At a Glance
A tiny bilingual Italian haven in Carnegie Hill where full language immersion meets near one-on-one teaching.
Best suited for
Italian-American families, expat households, and New York parents who want their young child fully bilingual in a small, community-driven elementary school with international credentials.
What stands out
- Genuine Italian-English bilingual immersion from preschool through fifth grade, with French added as a third language.
- A 3.5:1 student-teacher ratio that translates into near-tutoring-level attention in the early grades.
- Reggio Children-inspired preschool paired with an IB-aligned framework across the elementary years.
- Recognition from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lending real academic weight to the bilingual program.
- Total enrollment of just 111 students, creating an unusually intimate elementary experience.
Things to consider
- Tuition runs $29,700 to $37,700, placing it firmly at the higher end of Manhattan private elementary pricing.
- The student body is 88% white with low racial and ethnic diversity, which families prioritizing a multicultural peer group will want to weigh.
- The school ends after fifth grade, so families will need to navigate middle school applications on top of the La Scuola commitment.
- The very small size is a strength for some families and a limitation for others — fewer peers, but tighter bonds.
Identity
La Scuola d'Italia is a nonsectarian, coed bilingual school offering a rigorous Italian-English curriculum rooted in a holistic, child-centered philosophy. Recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and accredited through NYSAIS, the school pairs progressive pedagogy with the structured IB framework. It serves PK through fifth grade and intentionally stops at elementary, sending graduates on to a wide range of middle schools.
Community
With 88% white enrollment and a diversity index of 0.30, the student body is quite homogeneous, shaped by the school's Italian heritage mission and its Carnegie Hill location. The community is internationally minded, drawing Italian-American families alongside diplomats, expats, and New Yorkers drawn to bilingual immersion. Population is small enough that families get to know one another quickly and stay connected through the years.
Neighborhood
Carnegie Hill is one of Manhattan's wealthiest, most residential pockets — median household income sits around $198,000, and more than 84% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. The blocks around the school feel stately and museum-adjacent, with townhouses, classical architecture, and a quieter pace than busier stretches of the Upper East Side.
The school is about a 5-minute walk from the 96 St (6) station, with the 86 St (4 5 6) stop roughly 11 minutes south and the 103 St (6) about 10 minutes north.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Highly positive reviews; parents describe the school as a fantastic community with excellent academics, caring faculty, a great bilingual program, and a strong IB curriculum. The school is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 31 parent reviews and 5.0 out of 5 from 3 parent reviews.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill.
- What grades does LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI serve?
- LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI?
- LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI public, charter, or private?
- LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI is a private school.
- What neighborhood is LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI in?
- LA SCUOLA D'ITALIA-G MARCONI is in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, Manhattan.