3 reviews)

Nord Anglia International School New York

We are a British international school in the heart of a thriving New York City. Our vision is to shape a generation of creative and resilient global citizens - a generation that will change our world for the better.
Curriculum
British, International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
2 to 14
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $29,500
to: $49,900

Avenues New York

Avenues: The World School is an independent school serving toddlers through 12th grade. Founded with the vision to establish one school with many campuses that are intentionally connected and located in key global cities, Avenues is one highly integrated learning community, supported by a common mission, shared curriculum—including language immersion—world-class technology, and an expert faculty. Avenues is helping define a new category of school—a world school—that goes beyond what’s expected of a school today to develop the future thought leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
Curriculum
Chinese, Spanish, International
Language of instruction
English
Ages
1 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $26,300
to: $65,850

United Nations International School

The United Nations International School is the school of the United Nations, and is a Pre-K-to-12th grade, coeducational, International Baccalaureate, college-preparatory day school.
Curriculum
IB
Language of instruction
English
Ages
4 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $42,930
to: $47,796

EF Academy New York

EF Academy New York is everything you would expect from a world-class private day and boarding school – modern facilities, experienced teachers, and globally-recognized academic programs. But what truly sets EF Academy apart is its mission to provide you with a superior education that empowers the next generation of global changemakers to excel.
Curriculum
IB, American
Language of instruction
English
Ages
14 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $42,000
to: $42,000
Reviews
(1 review)

French-American School of New York

French-American School of New York is a bilingual, international, co-educational day school providing a global education to students in nursery (3 years old) through grade 12.
The school has 2 different programs: International track and Franch-American track.
Curriculum
IB, American, French
Languages of instruction
English, French
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $34,290
to: $40,640
Reviews
(3 reviews)

Maryel School

Maryel School of New York is a top private international and bilingual co-educational day school educating students from Nursery through the 5th grade. Located in the heart of Manhattan, Maryel is a harmonious combination of the education system in the United States and Spain. Founded in Seville, Spain in 2004, Maryel aims to educate girls and boys "to be the best they can be and prepare them to thrive in their lives beyond Maryel by helping them trust that they are unique human beings who can accomplish anything." With a rigorous and challenging education, Maryel incorporates all forms of critical thinking and inspires a life-long love of learning. Maryel School encourages its students to reach their academic, social, and emotional potential in a challenging and supportive environment. Tradition and innovation come together in this wonderful community.
Curriculum
American, Spanish
Languages of instruction
English, Spanish
Ages
3 to 11
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $32,700
to: $37,850
Reviews
(10 reviews)

Lyceum Kennedy French American School

Lyceum Kennedy French American School provides a fully bilingual education to students from nursery to 12th grade, in a multicultural environment. With its highly qualified and experienced teachers, it offers an extremely competitive academic structure. Small classes and individual attention contribute to the complete development of each student's personality.
Curriculum
IB, American, French
Languages of instruction
English, French
Ages
3 to 18
Yearly fees - 2023/2024
from: $32,000
to: $38,800

International Academy of New York

International Academy of New York is an independent, co-educational, bilingual Mandarin and Spanish early childhood through 8th grade school located in the Upper East side of New York City.
Curriculum
American, Chinese, Spanish
Languages of instruction
English, Chinese, Spanish
Ages
2 to 14
Yearly fees - 2021/2022
from: $39,700
to: $47,000

Find the Best International School in New York City FOR YOU!

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