At a Glance
An all-girls PK–5 school on the Upper East Side that treats empathy and research as academic work from the earliest grades.
Best suited for
Families who want a research-minded, intentionally progressive elementary education for their daughter in a small, known-by-name setting — and who can navigate both the price tag and a selective application.
What stands out
- A Center for Girls' Research and Leadership that embeds leadership and research skills into elementary-age work — unusual at this grade level.
- A 5.9:1 student-teacher ratio, which is genuinely small by New York elementary standards and keeps classrooms deeply personal.
- An Extended Inquiry Program that gives girls room to pursue self-designed research questions rather than only teacher-directed projects.
- An explicit, named equity and justice thread woven through a PK–5 curriculum.
- A full arts program (performing and visual) sitting alongside STEM and robotics rather than being squeezed by it.
Things to consider
- Tuition runs $69,990 for 2026–27, putting Hewitt among the most expensive elementary options in the city.
- The financial aid deadline is December 1, 2025 — earlier than many families expect for elementary school applications.
- All-girls education is the right fit for some children and not others; families should think honestly about how their daughter responds to single-sex settings.
- With only 464 students total, openings at each grade level are limited and the admissions process is highly competitive.
- The school's explicitly progressive, leadership-forward philosophy may feel too activist for families looking for a more traditional early-childhood experience.
Identity
The Hewitt School is a nonsectarian, all-girls elementary school serving PK through fifth grade. Its teaching rests on four named pillars — presence, empathy, research, and purpose — and its mission explicitly aims to inspire girls and young women to become ethical leaders and game changers. The school frames its work around equity, sustainability, and joy, with leadership treated as something to be practiced, not just discussed.
Community
Hewitt's student body is majority white but meaningfully diverse, with Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students making up a sizable share of the school. Families typically come from affluent, highly educated backgrounds, and parent reviews describe a warm, engaged community where teachers know children well. Choosing Hewitt is usually a deliberate vote for a single-sex elementary experience.
Neighborhood
The Hewitt School sits on East 75th Street in Carnegie Hill, one of the wealthiest and most educated pockets in the city. Census figures for the area show a median household income just under $200,000, a 5.2% poverty rate, and a bachelor's-or-higher attainment rate above 84%. The blocks around the school are residential and museum-adjacent — quiet, leafy, and built for walking.
The 6 train at 77th Street is about a 4-minute walk, the 6 at 68th Street–Hunter College about 8 minutes, and the Q at 72nd Street roughly 9 minutes away.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Generally positive - parents describe teachers as caring and nurturing, strong academic rigor, girls thrive and are happy, excellent arts programs; some concerns about Jewish community support noted in isolated reviews
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
Make this school part of your plan
Everything on this page is yours to read. An account keeps your research in one place.
No credit card required
Explore nearby
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is HEWITT SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for HEWITT SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill.
- What grades does HEWITT SCHOOL serve?
- HEWITT SCHOOL serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into HEWITT SCHOOL?
- HEWITT SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is HEWITT SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- HEWITT SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is HEWITT SCHOOL in?
- HEWITT SCHOOL is in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, Manhattan.