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Dwight School

United States, New York

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees $42,000 - 67,900
Ages 2 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 742
Type Co-educational
Opened 1872
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)
Taught languages Spanish, Mandarin, French, German, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Dutch, Russian, Latin, Swedish
Typical class size 15
Strengths Performing Arts, Sport, Languages
Clubs Leadership and Professional, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School
Introduction

Dwight School New York is an independent day school in Manhattan that delivers the International Baccalaureate across the PYP, MYP and DP. The school educates students from ages 2 to 18 and operates across four Manhattan campuses within Dwight's nine-campus network. Preschool through Grade 10 participate in the PYP and MYP; Grades 11–12 may pursue the IB Diploma Program or the Dwight Courses Program, after a placement process and a two-year commitment. The Diploma requires six IB subjects (three Standard Level and three Higher Level), the IB Core (CAS, EE, TOK), and up to 45 points. A minimum of 24 points plus HL/SL thresholds and completion of CAS, EE and TOK are required. Dwight supports university readiness with a dedicated college counseling team. Facilities include a 40,000-square-foot Athletic Center, a Performing Arts Center with a black-box theater and recording studio, four campuses, and Quest Learning Center offering on-site academic coaching.

291 Central Prk W, New York, NY 10024, United States

The Essentials

Dwight School has 742 pupils, typical class sizes of 15, instruction in English.

Location

Located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Dwight New York operates across four campuses: North Campus at 291 Central Park West; CPW Campus at 18 West 89th Street (Main Office, Middle & Upper Schools: Grades 5–12); Riverside Campus at 144 Riverside Blvd (Early Childhood: Small Wonder–Pre‑K); and 94th Street Campus at 705 Columbus Ave (Early Childhood Division & Lower School: Preschool 3s–Grade 4). The Athletic Center is at 2116 1st Ave.

Stages

Dwight New York has four levels: Early Childhood; Lower School (Kindergarten–Grade 4); Middle School (Grades 5–8); and Upper School (Grades 9–12).

Type

Private day school

Pupil Nationality Mix

45 nationalities represented.

Additional learning support

Quest Learning Center provides learning support for students with learning differences and is integrated across Dwight to benefit all learners.

Country affiliation

United States

Bus service

The school provides a private bus service operated by Queens Children Transportation.

Fees

Annual tuition at Dwight School ranges from USD 42,000 to USD 67,900 for 2026/27.

Application and Registration Fees

- Non-refundable application fee: USD 75.
- Non-refundable registration (enrollment) fee: USD 1,500 (assessed at enrollment).
- Financial aid processing fee (for Clarity application): USD 65.
- Parents Association fee: USD 150 (annual).

Tuition fees by program / year group (annual amounts)

- 2s Programs (annual):
- 2 mornings (Tue & Thu, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 17,900.
- 3 mornings (Mon, Wed, Fri, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 26,900.
- 5 mornings (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500.
- Full days (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 42,000.
- Extended days (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–5:30 pm): USD 48,000.

- Preschool 3s (annual):
- 5 mornings (8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500.
- 5 full days (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900.

- 4s Program (annual):
- 5 mornings (8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500.
- 5 full days (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900.

- Pre-Kindergarten (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900 (annual).

- Kindergarten (8:30 am–3:30 pm): USD 63,900 (annual).

- Grades 1–4 (8:30 am–3:30 pm): USD 67,900 (annual).

- Grades 5–12 (8:00 am–3:00 pm): USD 67,900 (annual).

Additional mandatory or regularly assessed fees (examples by division)

- Technology fee (Kindergarten and Grades 1–12): USD 1,975 (annual).
- International Baccalaureate (IB) program fee (Grades 11–12): USD 750.
- I-20 processing fee for international students (where applicable): USD 750 (non-refundable).
- Uniforms, textbooks, overnight/grade-level trip fees and some extracurricular-specific costs: amounts vary by grade and activity.

Per-term / per-instalment detail and billing schedule

- Tuition figures above are annual. The school issues initial billing statements in late spring and administers tuition collection through an online student-billing service (Smart Tuition). Families select a payment schedule; the Business Office offers multiple payment-plan structures (examples historically provided include one, two, four, or eight payments). Exact instalment dates and plan choices are administered through the billing service and appear on the initial statement.

- Example instalment calculations (for reference only):
- Single annual payment: full annual tuition in one payment.
- Two-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 2.
- Four-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 4.
- Eight-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 8.
(These instalment amounts are mathematical divisions of the published annual tuition and will be adjusted to reflect any assessed fees, deposits, or credits on the billing statement.)

Payment terms, methods and late-payment policy

- Accepted payment methods include online debit/credit card, wire transfer (bank transfer), ACH, and payment by check; credit/debit card transactions may incur convenience fees. The school uses an online billing/payment platform (Smart Tuition) for statements and payments. A finance charge of 1% per month is assessed on delinquent accounts. Students with accounts in arrears may be prevented from attending school or receiving records/reports until the account is brought current.

Boarding

- Dwight School New York is a day school and does not provide boarding or homestay accommodation. Boarding fees are not applicable.

Refunds and withdrawal policy

- The application fee and registration fee are non-refundable. If a student is withdrawn after May 1 of the preceding school year (per the enrollment contract), the signator is responsible for the full year's tuition, payable immediately. Mid-year withdrawal and other refund responsibilities are governed by the enrollment contract; delinquent balances may result in withheld records.

Other routinely assessed or optional costs

- After-school and extended-day activities, special curricular or extracurricular program fees, certain language-course supplements, overnight trips, athletic tournament/away-trip costs, and some grade-specific materials or experiences can generate additional charges that vary by student and grade level. Families are billed for these items as applicable. A small number of optional services and fee-based programs may also appear on a student's account.

Summary of the most commonly billed line items for families

- Annual tuition (varies by program/grade) — see list above.
- Non-refundable application fee: USD 75.
- Non-refundable registration fee: USD 1,500.
- Technology fee (K+): USD 1,975.
- IB program fee (Grades 11–12): USD 750.
- I-20 processing fee for international students (if applicable): USD 750.
- Parents Association fee: USD 150.

Notes on administration of fees

- Billing and payment administration is handled through the school's Business Office and the online billing service; families receive an initial statement in late spring and ongoing statements according to their selected payment plan. Late or delinquent accounts incur finance charges and may affect a student's continued attendance and access to records.
Academics

Dwight School teaches IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP) for students aged 2 to 18.

Curriculum

Dwight School New York delivers the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum across the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), and Diploma Program (DP). Preschool through Grade 10 participate in the PYP and MYP automatically, while Grades 11–12 may pursue the IB Diploma Program or the Dwight Courses Program, with a placement process and a two-year commitment for the Diploma Program. The Diploma Program requires six IB subjects (three at Standard Level and three at Higher Level), the IB Core (Creativity, Activity and Service; Extended Essay; Theory of Knowledge), and a total of up to 45 points to obtain the Diploma; a minimum of 24 total points plus HL and SL point thresholds and completion of CAS, EE, and TOK are required. There is no formal application to join the full Diploma Program; a placement process ensures commitment to the two-year program and completion of internal and external assessments. The college counseling team supports university readiness within the IB framework.

Student Teacher Ratio

Dwight has a low student-teacher ratio.

Higher Education Progression

Graduates matriculate at a range of domestic and international universities. Recent college matriculations include Brown, Bowdoin, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, UCLA, McGill, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, University of St. Andrews, Trinity College Dublin, Vanderbilt, University of Virginia, Wesleyan, and Yale. Additional matriculations include Columbia College Chicago, CUNY Brooklyn College, and Pennsylvania State University.

Gifted and Talented

Spark Tank is Dwight's K-12 incubator that empowers student-entrepreneurs to launch their own ventures, with guidance and funding through Dwight's Foundation innovation grants; the program develops entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership beyond the classroom.

Admissions

Admissions

The Dwight School New York admissions process is personalized with open houses, community events, and individual sessions for each applicant family. The 2025-26 application opens on September 1, 2025 and closes on December 1, 2025. Prospective families can take a 360 Virtual Tour and register for open houses held in fall and winter. Dwight School New York is a member of ISAAGNY and does not discriminate in admissions on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Scholarships

Dwight offers need-based financial aid; there are no merit or athletic scholarships. About 25% of Dwight students receive financial aid, and approximately $10 million is awarded annually. Financial aid awards range from small grants to full tuition for students in kindergarten through grade 12; preschool aid is limited to partial grants and preschool recipients are reevaluated at the kindergarten level. The financial aid decisions are confidential and based on demonstrated need. The deadline for the 2026-27 financial aid and admissions applications is December 1, 2025, and the financial aid process uses the Clarity platform (start by submitting required documents and a $65 processing fee).

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