New York has one of the most varied private school sectors in the country. A Hasidic yeshiva in Williamsburg, a Catholic parish school in Yonkers, a Mennonite school near Penn Yan and a Sacred Heart academy in Buffalo all count as nonpublic schools under state law. They differ widely in size, cost, curriculum and oversight. This page explains how the system works and how to read the listings in our directory before you call or visit.

Who Oversees Nonpublic Schools in New York State

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and the Board of Regents set the legal framework. Education Law requires children to attend school from age 6 through 16, and through age 17 in New York City and in other districts that have extended the requirement. Families can meet that duty through a public school, a nonpublic school or approved home instruction.

Most private schools in New York do not need a state license to open. The law asks instead that their instruction be “substantially equivalent” to what the local public schools provide. The public school district where the school sits is responsible for reviewing that equivalency. That means the superintendent or, in the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Education. NYSED has issued guidance and revised regulations on how these reviews should work, and the depth of review still varies from district to district.

Because the state does not license most private schools, much of the vetting falls to you. A school can be well run and unaccredited, or carry an impressive name and offer little. Asking direct questions is the only reliable way to tell the difference.

Accreditation is a separate, voluntary layer. Independent schools often belong to the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) or hold Middle States accreditation. Catholic schools answer to their diocese or archdiocese and follow its policies. Some nonpublic high schools award Regents diplomas, while others issue their own diploma, so ask which applies before you enroll.

Several rules apply to every school, whatever its religion or price. State Public Health Law requires immunization for school attendance, and the religious exemption was repealed in 2019, leaving only medical exemptions. Your home district generally must provide transportation to a nonpublic school within 15 miles, subject to its minimum-distance rules, and requests are usually due by April 1 before the school year. Districts also lend state-approved textbooks to nonpublic students. Fire and building safety are handled locally, by the FDNY and the Department of Buildings in New York City and by municipal code officials elsewhere.

Special education works in two ways. Some children stay in a regular private school and receive limited services arranged through a district Committee on Special Education (CSE). Others are placed by the CSE in a specialized school for children with disabilities. The New York Institute for Special Education on Pelham Parkway North in the Bronx is one such school in our listings. Ask the CSE, not the school alone, whether a placement is publicly funded.

Private Schools Across New York: Five Boroughs, Suburbs and Upstate

The five boroughs of New York City are also five counties, and that matters when you search. Brooklyn is Kings County, Queens is Queens County, Manhattan is New York County, the Bronx is Bronx County and Staten Island is Richmond County. Our directory organises listings by county as well as city, so a school in Borough Park or Jamaica appears under its county page. Start with Kings County, Queens County or New York County, which hold the largest clusters.

Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx

Brooklyn's listings reflect its religious communities. Borough Park has Bais Yitzchak Yeshiva on 45th Street. Crown Heights has Beth Rivka High School on Crown Street, and East Flatbush has Bnos Menachem on East New York Avenue. Williamsburg has Darkei Tshivo of Dinov on Wallabout Street. Other Brooklyn options include A Fantis Parochial School on State Street, Bay Ridge Prep on 4th Avenue and Mt Pleasant Christian Academy in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Queens is just as varied. Al-Iman School on Van Wyck Boulevard in Jamaica is an Islamic school, Bnos Bais Yaakov is in Far Rockaway, and Mi Nuevo Mundo Children Education Center is an early childhood listing in Astoria. In the Bronx, Blessed Sacrament School on Beach Avenue and the New York Institute for Special Education show the mix of parish and specialized schools.

Long Island, Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Outside the city, Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island have many parish, independent and religious schools. Westchester County includes Sacred Heart Grade School on Convent Avenue in Yonkers, and Mount Tom Day Camp in New Rochelle appears as a related listing. Rockland County has a large yeshiva sector around Monsey and Airmont, including Yeshiva Gedola of South Monsey and Bais Yaakov Drav Hirsch. In Dutchess County, Faith Christian Academy sits on Spackenkill Road in Poughkeepsie.

Upstate and Rural New York

Upstate, the picture changes. Rochester and Buffalo anchor western New York. Allendale Columbia School serves the Rochester area in Monroe County, and Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart is on Main Street in Buffalo. Syracuse has Bishop Ludden Junior Senior High School on Fay Road, and Schenectady has St John The Evangelist on Union Street. In rural counties, choices thin out. New Conquest Mennonite School near Penn Yan and Deer Run School in Conewango Valley are small community schools, often a long drive from the next alternative. Rural families should settle the transportation question early.

How to Read New York Private School Listings

Our directory draws on public records, so entries vary in completeness. A few habits will save you time.

Steps to Take Before You Apply in New York

First, decide what matters most: religious instruction, a specialized program, a language, location or cost. Then shortlist three schools in your county and call each one. Ask whether it is accredited, how it handles the substantial equivalency review, which grades and diplomas it offers, and whether a Regents diploma is possible.

Second, visit during a school day if the school allows it. Notice class size, how teachers speak with students and the condition of the building. Ask for the written tuition schedule and the withdrawal policy.

Third, handle the paperwork that belongs to you. Gather immunization records, a birth certificate and recent report cards. If you want busing, contact your home district before the April 1 request deadline. If your child has an IEP, bring it to the CSE as well as to the school.

Finally, keep copies of everything you sign. If a school closes or you leave mid-year, those papers help with refunds and with re-enrolling your child in the local public school.

Private schools in New York are licensed and regulated by the state's department of education, which sets minimum standards for safety, curriculum, and accreditation while allowing institutions significant freedom in operations and admissions. New York may also offer education savings account or voucher programs that provide public funding assistance to eligible families attending private schools.

Private Schools locations are available in 454 cities across New York. They are spread across 59 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of private schools include New York, Brooklyn, Bronx, reflecting larger population centers where demand for diverse educational options tends to support a wider range of private school institutions.

Families in New York exploring private school options should contact each school's admissions office to request a prospectus, schedule a tour, and learn about financial aid availability, as tuition and assistance programs vary significantly from one institution to the next.

Private Schools by Counties

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
W
Y

Families in New York comparing private school options should check each school's accreditation status through the state department of education and request standardized test score data, graduation rates, and college placement outcomes. Many private schools in New York hold open house events in the fall that are open to prospective families without an appointment.

Browse Private Schools by county across New York to find the nearest location.

Timing, Costs and Calendars for Private Schools in New York

Private school calendars in New York do not follow one pattern. Many schools open around Labor Day and close in June, but yeshivas and other religious schools build their calendars around their own holidays, and some run longer days or different weekly schedules. Ask for the full-year calendar before you commit, especially if you rely on a particular after-school or childcare arrangement.

Admissions timing also varies. Independent schools in New York City, Westchester and Erie County commonly set application deadlines in winter for fall entry, often requiring a tour, a student visit and records from the current school. Parish and diocesan schools often accept registrations later and may give priority to parishioners or siblings. These patterns are common, not universal, so confirm each school's dates directly.

Cost is the largest variable. Tuition ranges from modest parish rates to the high fees of some Manhattan day schools, and New York does not run a statewide private school voucher program. Ask each school about financial aid, sibling discounts, payment plans and extra charges for uniforms, books and lunch. Written fee schedules protect you if plans change mid-year.

Commuting deserves its own planning. In the city, many families choose a school by subway or bus line rather than by neighborhood. In Rockland, Dutchess and upstate counties, a school bus route or carpool often decides the matter. Check the route, the pickup times and the April 1 transportation request deadline with your home district before you rely on a bus.

Frequently Asked Questions About Private Schools in New York

Generally, no. A typical private school in New York does not receive a state license the way a child care center does. State law instead requires nonpublic instruction to be substantially equivalent to public school instruction, and the local public school district is responsible for reviewing it. Some schools add voluntary credentials, such as NYSAIS or Middle States accreditation, or diocesan oversight for Catholic schools. Ask each school which accreditation it holds, who reviewed its curriculum and whether its high school issues a Regents diploma. For questions about the rules themselves, contact the New York State Education Department.

Yes. State Public Health Law requires students in both public and private schools to be immunized against specified diseases or to hold a valid medical exemption. New York repealed its religious exemption in 2019, so a religious objection no longer excuses a child from the requirement. Schools usually ask for immunization records before the first day and may exclude a student whose records are incomplete. Your pediatrician can provide the documentation, and the school's administrative office can tell you which forms it needs and when they are due.

Often, within limits. New York law generally requires a student's home district to provide transportation to a nonpublic school up to 15 miles away, subject to the district's minimum-distance rules. Parents typically must submit a request by April 1 before the next school year. The school's location and the district's routes affect the service you get. In New York City, eligibility and the type of service depend on grade and distance. Contact your district's transportation office early and confirm the deadline in writing, since late requests may not be honored.

Start with the Committee on Special Education (CSE). Depending on your situation, you may deal with the district where you live, the district where the school is located, or both. Put your request for an evaluation in writing. A child whose parents enroll them in a private school may qualify for certain services, but that differs from a child placed by the CSE in a specialized school. The New York Institute for Special Education in the Bronx is one example of a specialized school. Ask the CSE which route applies and what it will pay for.

Some small schools, especially in Monsey, Astoria and rural counties, receive mail at a PO box and publish little contact information. Bais Yaakov Drav Hirsch in Monsey and Mi Nuevo Mundo Children Education Center in Astoria are examples with PO box addresses. A few listings, such as Deer Run School in Conewango Valley, have no phone number on file. Mailing city names can also differ from the real location: Blessed Sacrament School on Beach Avenue lists New York but is in Bronx County. Check the county, then verify the address by phone before you travel.

Call first. Directory data comes from public records and can lag behind closures, mergers and moves, which happen among parish and small independent schools. Confirm the address, the grades served and whether seats are open. Ask for a tour, the tuition schedule, the calendar and a description of the curriculum, including religious content and languages of instruction. Also remember that not every entry is a full school. Mount Tom Day Camp in New Rochelle, for example, is a day camp. Two or three phone calls will narrow your list quickly.