Boasting an impressive alumni list, which includes actress Clare Danes, the Dalton School is a coeducational institution founded in 1919. The school serves 1,300 students in grades kindergarten through 12 and promises a "rigorous, innovative educational curriculum," with a strong fine and performing arts program in addition to sports and extracurricular activities. Dalton occupies several buildings in New York's Upper East Side and offers financial assistance for qualifying students whose families cannot afford the full cost of tuition.
An institution for boys, the Collegiate School is located in Manhattan's Upper West Side and claims to be America's oldest school, having been founded in 1628 by the Dutch West India Company. Collegiate offers small class sizes across 13 grades and has 630 pupils in grades K-12. The school is divided into three divisions: lower, middle and upper, depending on grade level, and offers various arts and athletics programs as well as academic core classes.
Founded in 1878, the Ethical Culture Fieldston School educates students in kindergarten through 12th grade and has campuses in New York's Bronx neighborhood and the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Embracing the ideals of progressive education, ethical learning and academic excellence, the school encourages students to work hard, develop strong character and become independent, inquisitive thinkers. Ethical Culture Fieldston School also values diversity and strives to include children of all cultural, religious and financial backgrounds and offers arts programs, a summer dance school and intensive learning camps during breaks.
The Spence School educates nearly 700 girls in grades kindergarten through 12 and was founded in 1892 on Manhattan's Upper East Side, near the famed Central Park. Spence aims to help students achieve the "highest academic and personal standards necessary for responsible, effective citizenship and for the successful pursuit of higher education," with a focus on the liberal arts and sciences. Students at Spence also take part in arts programs, community service and athletics; the school has three gyms, two dance studios and a photography darkroom, among other amenities.