At a Glance
A Bronx Jesuit brotherhood shaping young men through cura personalis and a steady push for excellence.
Best suited for
A family looking for a structured, faith-informed, college-pressured formation for their son, especially one who responds to challenge and benefits from a close brotherhood of peers.
What stands out
- An iSTEAM program that weaves science, technology, engineering, arts, and math across disciplines rather than siloing them.
- A Global Education Program that sends students on academic and cultural trips across six continents.
- An Individualized Honors Program offering top students deeper, self-directed academic challenge.
- Serious college outcomes — about 60% of graduates matriculate to most-selective colleges — paired with a full visual and performing arts program.
- A single flat tuition ($25,610) rather than tiered pricing, with aid available through the December 5 financial aid deadline.
Things to consider
- An all-boys Jesuit environment is a specific fit — it works beautifully for some boys and feels constraining for others.
- Parent reviews raise recurring concerns about workload, mental health, and bullying that are worth probing directly on a visit.
- Tuition sits well below Manhattan prep rates but still represents a major family commitment, especially given the modest neighborhood income around the school.
- Facility condition is a frequent complaint in reviews — see the building in person before deciding.
- The student body is majority-white in one of the most heavily Latino parts of the Bronx, a disconnect some families will want to think through.
Identity
Fordham Prep is an all-boys Catholic Jesuit secondary school serving grades 9–12, rooted in the Ignatian tradition. The mission rests on two Jesuit pillars — cura personalis (care of the individual) and magis (the more, striving for excellence) — and frames education as formation of the moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and emotional person. It is accredited by the New York State Board of Regents and the New York State Association of Independent Schools.
Community
With 951 students and a diversity index of 0.66, the school skews majority white (about 60%) but includes meaningful Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial representation. Parent reviews repeatedly flag a lack of diversity, which lines up with what the numbers suggest in a heavily Latino surrounding neighborhood.
Neighborhood
Belmont is a working-class Bronx neighborhood — median household income around $33,000, a poverty rate above 37%, and a relatively low share of residents holding a bachelor's degree. The Fordham Road commercial strip is dense with shops, restaurants, and foot traffic, and the area has a strong Latino presence.
The Kingsbridge Rd and Fordham Rd stops on the B and D lines are each about an 11-minute walk, and the 4 train at Kingsbridge Rd is roughly a 14-minute walk.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews - positive reviews praise committed teachers, academic rigor, Jesuit mission, and college preparation; negative reviews cite lack of diversity, facility deficiencies, heavy workload, and some concerns about bullying and mental health
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Belmont.
- What grades does FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL serve?
- FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL?
- FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL in?
- FORDHAM PREPARATORY SCHOOL is in Belmont, Bronx.