At a Glance
A century-old Sacred Heart school where faith, intellectual rigor, and global citizenship are woven into every grade.
Best suited for
Families seeking a faith-rooted, intellectually serious elementary education with a strong sense of community — particularly those who want a K-12 path they can stay on through graduation.
What stands out
- Membership in the international Network of Sacred Heart Schools connects students to a global community of sister schools, with shared curriculum and exchange opportunities.
- The five goals framework — faith, intellect, service, community, and personal growth — gives the school a clear, distinctive moral center that runs through every grade.
- Service learning is treated as a core practice rather than an add-on, with age-appropriate opportunities to engage with the wider community.
- The broader campus offers an IB diploma program in the upper school, meaning families can stay within the same community through graduation.
- Campus ministry and retreat programming give the school a depth of spiritual life unusual among New York private schools.
Things to consider
- Tuition is among the highest in the city — the $40,560–$70,850 range reflects a school with significant financial scale.
- The Catholic, Sacred Heart framework may not fit families looking for secular or differently faith-based education, though the school is broadly welcoming.
- The December 1 application deadline is early, and the school is selective; families should plan admissions timelines well in advance.
- Some upper school students describe academic pressure and grade deflation, a dynamic worth asking about even if you're entering at the elementary level.
- The school's location near the top of the Upper East Side means commutes from other boroughs can be long.
Identity
Convent of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic day school in the Sacred Heart tradition, guided by the network's five goals: personal faith, intellectual respect, social awareness, community, and personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. It is co-edited at the elementary level and sits within the larger Network of Sacred Heart Schools, an international Catholic network with shared standards across continents. The lower school serves children through grade 5, with the broader campus extending through high school.
Community
Parent sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with families feeling welcomed into a tight-knit community where teachers know students as individuals. The school draws from across Manhattan and beyond, with a parent body that is largely college-educated and affluent — consistent with the surrounding neighborhood. Some older students have noted academic pressure, particularly in the upper school, which is worth keeping in mind even for families joining at the elementary level.
Neighborhood
The school sits in Carnegie Hill, one of Manhattan's wealthiest enclaves, where the median household income reflects a largely professional, highly educated population. The block is residential and quiet, with the leafy character typical of the Upper East Side just south of the 96th Street corridor. Museum Mile runs nearby, and the neighborhood has a settled, family-oriented feel.
The 96 St (6) stop is about a 7-minute walk, with the 86 St (4 5 6) about 8 minutes away and the 86 St (Q) about 12 minutes on foot.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Overwhelmingly positive - parents praise supportive community, caring teachers, rigorous academics, and confidence-building environment. Rated 4.7/5 from 139 reviews. Some concerns about academic pressure and grade deflation in upper school noted by students.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill.
- What grades does CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART serve?
- CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART?
- CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART public, charter, or private?
- CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART is a private school.
- What neighborhood is CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART in?
- CONVENT OF THE SACRED HEART is in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, Manhattan.